Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday, 23 June 2026 congratulated Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, on being conferred the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour, citing his contributions to science, engineering and the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020.

Context

Pradhan's post on X praised Kamakoti's 'distinguished contributions to science and engineering' and his 'unwavering commitment to the vision of #NEP2020.' The minister specifically highlighted two initiatives under Kamakoti's stewardship — BodhanAI and the Centre of Excellence in AI for Education — as examples of innovation-driven work shaping what Pradhan called 'a knowledge-powered Bharat.'

The Padma Shri is conferred annually, typically announced on Republic Day, for distinguished service across fields including science, education and public affairs. Civilian honours in the science and technology category have increasingly spotlighted researchers whose work aligns with national policy priorities.

Policy Backdrop

IIT Madras was established in 1959 and is consistently ranked among India's foremost engineering and research institutions. Prof. Kamakoti is a computer science academic specialising in hardware systems, AI accelerators and embedded computing — areas directly relevant to the government's push for applied AI in education.

The National Education Policy 2020, approved by the Union Cabinet in July 2020, replaced the 1986 education policy and placed significant emphasis on technology integration, multidisciplinary learning and the development of Centres of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence. NEP 2020 explicitly envisions institutions such as IITs as anchors for this transformation, operationalising AI-linked digital public goods through government and industry partnerships.

The National Strategy for AI released by NITI Aayog in 2018 had earlier identified education as a priority sector for AI deployment, laying the groundwork for initiatives of the kind Kamakoti has overseen at IIT Madras.

Stakeholders and Impact

The recognition carries significance for India's higher education ecosystem, particularly for faculty, AI researchers and students at premier technical institutions. Honouring an IIT director for AI-in-education work sends a signal to the broader academic community about the policy directions the Centre intends to reward and replicate.

Successive central governments have positioned IITs as nodes for applied AI research linked to national education reforms. Civilian awards such as the Padma Shri are routinely used to amplify individuals whose contributions support these stated goals — reinforcing institutional alignment between academia and policy.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to the rollout status of AI centres at other IITs and whether the Ministry of Education's annual NEP 2020 implementation report — expected to be tabled before Parliament — details progress on similar Centres of Excellence across the country.

With Pradhan publicly linking Kamakoti's work to the broader NEP vision, the government appears set to continue positioning AI-in-education initiatives at premier institutions as flagship proof-points of the policy's on-ground impact.