Bhubaneswar: Manas Nayak, a student of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at NIT Rourkela, was presented the Dr Bansidhar Panda Gold Medal for 2026 at the institute’s 24th annual convocation.
Prof. Abhay Karandikar, NITI Aayog member, was the chief guest at the convocation on September 12.
The Gold Medal, instituted in 2019 in memory of IMFA’s founder Dr Panda, is awarded every year to the topper of the batch in B.Tech programme in the field of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at NIT Rourkela.
IMFA Chief Human Resources Officer Sanjaya Kumar Satapathy congratulated Nayak on his achievement.
“The Dr Bansidhar Panda Gold Medal recognises academic excellence in the field of metallurgical and materials engineering, and encouraging young engineers to pursue excellence with purpose. It is particularly meaningful to honour Dr Panda’s legacy at NIT Rourkela, an institution with which IMFA shares a long and valued association. We congratulate Mr Manas Nayak and wish him success in his future endeavours,” Satapaty said.