In the 12th convocation of IISER Pune held in the morning of May 30, 2025, a total of 352 students received their degrees. These included 81 students graduating with PhD degree, including 27 with dual Master of Science and PhD degrees, and 4 with Master of Science degree pursued via the Integrated PhD channel; 242 students with BS and MS dual degrees, and 8 with BS degree; and 17 students with a Master of Science degree pursued through the Master’s programme.
Dr. Shekhar C. Mande (Former Secretary, DSIR and Former Director General, CSIR) was the Chief Guest for the occasion. Dr. R. A. Mashelkar (Former Director General, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)) was the Guest of Honour, and Prof. (Dr.) J. S. Yadav (Chairperson, Board of Governors, IISER Pune) presided over the ceremony.
The event commenced with presentation of the degrees to all graduates by IISER Pune Director and Senate Chairperson Prof. Sunil S. Bhagwat.
The institute presented an honorary doctorate degree to Guest of Honour Dr. R.A. Mashelkar in recognition of his outstanding achievements in science. The degree was presented to him by Director Prof. Sunil Bhagwat.
Dr. Mashelkar attended the event online and upon accepting the honour, in his address, Dr. Mashelkar spoke about the importance of education taking examples from his own life experiences. As someone who witnessed the setting up of IISER Pune, he spoke about the growth of the institute and noted the achievements of our members. Promising to continue to champion the cause of the institute, Dr. Mashelkar said “I am an alumnus of this great institution from today. I assure you that I will do everything possible to enhance the reputation of our institution so that while 'raising aspirations and climbing new heights', it rises to not just among the topmost few in India, but topmost few in the world.”
Chief Guest Dr. Shekhar Mande presented Best thesis awards and the institute medal. BS-MS student Rik Sarkar received the institute medal as the best outgoing student from the BS-MS programme. Nine students, 5 who did Master’s thesis and 4 who did PhD thesis, received best thesis awards. PhD students Gokul M.A. (Physics), Gaikwad Ajinkya Ramdas (Mathematics), Sajid Saikia (Chemistry), and Arnab Chakraborty (Biology) received the Xytel Best PhD Thesis Awards. BS-MS students Uyyashrinila P. (Biology), Utthara Nair (Chemistry), Shashwati H. (Humanities and Social Sciences), Naman Pratap (Mathematics), and Vivek Gurunath Sabarad (Physics) received the Xytel Best MS Thesis Awards.
IISER Pune Director Prof. Sunil Bhagwat presented the annual report of the institute. Prof. Bhagwat informed the audience about the progress being made by the institute and noted the achievements of the institute faculty members. He spoke about the scientific and extracurricular events pursued at the institute along with the institute's commitment towards outreach programmes reaching out to students and educators beyond the institute.
In his convocation address, Chief Guest Dr. Shekhar Mande spoke about what training in the sciences teaches us and on the importance of science and technology to society. He said “Science teaches us that as a dominant species on the planet, we human beings have a very big responsibility to take care of the planet and that we do not use the natural resources indiscriminately”. He pointed out to the graduating students that developing scientific outlook allows one to analyse such aspects critically and take corrective actions wherever necessary.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by IISER Pune Registrar Shri Umeshkumar Mote thanking our guests for their presence and acknowledging the efforts of many in organising today's event.
On behalf of the entire IISER Pune community, our hearty congratulations and best wishes to all our graduates!