A two-day conference titled Convergence 2026, jointly organised by the National Institute of Technology-Tiruchi (NIT-T) and Students for Holistic Development of Humanity Foundation (Shodh), commenced on NIT campus on Saturday.The conference has drawn around 600 participants from six States, with nearly 300 research papers scheduled for presentation. Among the speakers was V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras.The inaugural session was presided over by G. Aghila, Director, NIT-T. Ashish Chauhan, national organising secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), and Amogh Kumar Gupta, Chairman, Board of Governors, NIT-T, were present.Union Minister L. Murugan, in his virtual address, said India had made significant strides in infrastructure and economic development under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Referring to the vision of a developed India by 2047, he urged students to use such forums to enhance their skills and focus on entrepreneurship. He highlighted the expansion of transport infrastructure, the rise of over two lakh start-ups, the success of Chandrayaan-3’s lunar mission, the growth of higher educational institutions, and the implementation of the National Education Policy.Protest stagedMeanwhile, members of the Students Federation of India (SFI), Tiruchi Rural district unit, staged a protest outside the NIT campus opposing the participation of Shodh. The protesters alleged that Shodh is affiliated to the ABVP and objected to what they termed the direct involvement of ABVP representatives in the event.The protest was led by S. Vairavalavan, Rural district president of the SFI. Police detained about 15 protesters and kept them at a private hall in Tiruverumbur before releasing them later. Published - February 28, 2026 06:03 pm IST