Alumni to ponder how to make IIT-Delhi world’s best

NEW DELHI: The alumni of Indian Institute of Technology Delhi will get together in their alma mater on December 29 in a first of-its-kind engagement to discuss how to improve its declining overall ranking and global position.

The day-long event will also see lively discourse on ways to boost academia-industry linkages, infrastructure and research. Exploring how to place IIT Delhi in the global list of top 20 research and technology institutions would be the focus of Alumni Day.

Alumni meets are usually batch-specific and are organized by alumni associations. But Alumni Day is being hosted by the institute and this is the first time alumni from across batches are being invited. “This is different from other alumni reunions. It is being initiated by IIT Delhi to strengthen alumni engagement with the affairs of the institute. We want guidance and assistance from alumni. This is going to be an annual event,” Prof. Ambuj Sagar, dean, alumni affairs and international programme, said.

Terming it as a new concept, dean, academics, IIT Delhi, Anurag Sharma,said,“AlumniD ayis a new concept, an idea our director, R K Shevgaonkar, suggested when he took over.”

IIT Delhi has more than 35,000 alumni. They include RBI governor Dr Raghuram Rajan and Vinod Khosla of Sun Microsystems fame. “Over 2,000 alumni are expected,” Pravin Purang, president, IIT Delhi Alumni Association, said.