Across institutes, alumni get together to rekindle old memories. But rarely, in India at the least, have they actually done something significant for their alma mater.
The 1984 batch of the Indian IIT-Bombay, made a difference when it got together for its silver jubilee last week. The ex-students left a legacy as a special “thank you” to their teachers. Many of these teachers, who retired before 2003, are aged and do not have adequate medical insurance. The students chipped in to do their bit for them.
“Faculty members who have retired before 2003 do not have any health coverage provided by the IIT or the government of India. Nor can they buy medical insurances because of their advanced age. We, therefore, decided to set up a retired faculty wellness fund for them,” said Arvind Sanger, an alumnus.
Every IIT batch getting together for its silver jubilee has a “legacy project”. This year, it was the turn of the class of 1984. Its legacy project had three initiatives — their theme,
“The past, the present and the future.”
The money that has been pledged by the students for the wellness fund will provide medical coverage to the faculty members retired before 2003. It has been estimated that there are 165 of them. The future reunions are expected to help the fund grow.
“We are just trying to help those who have made this institute shine. If the fund grows in the coming years, it can become a supplementary health coverage benefit for these faculty members,” said Sanger.
Previous IIT-B batches who have contributed to help the faculty include those of 1977 (faculty housing), 1982 (sign-on bonus to newly-hired faculty members) and 1983 (sign-on bonus and faculty development funds).
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