The Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN), hosted the fourth edition of its annual alumni meet, ‘Homecoming’, on December 22-23, 2022. The two-day event was a memorable affair in more ways than one and witnessed a sense of pride, belonging, and nostalgia as more than 300 IITGN alumni from different undergraduate and postgraduate batches gathered at the Institute from all over the world to cheer for each other and renew the bonds.
On the first day, the Institute organised the first “Young Alumni Excellence Awards” ceremony and felicitated four of its alumni for achieving excellence and success in various fields early in their careers. The awards were conferred to:
- Mr Sarthak Jain (BTech in Electrical Engineering, IITGN Class of 2012), CEO, Nanonets, for Outstanding Entrepreneurship
- Mr Prathamesh Juvatkar (BTech in Electrical Engineering, IITGN Class of 2012), CTO, Nanonets, for Outstanding Entrepreneurship
- Mr Kislay Pankaj (BTech in Electrical Engineering, IITGN Class of 2013), Co-founder, and CEO, Lectrix Technologies Pvt Ltd, for Outstanding Professional Achievement
- Mr Yogesh Goyal (BTech in Chemical Engineering, IITGN Class of 2012), Assistant Professor, Northwestern University, (in absentia) for Outstanding Academic Achievement
The awardees recalled the time spent at the temporary campus and thanked IITGN, its nurturing academic environment, and their faculty members for shaping them during their formative years, which has played a crucial role in their journey to success.
The second day of ‘Homecoming 2022’ was also very special as the Institute took the initiative to hold a Grad Walk ceremony for the class of 2020 and 2021, who had to miss the experience of attending physical Convocation ceremonies, which were held virtually for two consecutive years due to the global pandemic. Dressed in formal Convocation robes, the alumni of these two batches and their family members beamed with joy and satisfaction to be able to refurbish the memories and bring formal closure to this significant chapter of their lives.
Welcoming all the alumni on campus, Prof Rajat Moona, Director, IITGN, congratulated the Young Alumni Excellence Awardees and the Class of 2020 and 2021 on their Grad Walk and said, “The achievement of our alumni makes us proud as much as they feel about IITGN. This ‘Homecoming’ event is truly a remarkable occasion as we celebrate a decade of our first batch, the achievements of our alumni, and hold a Grad Walk for the Class of 2020 and 2021 so that they can refurbish the experience and memories of graduating from IITGN.”
Addressing the Grad Walkers, Prof Moona said, “As you have already stepped into the world of professional leadership beyond the protected environment of IITGN, the hardships and challenges of day-to-day life may make you cherish the life and friendships you had on the IITGN campus. Enjoy every bit of these friendships and networks developed here. As you go back from here and get busy in your careers and life, don’t forget to cherish small moments, work for the betterment of our society and the planet, and continue to nurture your dreams. Always remember that IITGN will always be there. Each of your successes, however small, is our success.” He also gave an overview of some of the recent major achievements of the Institute, students, and faculty members.
Congratulating graduates of both batches on the first Grad Walk of IITGN, Dr Anil Bhardwaj, Director of the Physical Research Laboratory, and Chief Guest of the Grad Walk ceremony, encouraged them to take calculated risks in life, treat failures as the stepping stone to success, and shared his experience of working on some of the most crucial space missions of ISRO, such as the Mars Orbiter Mission. Quoting the famous ‘Madhushala’ poem of Shri Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Dr Bhardwaj said, “Fix your goals in life and follow it with full dedication, conviction and commitment, and you will attain your goals. There are no shortcuts.”
Underlining the need to keep learning and upgrading with time, he said, “Change is unchangeable; it is the only constant in life. So keep on changing as things and time change, and try to excel with your full potential, capacity, and integrity. Be a student throughout your life and keep on learning new things.” Concluding his Grad Walk address Dr Bhardwaj also advised the students to celebrate this special occasion as the day for thanksgiving to their teachers, parents, friends, and life.
Earlier on the first day, Prof Jaison Manjaly, Professor-in-charge of Alumni Affairs, expressed the pride the Institute takes in its alumni spread across the globe excelling in various fields and urged them to remain engaged with their alma mater, share new ideas, and take alumni contributions even higher than the current highest 50% mark. Prof Pratik Mutha, Dean of Institutional Advancement, provided an overview of all the significant developments and collaborations that have happened at the Institute in the recent past.
Among other major highlights, the event also saw a Decennial Reunion of the first batch of IITGN from 2012, who were also felicitated on this memorable occasion. This was followed by interactive sessions between alumni, faculty, and current students of IITGN. In the evening, interactions over a campfire dinner at the Central Arcade brought back the memories of their college days at the Institute.
Tulsa Pujari, a graduate of MSc in Mathematics from the class of 2021, shared her thoughts on attending the Grad Walk and said, “I am very happy to be back on campus, and it is indeed a joyous occasion that we got an opportunity to do this Grad Walk to compensate the experience of being part of a Physical Convocation and getting a degree on the stage.”
Sharing his feelings, Ayush Garg, a graduate of BTech in Computer Science and Engineering from the class of 2020, said, “I am a bit overwhelmed because, in addition to getting a degree through the Grad Walk, I am also meeting my friends after almost two years. Since we left abruptly due to the pandemic, we needed a closure to this chapter of our lives, and we are happy about this.”