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We are pleased to state that the 2009 election for the Board of Directors for IT-BHU Global Alumni Association is now almost over. The Board of Directors (BoD) consists of 14 elected directors and 3 appointed directors (one each from Institute, Faculty and Students). The 14 directors include seven pairs of directors and deputy directors.
Out of 14 directors, 13 are confirmed, as we received only one nomination for each post. However, for the post of Deputy Secretary, there were two nominations. In this case, the selection will be done through online voting by 145-member CoR (Council of Representatives). It is expected that the election process shall be over by April end.
The appointment of new directors is with immediate effect. They will hold the post for next two years, i.e. by March 2011. In the new board, there are five directors from the earlier interim board. The remaining directors from the earlier board shall continue to work with new board and take part in discussion for some time.
For more details, please view the following link on our website:
*For election results (new board):
http://www.itbhuglobal.org/archives/2009/04/board_of_director_elections_va.html
*Board of directors (old interim board):
http://www.itbhuglobal.org/org/archives/2008/07/board_of_directors.php
*By-Laws (August 2008 version) of the Alumni Association
http://www.itbhuglobal.org/org/docs/IBGAA-Bylaws-Aug08.pdf
*FAQ (August 2008 version) of Organization Structure
http://www.itbhuglobal.org/org/docs/FAQ-Organizational.pdf
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Following is the status of directors appointed for new board, as certified (email dated April 2) by Dr. Supten Sarbadhikari (PhD Biomedical Engineering 1995), Chief Election Officer:
The final list of valid Nominations for the posts of the Board of Directors of IT-BHU Global Alumni Association is as follows.
1. President: Vish Laxminarayanan (Electrical 1983), Michigan, USA - Declared Elected unopposed.
2. Vice President: Arvind Gupta (Electronics 1992), New Delhi, India - Declared Elected unopposed.
3. Secretary: Amit Gupta (Chemical 1996), Boston, Massachusetts, USA - Declared Elected unopposed.
4. Deputy Secretary: (i) Anil Singh (Electronics 1995), New Jersey, USA, and
(ii) Akash Surana (Chemical 2006), Sumerpur, Rajasthan, India
5. Treasurer: Vibhore Kumar (CSE 2002), Mamaroneck, New York, USA - Declared Elected unopposed.
6. Deputy Treasurer: Shalabh Goyal (Electrical 2002), San Jose, CA - Declared Elected unopposed.
7. Director - External Affairs: Yogesh K Upadhyaya (Chemical 1977), New Jersey, USA - Declared Elected unopposed.
8. Deputy Director - External Affairs: Ramendra Singh (Mechanical 1996), Ahmedabad, India - Declared Elected unopposed.
9. Director - Institute Affairs: Prof. Brij Bansal (Mechanical 1967), Varanasi, India - Declared Elected unopposed.
10. Deputy Director - Institute Affairs: Puneet Bindlish (Mining 2002), New Delhi, India - Declared Elected unopposed.
11. Director - Website: Anand Singh (Electronics 1993) Singapore - Declared Elected unopposed.
12. Deputy Director - Website: Animesh Pathak (CSE 2003), Paris, France - Declared Elected unopposed.
13. Director - Reunions: Nihal Ansari (Mechanical 1982), New Delhi, India - Declared Elected unopposed.
14. Deputy Director - Reunions: Rajat Kashyap (Electrical 2006), Hyderabad, India - Declared Elected unopposed.
Since there are two candidates with valid nominations for the post of Deputy Secretary, online elections by CoR members (over a period of 2 weeks) will be held and the dates for that will be announced soon.
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The Washington DC alumni meet is planned on April 11. We have received following message from Lakhwinder Singh (Civil 2006) for the meeting announcement:
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Dear IT BHU Alumni:
This is to inform you that IT BHU Alumni DC chapter is going to have its IInd meet on April 11 2009. The venue for the event will be Heritage India, USA (http://www.heritageindiausa.com/index1.htm).
The meet starts at 5:30 PM. Alumni’s from DC and nearby areas are welcome to participate in the meet along with their families.
Thanking You,
IT-BHU Alumni Washington DC Chapter
Lakhwinder Singh (Civil 2006) lakhwinder.singh@gmail.com
Ritu Bajpai (Elect 2006) ritu.bajpai@gmail.com
Amit Pandey (Mining 2003) amitpandey02@gmail.com
IT BHU DC Chapter itbhu.alumni.dc.chapter@gmail.com
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The report on Silicon Valley Alumni Meet on March 8
(Forwarded by Ratnanabh Sain, Mining 2005. Email: ratnanabh.sain@gmail.com)
The Silicon Valley Alumni Chapter organized a Holi Milan Alumni Event on Sunday, 8th March, 2009 at Sneha Restaurant, Sunnyvale, California. It was truly, as promised, a blast! We would like to thank all the alumni who joined us for the event along with their families.
The main event started with Kulgeet, led by Mrs. Sunita Babbar (PHE 1985), and the newly formed "IT Music Band". All other alumni joined in the traditional rendition of Dr. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar's song. This was followed by Shloka and Holi Dance by Mrs. Jaya Sharma (CSE 1995).
While the registration desk continued its work of signing up alumni joining in and putting Gulaal Tikaa, we had a wonderful dance Tarana from Jaya and Anisha. Next big attraction (and possibly the main attraction) was Kid's Medley dance, performed by Tavishi Sharma, Aashna Agarwal and Amisha Agarwal. This was thoroughly enjoyed by all other alumni (and families) and set the tone for the future events.
Finally, our dance group performed a Bollywood number which was performed by Jaya Sharma, Firdosh Agarwal, Minal Agarwal and Anisha Agarwal. A lot of thanks to the whole dance group for putting things together and truly entertaining the families. The dance group would be happy to learn that several alumni found the presentations far better than other cultural programs at Bay Area events. We hope to continue the good work; at the same time, we would ask for more active participation from other alumni and families to make future events even better!
Before starting our next event, we had a short decade-wise alumni introduction, followed by break for Indian Buffet Lunch at the restaurant. Mr. Padam Jung (MET 1955), probably the oldest alumni in the area, recounted his old stories about Broacha Hostel and its rooms. Many other alumni recalled other memorable events. The next event was a short trivia of BHU and Varanasi locations, as they look right now. Many old alumni found it interesting to see their favorite locations and surely many fond memories were tickled.
Finally, the stage was set for the IT-BHU Music Band to rock the show! Led by Vivek Agarwal (ECE 1986) and Sunita Babbar on vocals, percussionist Alok Agarwal (Vivek’s brother) and guitarists, Ambrish Srivastava (CHE 1987) and Shalabh Goyal (EEE 2002) wove their magic on our favorite songs. The culmination point was "Khai Ke Paan Banaraswaala", which was joined by all other alumni and kids. All alumni danced in their good old-fashioned hostel ways and it was truly a sight to capture and enjoy! If we can add, we found a new performer in the form of Jaiom Sambyal (MEC 1981) and we are sure Sambyalji would be glad to present during the next big family event.
Truly, everything put together, the event was a memorable one and possibly the best alumni event in SV area till date. We surely hope to bring more and more enjoyable family events in the future. We sorely missed alumni whom we know in the area but who could not attend this event. We hope you would be able to join us in the future. Along with that, there are many more alumni in the area who are still outside our network and mailing list. Please help us connect to them. There were a couple of alumni who drove all the way from UC Irvine and Santa Barbara to attend this meeting. We have a special note of acknowledgement for them. We sincerely hope that they enjoyed the event and would expect their presence in future!
Some of the photos from the event are at the following link:
http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=09d0b801e8b3821e&sid=0CbOXLds0bsWMJ
We would urge other alumni who took photos and videos to share them with the junta!
We have a special note of acknowledgment for Ranen Chakravarty (Mechanical 1977) and Abhijeet Solanki (MEC 1994) for their contributions. Lastly, thanks to the volunteer team for putting the program together, which included the Dance and Music group and a list of other members. We look forward to bigger and better events.
With sincere regards,
The Volunteer Team,
Mr. Vikram Jung (ECE 1985),
Mr. Vivek Agarwal (ECE 1986),
Mr. Gagan Bhatia (EEE 1998),
Mrs. Jaya Sharma (CSE 1995),
Mr. Anshuman Singh (EEE 1998),
Mr. Shalabh Goyal (EEE 2002),
Mr. Siddharth Gupta (ECE 2005),
Mr. Ratnanabh Sain (MIN 2005)
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Ratnanabh Sain (~Ratna)
Doctoral Candidate,
Stanford University,
CA – 94305
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Silicon Valley Meet on March 8-Photos
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Below please find the report on the first meeting of Pune chapter on Sunday March 22. The meeting was organized by Pushpendra Gupta (Mechanical 2007). The report is prepared by Vikram Karve (Electronics 1977). He has also posted the report on his blog at Sulekha.com:
http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/post/2009/03/nostalgic-memories-of-our-alma-mater.htm
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Nostalgic memories of our Alma mater
This evening, on Sunday the 22nd of March 2009, we had the first get-together of the Pune Chapter of the ITBHU Alumni Association at the Poona Golf Club. A large number of alumni ranging from golden oldies of the 1960s batches to fresh 2008 graduates enjoyed a delightful evening of nostalgic memories and camaraderie.
We are grateful to Pushpendra and all the dedicated volunteers who took the initiative to organize this pioneering alumni event in Pune and wish the Pune chapter grows from strength to strength and we look forward to many such fruitful interactive alumni events. The event was attended by 43 Alumni.
Event was started with Kul Geet and followed by a healthy introduction. Alumni also discussed on various points to build Pune Chapter a perfect and strong platform for Alumni Interactions. Currently 62 Alumni are registered with Pune Chapter Alumni Association and we are expecting that this no. will shoot up in near future.
Any Alumnus, who is not registered with Pune Chapter Alumni Association or wish to contribute as a volunteer, may send a request mail at pune@itbhuglobal.org.
Vikram Karve
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Vikram Karve Email: vikramkarve@sify.com
Pushpendra Gupta Email: pushpendra.gupta@itbhuglobal.org
Pune Chapter Email: pune@itbhuglobal.org
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Photos of Pune Chapter meet on March 22, 2009
 Pushpendra Gupta (in red shirt, center) introducing members |  |
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A first ever meeting of New England Chapter was held on March 17, 2009 at a restaurant called Vinalia in downtown
Nine alumni attended the inaugural meeting. The attendees were: Amit Gupta (Chemical’96); Vikram Deswal (Mechanical’95), Amit Singh (Electrical’79), Siddharth Jeevan (Ceramics’95), Manu Tandon (Chemical’91), Prithvi Banerjee (Electronics’93), Anurag Nagpal (Electrical’93), Deepak Mathur (Metallurgy’01), and Nitin Agarwal (Metallurgy’01). Some of these people traveled over an hour to attend this meeting. Several other people expressed interest in attending the meeting but this date/venue did not suit them well.
Everybody was excited at the prospect of starting this chapter in Boston/New England and have a close-knit of similar minded IT-BHU alumni in the area.
The group spent significant time getting to know each other since this was the first meeting for this group. People shared their life story since graduation, family details, work details etc.
Amit Gupta informed people about the ITBHUGLOBAL.ORG and the history behind the two websites/alumni associations. People were encouraged to join on that website and participate in the upcoming elections.
Vikram Deswal and Siddharth Jeevan updated the group on the IT-IIT conversion since they are the class representatives for the ITBHUGLOBAL.ORG.
Amit Gupta informed the members that he has already taken many possible domain names including ITBHUNE.COM; ITBHUBOSTON.COM for chapter website.
The group decided to look into starting an independent website or use the existing infrastructure to manage events, membership and web presence. Amit Gupta mentioned an option which he is using currently for his graduate school’s alumni chapter. Siddharth Jeevan will look into some free options, time permitting.
The group decided to hold a meeting once a quarter; though initially the group might meet more frequently to build upon the current momentum and at least get few operational things setup.
Manu Tandon offered to host the next meeting at his house. The group decided to do it on a weekend so that more people can attend. The tentative date for that meeting is the third weekend of June.
Amit Gupta can be contacted at: Amit.Gupta.BOS@FMR.COM or 1-215-868-6662
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From Left to Right: - Siddharth Jeevan, Deepak Mathur, Amit Singh
From Left to Right: Amit Gupta, Vikram Deswal
From Left to Right: Amit Singh, Deepak Mathur, Siddharth Jeevan, Prithvi Banerjee, Anurag Nagpal, Manu Tandon, Vikram Deswal, Amit Gupta
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We are pleased to announce the meeting of Tri-state (formerly New Jersey) chapter of our alumni association as follows:
Date: Saturday, 25th April at 6.00 PM. (Dinner starts at 6.30 PM)
Place: Urban Spice Restaurant at 42, Marconi Avenue, Iselin, NJ 08830. Phone: 732-283-1043.
The restaurant is located off Oak Tree Road, Edison, NJ, behind Subzi-Mandi Plaza.
Menu: La-carte (expected to be around $30 per head, reduced rate for children)
Website: http://www.urbanspice.com/
Menu: http://www.urbanspice.com/UrbanSpiceMenu.pdf
Map: http://www.yelp.com/map/urban-spice-iselin-3
All alumni living in NJ and nearby area (New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, etc.) are invited to join with their families.
Please let me know if you plan to join.
Thanks,
Yogesh Upadhyaya
Chemical 1977
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http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/2009-03-01-economic-consultant-charan_N.htm
Chaotic economic times call for CEOs to show optimism
(Ram Charan)
By Adam Berry, Bloomberg News
Ram Charan, president of Charan Associates, says there's not much company leaders can do right now, until the U.S. government gets its act together with a coordinated plan.
Management consultant Ram Charan has had the ear of dozens of Fortune 500 CEOs. A native of India, Charan received a Harvard MBA after getting an engineering degree from Banaras Hindu University. He is known for living in hotel rooms and without an apartment for much of his career, traveling from meeting to meeting with top executives. Charan, 67, spoke last week to USA TODAY corporate leadership reporter Del Jones. Following are excerpts, edited for clarity and space.
Q: Publicly, CEOs seem worried about the economy. Privately, are they frightened to death?
A: When somebody (such as Moody's or Standard & Poor's) calls the CEO and tells them their bond rating is on watch, it causes a huge anxiety. Most companies cannot escape a warning, and so they are anxious. They worry if their customers will pay, if their suppliers will go bust. They are watching accounts receivables daily and with intensity.
Q: Should they be expressing their fear to employees and shareholders, or is it best to put on an optimistic face?
A: Leadership is judged in times of crisis. They must be optimistic about weathering the storm, that solutions will be found. But don't sugarcoat. Figure out what the reality is, and communicate that reality. Give everyone the facts. Engage employees in defining problems and solutions.
Q: What steps are you telling them to take?
A: It's largely out of their hands. About 10 people in Washington need to come up with a coordinated plan. Everything is being done piecemeal. Unless these Washington guys deal with it, there's not much companies can do.
I just came back from India, and government action there is much more coordinated.
Q: There's nothing corporate leaders can do?
A: They must manage cash. Cash is king, and corporate boards should build in the incentives of cash and financial safety. Companies must raise cash so that when it's time to do refinancing they don't get shut out of the commercial markets. Companies that can't raise cash need to merge, and they need to do it before the 11th hour.
Q: Some companies, such as Intel, are well known for expanding into past downturns and being better positioned than competitors when the economy turned. Isn't this one of those moments in history to take a chance?
A: Under certain circumstances, but do not take risks with cash.
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http://www.dukeibf.com/DukeIBF/Speakers.html
(Mr. Vish Mishra)
Venture Director
A Silicon Valley veteran, Mr. Mishra has over 30 years of leadership and management experience in the technology industry covering computers, internet, communications and software. He has served as a founder of Telera (sold to Alcatel) and co-founder of Excelan (sold to Novell), generating over $1B in revenues. He has also served as a CEO and director of several startup companies.
Mr. Mishra is involved with Clearstone's India strategy and investments. He has spoken at numerous industry and academic gatherings on topics of entrepreneurship, investing and business-building. Through Clearstone's two-dozen investments with global operations, Mr. Mishra brings direct knowledge about global investing and business trends.
Mr. Mishra’s personal philosophy is that investing in good people assures success. Therefore, he is always looking for people who bring smarts, passion, commitment and integrity to their new venture, along with market knowledge technology expertise.
Mr. Mishra holds a BSEE from the Institute of Technology at Benares Hindu University, India and an MSEE from North Dakota University. His community involvement includes TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs), a global network of entrepreneurs and professionals dedicated to the advancement of entrepreneurship. Mr. Mishra is TiE Silicon Valley’s incoming president and serves as an advisor to Silicon Valley Center for Entrepreneurship at College of Business, San Jose State University. He also serves as the Director of India Community Center in Silicon Valley, the largest facility-based Indo-American center in the U.S.
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Dr. Manu Vora (Chemical 1968) is founder Director and President of Blind Foundation of India. The BFI story on ABC 7 News Chicago aired on March 31, 2009 at 5:16 pm. It is archived at:
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/someone_you_should_know&id=6738491
(Dr. Manu Vora)
Someone You Should Know
Doc sees future for blind in India
Wednesday, April 01, 2009 | 10:50 AM
By Harry Porterfield
March 31, 2009 (WHEATON, Ill.) (WLS) -- According to recent statistics, the blind population of India numbers 15 million people. Many are children whose futures are bleak.
Twenty years ago, Dr. Manu Vora, an adjunct professor at IIT's Stuart School of Business in Wheaton, Illinois organized the Blind Foundation for India (BFI) to confront the problem.
"The youngsters when they do not have enough vitamin A they start going blind by the age of four," said Vora. "When people get a cataract due to age-related issues, as most of them are sitting in the villages, their cataracts are not removed, so they remain needlessly blind."
Since the foundation was created, nearly $4 million has been raised to provide help for those who might otherwise lose their sight.
"We are able to help close to about a million people for eyesight checkup ...close to about 90,000 free cataract operations," said Dr. Vora. "Every $20, we can have a cataract removed in India compared with $4,000 here."
Thus far 90,000 adults have had their sight restored through cataract removal paid for by BFI, an organization hoping to reach many more afflicted by blindness.
"It robs the society of the productive years of the people...particularly the youngsters because they do not have any hope and if you can do something to help them...that's a tremendous contribution," said Dr. Vora.
To learn more about BFI, visit www.blindfoundation.org
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President and Founding Director, Blind Foundation for India (1989-present)
ASQ Grant Medalist (2001), Lancaster Medalist (2005)
Adjunct Professor, Stuart School of Business, IIT Chicago
Chairman and President, Business Excellence, Inc.
P. O. Box 5585, Naperville, IL 60567-5585, USA
Tel: (630) 548-5531; Fax: (630) 548-5532; Mobile: (630) 660-3869
E-mail: manuvora@b-einc.com/
Website: http://www.b-einc.com/
Website: http://www.iit.edu/profiles/alumni/manu_vora.html
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Harry Porterfield
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Harry Porterfield-ABC TV Chicago, News Reporter
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/bio?section=resources/inside_station/newsteam&id=5771867
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(Dr. Mrityunjay Singh)
(Chronicle note: Dr. Mrityunjay Singh is working as Chief Scientist at NASA Glenn Research Center at Cleveland, Ohio.) He can be contacted at: m.singh@juno.com
Dr. Mrityunjay ‘Jay” Singh, Chief Scientist, Ohio Aerospace Institute, NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH has been elected a full member of the International Institute for the Science of Sintering (IISS), Belgrade, Serbia. Established in 1968, IISS is an independent organization founded to promote achievements in the field of sintering along with related areas of materials science and technology. The institute also publishes the international journal “Science of Sintering”. Dr. Singh has also been appointed as regional (North American) editor of this journal.
Generally, the election of new members to the institute starts with the position of corresponding member before promotion to full membership. However, Dr. Singh was elected as full member due to his extraordinary contributions to various areas related to advanced processing and manufacturing as well as joining and integration of advanced ceramics and composites, metal-ceramic systems, and environment conscious ceramics. Currently, the organization has only about 65 full members elected from all over the world. The formal induction of new IISS members will take place during the opening ceremony of the next World Round Table Conference on Sintering in 2010.
The award also acknowledges Dr. Singh’s distinguished career. A member of the Board of Governors of Acta Materialia, Inc., he is an Academician of the World Academy of Ceramics and a Fellow of American Ceramic Society, as well as ASM International and the Institute of Mining, Minerals and Materials (UK). He is the recipient of more than 40 national and international awards, including four R&D 100 awards, FLC Technology Transfer Award, NASA Public Service Medal, NASA Silver Snoopy Award, Ishikawa International Carbon Prize, Japan Fine Ceramics Association International Prize and Gottfried Wagner Memorial Award from Japan, International Award from the European Ceramic Society, ASM International-IIM Visiting Lectureship, Jacques-Lucas Award from ASM International, ACerS’ Richard M. Fulrath, Samuel Geijsbeek, and James I. Mueller Awards. He has authored or coauthored 30 books and journal volumes, six book chapters, published more than two hundred 245 papers in journals and proceedings. He currently serves on the advisory boards and committees of more than a dozen highly respected international journals and technical publications.
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Additional link
International Institute for the Science of Sintering (IISS), Belgrade, Serbia.
http://www.iiss.sanu.ac.rs/aboutus.htm
Journal-Science of Sintering
http://www.iiss.sanu.ac.rs/journal.htm
Aims and Scope
Science of Sintering, the journal of the International Institute for the Science of Sintering is a unique journal in the field of science and technology of sintering.
Science of Sintering publishes papers on all aspects of theoretical and experimental studies, which can contribute to the better understanding of the behavior of powders and similar materials during consolidation processes. Emphasis is laid on those aspects of the science of materials that are concerned with the thermodynamics, kinetics and mechanism of sintering and related processes.
In accordance with the significance of disperse materials for the sintering technology, papers dealing with the question of ultradisperse powders, tribochemical activation and catalysis are also published.
Science of Sintering journal is published three times a year.
Types of contribution: Original research papers, Review articles, Letters to Editor, Book reviews.
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(This article is about a social initiative started, among others, by two alumni of the 2003 batch of ITBHU)
Some events, like some people, have the potential of changing the course of future for an entire generation.
India had been struggling with organized terror for the last two decades. On 26/11/08 parts of Mumbai came under siege in an outrageous incursion. The audacity of the attack was in a sense a defilement which prodded most of us out of our inertia and out of the realm of inaction and mere rhetoric. 26/11/08 happened, because some aimless minds in some parts of the world are given to an ideology of hatred. But it also happened because we ceased to question our elected representatives and they ceased to deliver on the promises of security, development, and general bonhomie.
The image of a burning Taj, smoke rising and pigeons flying is a reminder of how soon how bad it can become, and also a call to those who care to contribute. And fortunately or unfortunately, India is at that turn of history, where we have little choice. We demand or we perish.
Since this attack nearly all of us have pondered about doing something for the nation. However, it has been challenging to figure out what specifically one could do, while not perturbing the mundane routine of our lives. www.neverforget.in was engendered through such ruminations; from the spirit of moving from sluggish reaction to canny action to real change in the status-quo of our country.
Never Forget was borne out of a desire to do something for their country, and seeks to provide our fellow citizens the opportunity to get involved. We believe in providing resources to people who are concerned about the promises of their elected representatives, be it at the national level or the state, city, or village panchayat level. Our aim is to provide everyone the opportunity to make a difference wherever they want, and collectively improve our conditions.
The Idea
At the crux of this social initiative is our belief that the lacunae in our various administrative mechanisms were largely responsible for this situation and that most of them can be addressed if our elected representatives perform as per their promised agendas.
That said if WE, the people, who elect them, do not care to evaluate their performance periodically, WHO will be the appraiser of enforcement of promises?
We maintain that, as a collective force, we can work to keep track of what our elected representatives -- whether at the centre, state, city, town, district or village level -- promised us and how far the promises have been fulfilled.
At the heart of our endeavor is a system where citizens can pinpoint their representatives, view their listing of promises and keep tabs on their progression.
At the heart of our effort is the idea of promises that can be evaluated. We want to find out whether our elected leaders are implementing what they promised to do in their common minimum program/manifestos, and that can be done by periodically monitoring the progress on each and every one of them. And this data can be used by the electorate to assess performance by way of our ballots.
The other core principle that we base our endeavor on is that of verifiable analysis. Each and every claim made in the course of our effort, without fail, will have to essentially be accompanied by a reference either documentation or factual press release. We believe that this will give our work the credibility that is seen lacking in several current editorials and articles about the state of the nation.
Additionally, the system is also be accompanied by a website which will host articles based on the data in the system. This will make for the "easily palatable" capsules for those who are short on time but are still interested in the state of affairs in their constituency. Continuing our high-standards, each claim made by our authors in these analytical articles will have to be accompanied by a reference to the exact piece of data in our system that readers can go through if they are interested.
What we will NOT do:
Here are some things that we have deliberately chose to NOT engage in during the course of our efforts. Specifically, we will:
* NOT provide a summary score of an elected representative's performance. We believe that it is not for us to decide whether you care more about education of the girl child or better parks for our kids to play in. Therefore, we will provide you all the data about all the aspects of the elected representative's performance, but will not aim to provide an overall grade.
* NOT comment on the potential of the opponent of the elected representative at election time. Our belief is that only verifiable claims should be made, and if we do not have performance data on the opponent of the current elected representative, we will choose to not make any claims about his/her potential as the next elected representative. This should not be assumed to mean that we are endorsing the incumbent, simply that we do not have enough data. If we do have data on the performance on the opponent, we will provide a link to his/her performance report page.
* NOT focus on the crimes committed if any (alleged or proven) by the elected representative. While we believe that the complete personality of the candidate should be taken into account while making your voting decision, we choose to keep this specific effort only about promises made by elected representatives, and their performance of the same. We expect the voters to refer to other sources of information to get data on the candidates' past acts unrelated to campaign promises.
The Progress So Far:
Since its launch on January 26, 2009, the website has had 5300+ visitors. Over 90 people from India and abroad have signed up to volunteer with the team, and the Facebook group has nearly 250 members. There have been two meetings of volunteers in Pune, and one in Mumbai recently. We have also compiled the list of promises made by the UPA govt. in its Common Minimum Program in 2004, and are working on publishing it soon. We have also received encouraging responses from several elected representatives, including Mr. Suresh Kalmadi, the MP of Pune. And Mr. Omar Abdullah, the CM of Jammu and Kashmir
Links for more Information:
* List of promises of Mr. Suresh Kalmadi, MP of Pune
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About co-founders (http://www.neverforget.in/team.php)
1) Varun Grover is a Civil Engineer from IT-BHU, Varanasi, (B. Tech 2003) who realized soon enough that he did not fit in the concrete world of calculations and hence made a move to pursue writing full-time. Specializing in satires and having worked on current-affairs based non-fiction shows on TV like The Great Indian Comedy Show (Star One), Aisi ki Taisi (Aaj Tak) and Oye It's Friday (NDTV Imagine), most of his writing inspiration flows from observing popular culture, man’s relationship with living spaces, and the life he left behind in Lucknow and Varanasi. He currently lives and works in Mumbai and blogs at http://neutronskilled.blogspot.com
(Varun Grover)
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2) Animesh Pathak has a PhD in Computer Engineering (2008) from the University of Southern California, and a B. Tech in Computer Science and Engineering from IT-BHU, Varanasi, where he graduated at the head of his class in 2003 and was awarded the outstanding student award, both by the institute and the university. He is currently working as a postdoctoral fellow at the French govt.'s INRIA research labs in Paris, and intends to join academics as a full-time career soon. He spends his free time working for the ITBHU Global Alumni Association, where he currently holds the post of interim director of web affairs.
(Animesh Pathak)
After the incidents of 26/11/2008, he, like many others, was thinking about how he can contribute to the nation, and was fortunate to meet some other folks who believed in doing more than talking. And thus, NeverForget was born. More about Animesh at http://animeshpathak.blogspot.com/ and http://www.animeshpathak.in/
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The complete profiles of all the co-founders of Never Forget can be found at http://www.neverforget.in/team.php
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The students of Kamala Nehru College and Gargi College have made a wish list of things they would want from political parties in the general elections of 2009. The campaign is called 'Hamari Suno'.
Their visiting lecturer Abhay Chawla, a 1987 electronics graduate from our college, is guiding this campaign.
As per the students the 10 most important issues for young adults in this general election include YOUNG LEADERS & GOOD GOVERNANCE, MINIMUM EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION FOR POLITICIANS, GOOD PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM, PUBLIC CONVENIENCES, ESPECIALLY FOR WOMEN, ENVIRONMENT, etc.
The points highlighted are things all of us want from our political parties. The campaign’s logo is:
The campaign is in form of direct action where the telephone, email address and contact details of political parties are given.
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Sab BOLTE hain…
Par SUNTA koi nahi…
Bas…Ab HAMARI SUNO..!
You want something, ASK for it!
Here’s what you can do
Send an email, make a telephone call, send a fax or send a post card to any/all political party or parties listing an issue that concerns you the most. You can pick from among the ten issues we find most important or have your own ‘most important’ issue.
Remember if YOU don’t direct today, OTHERS will direct you tomorrow!
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It also asks young adults to sign a petition at:
http://www.petition online.com/ GE2009/petition. html .
The signed petition will be then sent to all political parties.
(Shruti Moghe)
Among the students leading the campaign is Shruti Moghe. Shruti is in her 2nd yr journalism honours at Kamala Nehru College. She is the creator of the FACEBOOK aspect of the campaign ‘Hamari Suno’
http://www.facebook .com/group. php?gid=69241979 815
Email: moghe.shruti@gmail.com
Other girls involved include Parul, Geetika, Rozita, Ankita, Tania, etc.
(Abhay Chawla)
On asking Abhay Chawla behind the rationale for Hamari Suno he said:
Most educated middle class students (professional and non professional courses) do not take part in politics, a lot of these students do not take part in the election process by exercising their franchise as they feel the whole system is bad and nothing can change the system.
These very students crib and cry hoarse when laws are biased against educated middle class students.
The students were told to list 10 most important things which affect them. This formed the basis of Hamari Suno.
It is simple if you don't show the way, then you have to follow the way shown by others.
In a democracy young adults command tremendous clout. It is unfortunate that students do not understand their power.
Power in a civilized society is not about throwing stones or burning things. It is about changing directions in a society and about throwing up fresh ideas.
Hamari Suno is a way to show direction.
Besides teaching Abhay Chawla is also actively involved in the field of education, environment, sanitation, health etc.
He can be reached at: gurgaonharyana@ vsnl.net
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Additional link:
Kamala Nehru College, New Delhi
http://kamalanehrucollege.org/knc/
Gargi College, New Delhi
*Interview with Abhay Chawla in Chronicle
http://www.itbhu.org/chronicle/archives/2007/07/index.html#001355
*Blog of Abhay Chawla
http://abhays1000words.blogspot.com/
I wonder how this tyre moves
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http://www.itbhuglobal.org/chapters/geo/delhi/archives/2009/03/invitation_for_2.php
Following is the announcement for 7th Annual General Meeting and 3rd Alumni Awards by AIBA (Association of IT BHU Alumni), New Delhi.
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Dear Alumnus
It gives me great pleasure to invite you to our 7th Annual General Body Meeting, which has been planned for 23rd May, 2009.
Like last year, we shall also be honouring IT BHU / BENCO / TECHNO / MIN-MET alumni in the 3rd IT-BHU Alumni Award of Excellence.
The venue and the details are:
Date | : | 23rd May 2009 |
Time | : | 1730 hours |
Venue | : | Air force Auditorium, Subroto Park, New Delhi |
Schedule | : | |
1745 - 1815 | : | Registration and Networking |
1815 - 1845 | : | Annual General Body Meeting |
1845 - 1900 | : | IT to IIT Conversion Report |
1900 - 1925 | : | Address by the new Office Bearers of the Governing Body |
1930 - 2030 | : | Light Musical Programme Presentation of the 3rd IT BHU Alumni Award of Excellence |
2100 onwards | : | Cocktails and dinner |
Please block the date in your calendar, and attend to make the event at success.
Rajeev Gupta Prof. BB Dhar
Secretary President
ASSOCIATION OF IT BHU ALUMNI
34, Netaji Subhash Marg, Darya Ganj, New Delhi 110002
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The Association will also publish a Souvenir for the meeting. Following is the invitation to contribute articles for Souvenir 2009:
Dear Co-alumnus,
It is that time of the year again, when we start gearing up for one of the most important events on the Alumni calendar, namely the Annual General Body Meeting. As you know, the AIBA Souvenir is also released at this event. The Souvenir is a collection of reports, messages, articles, poems, memoirs, cartoons, photographs, advertisements and the Member's Directory. A copy is given to each registered member of AIBA (Association of IT BHU Alumni) and becomes a cherished keepsake.
On behalf of the Editorial board constituted for AIBA Souvenir 2009, we are seeking from the members and their families, contributions for publication. You all must have received a copy of the past Souvenirs and hopefully have found them worth a read. This year we intend to make it an even more memorable publication and seek your active cooperation in making it so.
For your benefit, here are some of the sections planned to be carried this time. We hope you and your family members will find the time to send in some good contributions for inclusion. The deadline is April 19, 2009, so please hurry!
1. Yaadon Ki Baraat - your funny and not-so-funny anecdotes on life at IT-BHU
2. Kavi Ki Kalpana - your creative outputs in verse, in Hindi or English or Hinglish!
3. The Technocrat - Essays on how one has used technology to solve modern day problems
4. Mera Jeevan - your creative expressions in prose - on places, people, experiences, challenges, victories and just about anything under the sun
5. My Business - A short write-up (less than 150 words) on your business (this may help you find others in the alumni body with mutually benefi