The class of 1981 of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras — composed of 600 students in various BTech, MTech, and Ph.D. courses — recently met for their 40th reunion at the alma mater. During the reunion gathering, the class decided to donate electric vehicles to the college to help the institute reach its goal of becoming a zero carbon campus by 2050. Most alumni members are now settled across the world, majorly in countries like Australia and United States
@iitmadras Class of 1981 has donated largest-ever Legacy Gift of Electric Bus Fleet to the Institute, so far by any graduating class, during their 40th reunion on campus today. It is in-line with the objective of achieving the goal of a zero carbon campus by 2050. @iitm_alumni pic.twitter.com/g705jXQXdz
— IIT Madras (@iitmadras) December 21, 2022
‘Necessary And Timely Donation’
Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, spoke at the reunion ceremony and expressed his gratitude for the class’s decision of gifting a fleet of electric vehicles and golf carts, which willreplace the current diesel vehicles. He also remarked that this will be a great first step in achieving their target of having a zero-carbon campus by 2050 while serving as a live reminder of the campus’s dedication to the residents and guests.
According to Prof. Mahesh Panchagnula, dean of alumni and corporate relations at IIT Madras, the class of ’81 broke a record by contributing more money than any other class. He said that they had created several institutional tools to help students succeed in their chosen fields. Terming it as ‘necessary’ and ‘timely,’ he said that this donation would jumpstart the campus transformation to a greener, more sustainable, and carbon-neutral environment.
The class will tour the campus over the course of the three-day reunion to discover the significant changes that have occurred in the nearly 50 years since they graduated. Additionally, they will talk about the projects that the class had started during their 25th reunion in 2006 with their respective professors, according to The Indian Express.
Enroute Zero-Carbon Campus Mission
Krish Bhargavan, student of the class of 1981, advocated for electric mobility as a legacy gift. He stated that IIT Madras had positioned itself on the route to carbon neutrality, which it will fully attain by 2050. The institution’s two existing centres of excellence—the CoE for Electric Mobility and the CoE for Zero Emission Trucking—will be strengthened by the electrification of the campus’ public transportation system. He also believed that India’s energy independence would be enhanced by any indigenous technology that lessens reliance on foreign sources since most of the electric vehicle components currently come from abroad and are pricey.
IIT Madras had earlier teamed up with the automaker Ashok Leyland and Hitachi ABB Power Grids to design the electric buses. The institute aims to be able to develop a sustainable transportation system, and the buses will be the ideal step toward providing pollution-free transportation.
Also Read: IIT Madras, Australian Varsities Collaborate To Launch ‘Australia-India Centre For Energy’ With Focus On SDGs
Source: https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMioAFodHRwczovL3RoZWxvZ2ljYWxpbmRpYW4uY29tL2VkdWNhdGlvbi9paXQtbWFkcmFzLTE5ODEtYmF0Y2gtZG9uYXRlcy1sYXJnZXN0LWV2ZXItbGVnYWN5LWdpZnQtZWxlY3RyaWMtYnVzLWZsZWV0LWhlbHAtcmVhY2gtZ29hbC16ZXJvLWNhcmJvbi1lbWlzc2lvbi0yMDUwLTM5Mzkz0gGkAWh0dHBzOi8vdGhlbG9naWNhbGluZGlhbi5jb20vYW1wL2VkdWNhdGlvbi9paXQtbWFkcmFzLTE5ODEtYmF0Y2gtZG9uYXRlcy1sYXJnZXN0LWV2ZXItbGVnYWN5LWdpZnQtZWxlY3RyaWMtYnVzLWZsZWV0LWhlbHAtcmVhY2gtZ29hbC16ZXJvLWNhcmJvbi1lbWlzc2lvbi0yMDUwLTM5Mzkz?oc=5
