IIT Kharagpur alumni to support COVID-19 lockdown affected poor people around campus

They are setting up a temporary fund for those who have been severely affected economically due to COVID-19. The short duration fund is exclusively meant for  about 10500 poor workers on-campus and people coming from villages near the campus who are dependent on IIT Kharagpur for livelihood and are now out of job / no work due to lockdown.

The beneficiaries include daily wagers working in different eateries, halls as ward boys, dhobi, small culvert tea shops, rickshaw pullers, maid servants, workers in construction projects etc.

Taking stock of the situation and that of the people at the lower strata of the society around the world, distinguished alumnus of IIT Kharagpur from the batch of 1967, Vinod Gupta, decided to come forward to help such people associated with his alma mater.

Vinod is a US-based entrepreneur and philanthropist who apart from seed funding the management and law schools of IIT Kharagpur has supported many students, staff and faculty and community members on various occasions.

Director Prof. Virendra K Tewari said, “I thank Vinod Gupta from the core of my heart to have taken the lead and created this fund to help people who are facing dire times. I have known Vinod for 22 years and always observed him to be forthcoming when it comes to helping the needy recalling his humble roots.”

The IITKGP Foundation in USA under the leadership of President Ranbir Gupta is running this campaign. The Foundation has already raised an amount of USD 2,42,000 (Rs. 1,85,13,242 @ Rs. 76.50) including a pledge of $1,00,000 from Vinod Gupta.

Among the other alumni donors are Ranbir Gupta, Arjun Malhotra, R N Mukhija, Rakesh Gupta along with more than 100 donors from 1959 to 2017 batches.

The Institute celebrated this noble initiative on the evening of April 20, by distributing personal protective equipment, ration and toiletries to a small group of beneficiaries to start with, while maintaining social distancing and hygiene protocols.

The alumni community in the USA aims to raise about Rs. 8 crore to help the unsung heroes of IIT Kharagpur campus, confirmed Vinod Gupta.

He further stated, “In 1962, in my first year at IIT, it was a surreal experience for a 16-year-old kid from a village in U.P. When I got sick, the guy who took care of me was the Ward Boy in Patel Hall and his name was Papaya. I still remember him. I remember former US President Bill Clinton, who shared such a nostalgic experience of inviting a porter who took care of him during his university days, to the Presidential swearing-in ceremony. It just shows how important they have been in our lives.”

Director Prof. Virendra K Tewari has urged every Kgpian to support this noble cause. He further added, “This is time to reminisce your days at the halls of residence and the mess dada’s smile, your adda at the night canteens and the faces who served you that cup of tea and paratha.”