REPORT - 12TH ALUMNI DAY – 2025

REPORT - 12TH ALUMNI DAY – 2025

• GAABESU
• 22/01/2026
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12th Alumni Day – 2025

Event Report

The Alumni Day was conceived as a family-centric celebration—by the alumni, of the alumni, and for the alumni—to rekindle cherished memories of bygone days, renew old friendships, and forge new bonds. To facilitate participation from alumni spread across continents and Pan-India locations, the event has been strategically scheduled on the last Sunday of every year, enabling advance planning.

Accordingly, the 12th Alumni Day was held on Sunday, 28 December 2025.

From 2014 onwards, Alumni Day celebrations have been joyfully hosted under the bright winter sunshine in the serene and picturesque campus of our beloved Alma Mater, except during 2020 and 2021, when the global pandemic and associated restrictions necessitated suspension of physical gatherings and closure of the campus.

Venue and Dignitaries

The 12th Alumni Day–2025 was organized at the Flag Hoisting Ground of the IIEST Campus (opposite the First Lobby).
The event was graced by the Director, IIEST Shibpur, Prof. V. M. S. R. Murthy, who remained present throughout the programme, including the Cultural Evening, accompanied by his family and friends.

Participation and Attendance

The day-long celebration witnessed an enthusiastic and heartening participation of alumni across generations, with a total footfall of approximately 450 attendees. Alumni from batches spanning 1953 to 2024 were present.

A particularly memorable highlight was the presence of our senior-most alumnus, Sri Ashish Sengupta (CE 1953), who travelled all the way from the USA to attend the event. He was invited to the dais to address the august gathering, where he shared his profound joy and emotional connection in returning to the campus after many decades. He expressed deep appreciation for the programme and the meticulous arrangements made by GAABESU.

Programme Proceedings

The programme commenced at 9:00 a.m. with registration, followed by informal networking and lively adda over multiple rounds of tea, coffee, and refreshments.

The formal proceedings began at 10:30 a.m. and were seamlessly anchored by Sri Partha Majumder (CE 1982). He invited to the dais:

• Sri Amitabha Datta (CE 1974), President, GAABESU
• Prof. V. M. S. R. Murthy, Director, IIEST Shibpur
• Prof. Anirban Gupta (CE 1989), Dean – IRAA
• Prof. Arun Deb (CE 1957)
• Prof. Netai Ch. Dey (Min 1986), Convener Alumni Day 2025

All dignitaries were felicitated with flower bouquets by student volunteers.

Inaugural Session

The Inaugural Session began with observing one minute of silence in solemn remembrance of our beloved alumni who passed away during the year.

Welcome Address

Sri Amitabha Datta (CE 1974) warmly welcomed the dignitaries, alumni, their families, and students. He briefly traced the origin of Alumni Day and its linkage to the traditional Annual Reunion—a collaborative initiative of past and present students with strong institutional support. He appealed to alumni to encourage wider participation in future events, thereby strengthening Alumni Day as a flagship programme of GAABESU. He also urged alumni to deepen their engagement with the Institute in all possible ways.

Address by the Dean – IRAA

Prof. Anirban Gupta, Dean–IRAA, apprised the alumni of the various academic and infrastructure development initiatives undertaken by the Institute. He highlighted the near completion of the new 10-storey Boys’ Hostel, which is scheduled to be commissioned in the forthcoming academic session. He also acknowledged several alumni-supported initiatives, including upgrades to lecture halls, modernization of classrooms, enhancement of the Digital Recording Studio, installation of floodlights in the playground, and other infrastructure improvements. Prof. Gupta expressed his sincere appreciation to GAABESU and the alumni community for their sustained and valuable contributions.

He further elaborated on the recent initiatives undertaken with the objective of transforming the IIEST campus into a green and environmentally sustainable one.

GAABESU Activity Report by the Secretary

The Secretary, GAABESU, Prasenjit Chakraborty (EE 1987) presented a concise report outlining some of the key activities of the Association, including annual Scholarships and Awards, the biennial Executive Committee elections, organization of Alumni Day. He emphasized the need for increased participation of young and dynamic volunteers to carry forward GAABESU’s vision and objectives, & lack of new membership, mainly for post-2000 batches. He also made a request to the Institute, regarding initiation of a permanent platform for ongoing & future interactions & relationship between Institute & Alumni (specifically GAABESU), as was suggested by Prof. Arun Deb earlier.

Special Felicitation

A special highlight of the event was the presence of Prof. Goutam Chattopadhyay (ETC, 1987), distinguished scientist at JPL, NASA, USA, and Professor at Caltech, who was visiting India. He was felicitated with a specially designed memento, and batch mates present were invited to the dais for the felicitation. In his address, Prof. Chattopadhyay fondly recalled his first day at the Institute and shared several engaging anecdotes from his student life, captivating the audience.

Director’s Address

In his address, Prof. V. M. S. R. Murthy, Director, IIEST Shibpur, elaborated on ongoing administrative and developmental initiatives. He informed the gathering about the Institute’s Campus Master Plan, initiated with GAABESU’s support through alumnus Sri Kunal Bhattacharya (Architect), which is now nearing finalization with inputs from the Department of Architecture & Planning. He explained the process of executing prioritized components through HIFA loans, as per government norms, and acknowledged strong support from the Chairperson of the Board of Governors and the Central Government.

Prof. Murthy highly commended alumni contributions, particularly acknowledging Prof. Arun Deb and Prof. Sudhangshu S. Chakraborty (both Civil Engineering, 1957) for establishing two specialized R&D centres. He emphasized the importance of strengthening research output to enhance national and international rankings. He concluded by thanking all alumni and GAABESU for organizing such a vibrant and meaningful event.

Alumni Link 2025

The Special Issue of “Alumni Link 2025”, the GAABESU family magazine, was formally unveiled by the Director. This year’s publication was compiled and edited by Sri Manoj Kar (ETC 1980).

Also, on this occasion, an announcement was made on behalf of an anonymous donor from 1999 batch (Mechanical Engineering) who has donated books worth Rs. 1 Lakh for the students & faculty of Mechanical Engineering Dept. The books are available with Sri Vinod Singh (Mech’1999), Joint Convenor and the same would be handed over to the Central Library once the required formalities are through from the office of the Dean –IRAA, IIEST.

Conclusion of the inaugural session

The inaugural session concluded with a comprehensive Vote of Thanks delivered by Prof. Netai Chandra Dey (Min 1986), Head, SOMS–IIEST, and Convener, Alumni Day–2025. In his address, he expressed his sincere gratitude to all the participants for their enthusiastic presence and active involvement, and conveyed his appreciation to the IIEST authorities for their guidance, encouragement, and unwavering support in organizing the event.

Prof. Dey also acknowledged the dedicated efforts of the student volunteers, whose commitment and meticulous coordination played a vital role in the smooth conduct of the programme. He extended heartfelt thanks to the sponsors, advertisers, and service providers for their generous cooperation and support. Special appreciation was accorded to the major sponsors—State Bank of India (SBI), Gainwell, Geoquest and IIEST-S Qatar Chapter (Sponsor of the Cultural Program) —for their substantial contributions, which were instrumental in making the programme a grand and memorable success.

The Vote of Thanks marked a fitting conclusion to the inaugural session, setting a positive and enthusiastic tone for the events that followed.

Post-Inaugural Events

Following the inaugural session, the traditional “Open House” interactive session was held, during which senior alumni shared valuable insights and suggestions for restoring and enhancing the past glory of the Institute.

This was followed by a special theatrical performance by “Shatabdi”, a drama group founded by our eminent alumnus and legendary theatre personality Sri Sudhindra (Badal) Sarkar (CE 1947). The group performed “Hattamalar Deshe (হট্টমালার দেশে)”, written by Sri Badal Sarkar, commemorating his centenary year.

The troupe graciously performed without charging any fees as a tribute to their Guru’s Alma Mater. GAABESU presented the team with a Commemorative Memento and a token honorarium.

Lunch and Networking Activities

A gala lunch, featuring traditional Bengali cuisine and iconic Kolkata sweets, was thoroughly enjoyed by all attendees.

GAABESU also facilitated:

• A book stall showcasing literary works authored by alumni
• Student and departmental stalls highlighting student talents, innovations, and achievements

Battery-operated Totos (E-rickshaws) were arranged for campus tours, a much-appreciated facility enjoyed by alumni and their families.

Cultural Programme

The Cultural Programme was meticulously curated and coordinated by Sri Indranil Sen (Arch 1980), with Sri Sudip Sengupta (ME 1980) serving as the anchor. The programme was generously powered by the GAABESU Qatar Alumni Chapter.

The Cultural Program was presented in two segments.

The first segment, just immediately after lunch, presented by the Alumni and present students, titled – ‘Milestones’, to celebrate birth centenaries a few legendary musical personalities. Like Mohd Rafi, Salil Chowdhury, Talat Mehmood and film personalities like Guru Dutta, Johny Walker etc. The entire program was conceptualised by Sri Indranil Sen, with able support from Sri Sajal Mukherjee (EE 1980), Malay Niyogi (EE 1980), Sri Indranil Sen himself and current first year student Sri Debdip Mitra. The program was based on the theme of ‘inspiration’ in Indian Music scenario with orchestral support by Pearl Boys Orchestra

The event unfolded as a vibrant celebration of music and culminated in an enthralling performance by Ms. Anwesha Dutta, the acclaimed singer and champion of Zee Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. The seamless sequencing of performances, professional anchoring, and enthusiastic audience participation transformed the Institute Hall into a joyous cultural arena, reflecting the creative spirit and enduring bond of the IIEST alumni fraternity.

The programme concluded on a delightful note with phuchka, pakoras, tea, coffee, and spirited adda.

As dusk settled over the campus, it was time to bid a fond farewell—hearts heavy yet fulfilled. After a day immersed in Fun, Fraternity, and Food, alumni departed with cherished memories and a renewed promise to return on Sunday, 27 December 2026.

Acknowledgement

The Alumni Day Organizing Committee, on behalf of GAABESU, extends its heartfelt gratitude to the entire alumni fraternity, distinguished dignitaries, students, sponsors, and volunteers for their enthusiastic support in making the 12th Alumni Day–2025 a resounding success.

It would be a grave injustice not to place on record our special appreciation for Prof. Netai Dey (Min 1986), Convener, and Sri Vinod Singh (ME 1999), Joint Convener. These two exceptionally dedicated members rendered exceptional service in mobilizing a remarkable amount of sponsors for this year’s event, whose generous support contributed immensely to organizing the Alumni Day in a truly grand and gala manner.

 

Amitabha Datta

President GAABESU

22nd January 2026