The stage is set for the year long golden jubilee celebration of the National Institute of Technology-Tiruchirapalli (NIT-T) with the release of the logo on Friday by the first principal of the then Regional College of Engineering-Tiruchi (RECT) P.S. Manisundaram.
Prof. Manisundaram joined the NIT-T Director S. Sundarrajan, the president of RECAL (Regional Engineering College Alumni Association) Rajan Narayanan, and an old student of the first batch A.V. Karthikeyan, in releasing the logo for the year-long event, in the presence of a number of alumni members who had passed out in sixties and seventies.
Starting with three programmes, the institution now offers undergraduate courses in 10 branches, and post graduate courses in 24 disciplines of science, management, engineering and technology, besides Ph.D. in all the departments.
Observing that the opportunity for him to be a part of its golden jubilee celebrations as the first head of an institution was rare, Prof. Manisundaram, 86, attributed the growth of the institution for the first 10 years under his tenure to pro-active students.
The then RECT was the first to launch Production Engineering programme even before the IITs, he said.
As the first principal appointed by the Union Government, Prof. Manisundaram exercised RECT’s autonomy optimally. He paid encomiums to the vision of the late President R. Venkataraman, who was the Chairman of the then RECT Board in his capacity as Minister for Industries and Technical Education.
While the capital costs were met by the Centre, the land for the institution was provided by the State government. Both governments shared the recurring expenditure equally.
In the first year, 120 students were admitted to three undergraduate programmes: civil, mechanical and electrical. The campus had hostels, lecture halls, workshops, and playfields.
Every student admitted under 50 per cent home State quota had to stay with another student admitted from outside the State for fostering national integration.
Prof. Sundarrajan said the golden jubilee year would be celebrated through conduct of several programmes, including technical seminars, conferences, student meets, quiz programs, special lectures, open house, launch of special newsletter, and sports and cultural programmes.
Prof. Sundarrajan said he was emulating Prof. Manisundaram in adopting a personal approach towards students. Prof. Manisundaram committed Rs. 10,000 as his share for the Golden Jubilee Alumni Fund that the RECAL has launched.
A corpus fund of Rs. 25 crore would be created for academic excellence programmes, student aid programmes, campus initiatives, and a general fund for special projects, RECAL president Rajan Narayanan told presspersons.
A mentorship programme has been initiated for guiding students in the areas of entrepreneurship and higher studies.
The golden jubilee celebration would culminate with a grand celebration over three days from July 12 to 14, 2014, by over 3,000 alumni members, Mr. Narayanan added.
