The 93-year-old Andhra University is all decked up for its annual alumni meet on Friday.
This year, the chief guest will be Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who will be visiting the university for the first time after becoming Chief Minister.
The annual alumni meet is being organised in a grand manner for the last four years and is being coordinated by the AU Alumni Association, which is headed by chairman of the GMR group G. Mallikarjuna Rao, who is an alumnus of the university’s engineering college.
Vice-Chancellor P.V.G.D. Prasad Reddy said that the main programme would be held from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at AU Convention Centre, and CEO and Managing Director of Tech Mahindra C.P. Gurnani will be attending as guest of honour.
Last year, the chief guest was former chairman of Tata Group Ratan Tata.
“Our idea is to make this event even grander as the years go by. We intend to make the best use of this event and our rich alumni who are spread across the globe,” said the V-C.
Overwhelming response
This year too, about 4,000 persons, including former students living abroad, have registered for the event. However, the convention centre can accommodate only about 1,600 persons.
The management committee has made seating arrangements on the lawns to accommodate the additional visitors and a giant screen will be set up. Entry into the hall will be allowed only to those holding passes which will be given on a first-come-first-serve basis, said Prof. Prasad Reddy.
Elaborate arrangements have been made by the departments, which will host the morning session, with alumni interacting with students and faculty members.
He said that a group of alumni from the first batch of the engineering college would be visiting the campus on Friday, and a special programme has been organised at Y.V.S. Murthy Auditorium.
The Chief Minister, apart from laying the foundation stone for a 45-room boys’ hostel block in AU College of Engineering, which is being funded by the chairman of the GMR group, will also lay the foundation stone for a reading room being constructed by Love and Care Ministries. He will also be present at the signing of a couple of MoUs, said Prof. Prasad Reddy.
