IIT-M gets fleet of electric buses from class of 1976

The prestigious Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) will now have a fleet of electric buses, courtesy of the class of 1976 who are converging for their 40th reunion on Thursday.

The class of 1976 consists of about 600 students who graduated in 1981, including BTech, MTech and PhD students. The class is now widely dispersed over the globe, from Australia to the US.

“I am very pleased and thankful that the class has decided to donate a fleet of electric buses and golf carts to replace the existing diesel fleet. This will be a very good start towards our goal of a zero carbon campus by 2050 and will serve as a living reminder of our commitment to residents and visitors alike,” IIT-M director Prof V Kamakoti said.

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The IIT Madras BTech Class of ’81 joined the IIT in July 1976 for what was then a 5-year BTech course, graduating in 1981 at a convocation where former President R Venkatraman presided over and Director Prof. P V Indiresan handed over certificates.

Many from the graduating batch went abroad to pursue higher education, the IIT-M said, adding that some settled there but a fair number returned to India.

“Their commitment to making IIT-M a special place for our students has resulted in creating several institutional mechanisms for students to excel in their chosen pursuit. This gift to kick start our transition to a greener, more sustainable and carbon-neutral campus is both timely and crucial,” Prof. Mahesh Panchagnula, Dean (Alumni and Corporate Relations), IIT-M, said.

During the three-day reunion, the batch will explore the campus to learn about the vast changes over almost half a century since they graduated.

The electrification of the IIT Madras campus’ public transport fleet will complement the institute’s Centers of Excellence for electric mobility and zero-emission trucking, Krish Bhargavan, Class of 1981, said.

“Several components of electric vehicles are imported and expensive. Any home-grown technology that reduces external dependence will further India’s energy independence,” he added.