The Class of 1980 celebrated their Ruby Reunion in 2020 and as part of their Legacy project, they decided to support several initiatives at their alma mater.
Design & Making Lab:
The proposed Design and Making Lab will conduct the Engineering Drawing Workshop for all the first-year B.Tech students at IIT Bombay. Each year, more than 1400 students enrol for the workshop and the number continues to grow. The lab will allow students to gain access to state-of-the-art equipment for mechanical and electronic work including 3D printers, laser cutters, the latest workstations with CAD (Computer-aided Design software), and a complete electronics setup.
The lab will introduce students to the latest design and making practices close to industry standards and invigorate their inner engineers and encourage them to find innovative solutions to problems.
Thanks to the generosity of the class of 1980, the lab will benefit generations of students to come.
Rejuvenation of Powai Lake
The scenic and breathtaking Powai Lake overlooking IIT Bombay’s Powai campus has deteriorated over the years due to the increase in silting, rapid growth of water hyacinths, weeds, and eutrophication of the lake. This prompted the class of 1980 to launch the “Revitalization of Powai Lake” scheme with the objective of restoring the lake to its original pristine and sustainable state by adopting eco-friendly designs and materials for its restoration.
Considering the enormity of the project which also involved desilting and the removal of the water hyacinths from the lake environs, the project was planned in two phases.
The first phase involved developing the space behind the Convocation Hall lawns up to the lake into Kshitij Udyan (garden), a landscaped patch, and a Nature Trail (a walking path winding through the trees). Phase 2 involved coordinating with the municipal agency MCGB with activities involving the desilting and cleaning of the lake area.
While the two-phased project seemed enormous considering the municipal agency’s involvement, active members from the Class of 1980 took it upon themselves to pursue their plans and bring them to fruition. Initially, alumni members were to simply provide project management support and select the perfect architects for the job, but soon, that changed. With a view to facilitating the timely completion of the project for various upcoming functions, it was decided that the class of 1980 would handle the entire project on their own.
Kshitij Udyan – the landscaped garden behind the Convocation Hall – was finally inaugurated in 2008 and all the other associated activities were completed soon after.
