BIT Sindri Alumni Association of North America

2014 Alumni Meet at New Jersey
2014-07-26 00:00 UTC
Invitation:BIT Sindri Alumni AssociationNorth America ChapterCordially invites you to Annual Alumni MeetAtRoyal Alberts Palace1050 King Georges Post Rd. Edison. NJ 08837OnSaturday. July 26th 2014;From 10:00 am to 3:30pmPlease join us for a fun filled networking eventEarly Bird Registration per Adult: $20 by June 11 2014Regular Registration per Adult: $25 by July 11 2014Late or At the Door Registration: $30 after July 11 2014(Absolutely no charges for kids – irrespective of their age)As Always membership is $50 per alumni except Life members.Make check Payable to BITSAA of NAMail it to Divy Raj. Treasurer BITSAA NA. 42 Liberty Ridge Road . Basking Ridge . NJ 07920Please inquire with us. in case interested in Life membership.Attire: CasualAgenda:July 25. Friday. starting Noon: Family Lunch Buffet in Moghul Restaurant in Iselin. NJJuly 25. Friday. starting 6:30pm: Family Social Function. at the Residence of Divyanshu Raj. 42 Liberty Ridge Rd. Basking Ridge. NJ 07920. Tel 908-326-3704. MC Bidhu Shekhar Jha (62 ME)
Show off your skills in poetry. ghazals. comedy. singing. dance. drama. ..
July 26. Saturday. starting at 10am: FAMILY Annual Meet
Royal Albert’s Palace. Edison. NJ. [Children activities in a separate room – Divy]
I. 10:00*am to 10:30am: REPORT & ELECTION SESSION: Moderator Dr Anil Singh (64 MET). Distinguished Alumni Certificates by Yogi Chadda. Addition to Distinguished list and Year in Review by Neil; Election of Mohammed B. Zaman (60 ME). Acting.
II. 10:30 am to 11:15 am: Keynote Address by B P Sinha (54 ME) on good old days of Sindri. retired life. spirituality. and more. Interactive session.
Mr & Mrs Sinha are visiting their daughter Ambalika and son-in-law Raj Verma (70 MET). who will do the introduction.
III.11:15 am to Noon: What the Association Should Do? Moderator: Bidhu.
Alumni feedback from regional meetings in Atlanta. SF Bay area. and Detroit by Neil.
Floor open for alumni participation.
IV. Noon to 12:30pm: Welcome by the Local Chair Dr Kris Singh. Update on ultra-safe Nuclear Reactor. Q&A
12:30pm to 01:30pm: LUNCH and Mingle [Buffet line staggered by Table Number]
V. 01:30pm to 2:15pm: PANEL DISCUSSION: Wish List for Sindri. Moderator: Dr Onkar P Sharma – our stated priorities. Panelists 5 minutes each representing decades 50’s thru 90’s: Dr Ravi Kapoor (58 ME). Prof Dr Ramesh Chandra (64 MET). Raj Verma (70 MET). Naresh Kumar (80 ME). Prof Dr Sandeep Kumar (94 CHE).
At the conclusion show of hands for important suggestions.
02:15 pm to 02:30 pm BREAK
VI. 2:30pm to 3:30pm. Keynote Address by Dr Raj Dubey on Deep Breathing & Meditation. Introduction by S Rao Ponamgi (61TC)
3:30pm ADJOURN. [Annual Meeting 2015 on July 25. Saturday?]
—————————————
* Those registering at the door should arrive earlier.
%All presentations should be posted on the website by July 25. For names see the Alumni Directory on the web.Photos :http://bitsindri.org/content/annual-alumni-meet-2014-photosAttachments (see Below):
Attached are major items displayed in the meeting
1. BPS_Keynote
2. Kris Singh’s Slides
3. Dubey_keynoteVideo:This year(2014) we did a Live transmission of the Alumni Meet which happened in NJ. Here is the recording of the whole meeting. Video Quality is not so good But we promise next year it will be in HD

Minutes of Telecon Meeting of May 27. 2014
2014-05-27 00:00
We did have our telecon meeting on May 27. 2014. starting at 9:30pm ET. with the following present: Arunima. Neil. Alka. Divy. Naresh. and Bharat (joining late).o Minutes of the meeting of April 29. 2014 were approved.o We skipped the Updates – I will cover these in email.o Planning for July 26 Meeting: Divy mentioned that there would be a Registration Desk. and name tag and handout material. Neil mentioned that all speakers have accepted. Krishna Pal Singh insists that we have a Panel Discussion with pre-screened presentation. Here is a summary of all speakers:Dr Kris Singh (67 ME) – Local Chair. would be late. He will do 8 slides on reactor update.Dr Jagannath Giri (57 ME) will give a keynote talk based on his just published Autobiography with Lessons Learned.Dr Raj Dubey (61 CE. on our BOD) will give a keynote talk on Deep Breathing & Meditation.This would be an updated version of his invited talk to Chinmaya Mission India last year.Dr Onkar Sharma (59EE) would be the Moderator for the Panel Discussion on What Do We Want the Govt to Do?. with Dr A K Pandey. IAS. as one of the Panelists. Other Panelists TBD.The Panelists will be selected based on the material they submit.Dr Anil Singh ( 64 MET) will Moderate the Usual Reports and Updates. which will be much abbreviated this year. This would also include a few pre-screened what’s on your mind.Ramesh Yadava will summarize Alumni suggestions from the west coast meeting in Sept 2014.Website Update: Naresh led us thru the new website. registration process. etc. He was asked to simplify the authentication process.Adjournment: We adjourned at 10:20pm ET.Next regularly scheduled Meeting is on June 24. 2014. starting at 9:30pm ET.

Minutes of Telecon Meeting of April 29. 2014
2014-04-29 00:00
From:Neil Dwivedi Pundit. PhD. 1961 TC
President. BITSAA of North America
1354 Plumosa Way
Weston. FL 33327
H: 505-821-3295

Dear Friends.

We started our telecon meeting on April 29 at 9:30 pm ET.
Present: Neil. Arunima. Yogi. Raj. Anil. Divy. Naresh. Alka. and Ramesh.

1. CONSENT- Minutes of March 25 Meeting were approved.

2. ACTION – APPROVAL of Distinguished Alumni with citation was obtained by email prior to the meeting. Citation can be edited by the recipient within 45 days.

3. ACTION – Process and Criteria for Distinguished Alumni were discussed by Anil as circulated earlier. and the document was approved.

4. ACTION- Fund Request for Open Air Theater at Sindri was discussed by Dr Chadda: alumni in India have already contributed. the open air theater was recently inaugurated by the Director S K Singh. Raj pledged $1.000.; Dr Chadda pledged $500 ( $250 each from him and brother Surendra). Board approved a total of $2K. the rest to come from general fund reserves.
Editorial Note: Neil pledged his own personal fund so as not to dip into the Association’s reserves.

5. APPROVAL – MEMBER TRAVEL AWARD as circulated by Ramesh was approved.

6. PRESIDENT TRAVEL AWARD – Ramesh articulated the cause beyond the circulated sheet. a good discussion followed. Questions raised were: Association’s ability to spend the sum every year; ROI. Ramesh will circulate a revised draft for consideration at the next meeting.

7. APPROVAL – MEMBER SEEKING MATERIAL. circulated by Arunima. received much praise. was approved with proviso to update with the sense of comments.

8. DISCUSSION – Giveaways. Plaque. cups. etc. The presentation circulated needs more time for discussion. Comments should be directed to Divy who would make recommendations at the next meeting. However. it was recommended that per plaque expense be limited under $25.

9. DISCUSSION & REPORTS: Late hour. noisy line. and smaller number remaining on line necessitated tabling the item for future.

10. NEW BUSINESS – none. We adjourned around 11:15pm ET.

Cheers.
Neil

Minutes of Telecon Meeting of March 25. 2014
2014-03-25 00:00
From:Neil Dwivedi Pundit. PhD. 1961 TC
President. BITSAA of North America
1354 Plumosa Way
Weston. FL 33327
H: 505-821-3295

Dear BOD. ADVBD. and other alumni friends.

We had a teleconference meeting of the BITSAA BOD & ADV BD on March 25. 2014. starting at 9:30pm ET with the pre-sent Agenda. Present were:
Neil. Prahlad. Alka. Ramesh. Divy. Naresh. Uttara. Anil. and Yogi. Raj Dubey had expressed his inability to attend to Neil earlier. The phone connection was considerably poor at times impeding deliberations. The minutes follow the published Agenda.

CONSENT: BOD Approved the Corporate Resolution to add Arunima Thakur on the Association’s account with Fidelity. This is in addition to Neil Pundit and Divy Raj.

1. DIRECTORS Reports – Neil reported on the Ranchi visit by Honorable MLA Bidhu Shekhar Jha (1962 ME) on Feb 28 and March 1. At the request of Ranjit Sinha and I. Bidhu was persuaded to extend his official visit to India as the head of Manitoba Technical Delegation. He spent a couple of days in Ranchi and met with: the Honorable Chief Minister Hemant Soren. Chief Secretary Dr R S Sharma. Additional Chief Secretary (IAS in-charge for Sindri) Dr A K Pandey. Sindri Director Dr S K Singh. and a few others. The MOU with the U of Manitoba now needs approval by the Vinoba Bhave University (to which BIT is affiliated for degree purposes). He impressed on Soren and Pandey to effect progress at BIT Sindri to which he got assurances.

2. ANNUAL ALUMNI MEETING 2014 – Treasurer Divy has been researching restaurants with a few local alumni such as Amar Mishra and Sudhaker Raj. Selected is Royal Albert’s Palace at 1050 King Georges Post Rd. Edison. NJ 08837 Phone:(732) 661-1070 as the meeting place for the 2014 Annual Meeting on July 26. Saturday. The contract is for a minimum of 70 attendees @$23 per head. starting at 10am and ending at 3:30pm. (A 30 minute extension is allowable.) The BOD agreed to ensure attendance by charging as follows:

Early Registration by June 11 with payment of only $20 per adult;
Regular Registration between June 12 and July 11 with payment of $25 per adult; and
Late (or at the door) Registration starting July 12 of $30 per adult.
[The Association encourages children by waiving any cost.] Registration covers refreshments and lunch. and is not tax deductible.

Divy will address activities for children.

The BOD appointed Dr Anil Singh as the Moderator. based on his superb performance as the Moderator at the 2013 Annual Meeting.
The BOD appointed VIP alum Dr Krishna Pal Singh. a keynote speaker in 2013. as the LOCAL CHAIR. By popular demand he is asked to provide an update on the ultra-safe reactor his company (Holtec International) produces.

3. CY2013 Fiscal Summary: Neil and Divy will answer any questions on the report already distributed – as the telephone connection left much to be desired.

4. DISCUSSION – Director Annual Travel Award – I (Neil) have sent out an email proposing a discussion on establishing an Annual Director Travel Award to send one Director to the Annual Alumni Meeting at Sindri. The Award amount is US$3.000. [The awardee is free to decline the money or donate it back to the Association any part or all of the award sum.]
This item was tabled. and assigned to Ramesh for consideration and report at the next meeting. based on his superb work on the Travel Award.

5. Special Projects’ Reports:

a. Getting to 1000 by 2015 – Arunima and Uttara – a brochure prepared by Arunima is to be distributed to the BOD and the ADV BD. It addresses superbly why any alum should join our Alumni Association.
b. Website Update – Naresh reported inability to make progress but will connect with Neil to update the website.
c. Travel Award – Ramesh reported and had active discussion on his draft. to be continued at the next meeting.
d. LinkedIn Consolidations – Alka and Naresh reported getting started on it but not much tangible progress worth reporting yet.
e. Director candidates for Houston/Dallas area – Dilip’s replacement – Neil said that he would have a candidate by the next meeting.
f. Wi fi access at Sindri – estimate is still awaited (from Prof Girijesh Kumar. along with viable vendors)
g. Progress on Distinguished Alumni matter – Anil reported on his draft. had a meaningful discussion mainly on the process. and he will circulate a modified draft soon.

6. Open Air Theater at Sindri – Dr Chadda has sent an email to a few of us asking for financial support. This matter came up at the Annual Alumni Meet in Sindri in Nov 2013. The background is that with the current increased enrolment. the Deshpande Auditorium can not accommodate the population.
A good idea but we need to prioritize where we spend our Alumni funds.
Dr Chadda had to leave early. and this item will be taken up at the next meeting. However. in an earlier phone conversation to Neil. he said that we should try to raise around $2K for the purpose.

7. No New Business. and we Adjourned at about 11:20pm.

Regards.
Neil Pundit

Minutes of Telecon Meeting of January 28. 2014
2014-01-28 00:00
From:Neil Dwivedi Pundit. PhD. 1961 TC
President. BITSAA of North America
1354 Plumosa Way
Weston. FL 33327
H: 505-821-3295

Dear Friends.

The BOD and the ADV BD of the BIT Sindri Alumni Association of North America (BITSAA of NA) met by teleconference starting at 10:30pm ET on January 28 (Tuesday). 2014 for about 90 minutes. Weather in GA. TX. and elsewhere prevented some attendance. Late start was necessitated by the State of the Union Address of President Obama.

Present were: Neil. Arunima. Uttara. Bharat. Anil. Naresh. Ramesh. and Raj.

The Agenda for the meeting was sent out earlier. and we followed it. The summary Minutes follow the Agenda.

1. Directors Reports:

– Arunima. joined by Uttara. emphasized the need for a succinct material to seek out alumni. yet to join our Association. The material can be distributed at Indian gatherings. posted on Indian Grocery Stores. Temples. Gurudwaras. etc. Also used for Radio Ads. It should cover: why join the Alumni Association? Sense of belonging. helping Alma Mater. some highlighted recent activities. reports of visits to Sindri. etc can be elements covered in the brochure. It should address why be a member. It was a spirited discussion in which everyone chimed in.

ACTION: Neil promised to send some text to Arunima. Others are also encouraged.

– Bharat plans to visit Sindri in March. and would like to give a talk there – to be arranged. He is planning a Regional meeting in Niagara area to attract people from upstate NY and Toronto area. Sometime in May or June. It would be in collaboration with Raj. who joined later (teleconference number does NOT work in Canada!) Memorial Day Weekend was mentioned as a possibility.

– Ramesh talked about his frequent communication with his active team in the SF Bay Area. He suggested a monthly communication of the Association.

– Raj in his first teleconference participation. enabled thru a call to Neil’s iPad. explained his being on travel a lot. but hopes to be more active. He mentioned of possible participation by an alum Dr Ajit Singh (sp?). EE Professor at Waterloo. While he is not in our list yet. Ramesh(?) mentioned he knows Ajit.

– Naresh mentioned that his open invitations on our website for alumni to join attracted only bogus entries. resulting in his shutting down the invitation pending stronger filtering. Lateness of the hour prevented a discussion.

2. ADVBD Role and Responsibilities: Anil led the discussion by summarizing the pertinent bylaws. communications from me (Neil); Uttara added prior discussions in emails and BOD deliberations; many chimed in. We concluded that all alumni listed anywhere as Distinguished should be grandfathered. The ADVBD will nominate. in addition. a few more from our list of some 400 members. Neil expressed a need for a defined process with criteria for nominations. Uttara and Neil will provide to Anil our prior deliberations on the topic. Neil mentioned service to the Association. to Alma Mater. in addition to other qualifications. as an important factor.

3. Calendar Year 2013 Summary: In absence of Divy we did not fully address the matter except some parts covered by Neil in a letter to Life Members. copied to BOD and ADVBD. At Anil’s request Neil elaborated on Merger issue which is essentially postponed by the Chief Minister who wishes to retain BIT Sindri as the only established State institution. The Jharkhand Public Service Commission has advertised 160+ faculty positions. An investigation has been launched for the incomplete IT building which lacks windows. doors. and indoor finishes. Raj pointed out from his own prior experience that retired and/or visiting professors on duty can be counted toward meeting UGC’s minimum staffing ratio of 55%.

4. Annual Meeting 2014 in NJ Area: This topic was skipped in absence of Divy who is to propose a Local Chair.

5. Special Projects:

a. Getting to 1000 by 2015 – was partly covered under item 1 by Arunima and Uttara.

b. Naresh on Website Update – to be covered at the next meeting

c. Ramesh on Travel Award: He outlined a process for choosing candidates. criteria to be met. a number of days of stay and talk at Sindri. etc. He will follow by email.

6. New Business: Neil mentioned that Dilip has taken a job in Atlanta. and is in the process of moving there. We need to find a replacement for a Regional Director. preferably in greater Houston or greater Dallas area.

7. Then. we adjourned.
——-
PS:
1. Neil was able to get enough votes to approve the minutes of the November 2013 telemeeting distributed earlier.

2. Our Next scheduled meeting is on February 25 (last Tuesday) starting at 9:30pm ET.

3. Comments/Approval of these minutes would be appreciated. particularly by the attendees.

2013 Alumni Meet at New Jersey
2013-09-27 00:00
Minutes of the Annual Meeting held Saturday. 27 July. 2013Indra N. Jha. Member Ad Hoc Committee
Saturday. 27 July. 2013 was a historic day in the life of BIT Sindri Alumni Association of North America (BIT SAA. NA). A decade long oblivion of the Association was ending as if a new light was switched on. The Association was in lime-light again!
Once very active under the guidance of Dr. T. Prasad. Dr. N. K. Sinha and led by Dr. Uday Sinha and the group of BIT alumni. those early immigrants of 60s & 70s. the Association had lost its attraction by the time it was YK2 and it was moving fast into a status of oblivion in the following decade. Then Dr. Yogi Chadda came as President and. he started plans to resurrect the Alumni back to life; and in 2012 Annual Meet on 15 September. he formed the Ad Hoc Committee of Indra Jha. Amar Mishra. Neil Pundit. Ranjit Sinha to rejuvenate the Alumni Association and bring it back to its glorious past. The Committee worked diligently hands in hands together and this Annual Gathering was a show-piece of its efforts and promise. Leaders of the Ad Hoc pack. Dr. Chadda and Dr. Neil Pundit published the agenda for the day and the Annual Meet was afoot. As envisioned. a large attendance (official count of 60+) of Alumni was buzzing in the hall. They came from Texas. California. Midwest. Florida and North-east; from all over the US; all happy faces; and little chaotic at times. The day was filled with happy moments for all Alumni. young and old; and indeed. it felt like the day of a new beginning.
The Minutes of Meeting has been put together by Indra Jha. is presented categorically alongside the agenda items (see agenda items in small fonts). Please refer to Appendices for reports and read on.

From: Neil Pundit
To: BIT Sindri Alumni in US and Canada Date: Tuesday. 23 July 2013
AGENDA (updated July 22. 2013)
Subject: Notice of Annual Meeting and ELECTION
As announced earlier. the PLACE for our Annual Meeting and Election on July 27. 2013. SATURDAY. is Crown of India Restaurant. 660 Plainsboro Rd. Plainsboro. NJ 08536. ph 609-275-5707. Their website is www.crown-of-india.com . It is in the Princeton Meadows Shopping Center.
9:00 am: Registration – collect badge and handouts (coffee mugs for early registrants)
Caution: Divy Raj and volunteers will help us keep on track with Time Remaining Cards and finally buzzer!
9:30 am WELCOME & OPENING REMARKS – President Dr Chadda (57 ME). MODERATOR: Dr Anil Singh (64 MET)
President Chadda welcomed the guests and introduced Dr. Anil Singh to the audience. Dr. Anil Singh had come from California to participate in this Annual Meet. He took over from here on and conducted the proceedings of the Meeting.
Consent Agenda
Secretary’s Report: Keerti Prasad (90 E&C)
Treasurer’s Report: Sudhaker Raj (87 EC). Neil Pundit (61 TC) ACCOMPLISHMENTS & CHALLENGES – Dr Chadda
Please see appendices for details of these reports.
Memorium: one minute of silent prayer for the departed souls (list and details on website under Departed Souls)
All attendees stood up and observed one minute of silence in memory of friends who had already travelled to higher world.
10:00 am CURRENT INITIATIVES & UPDATE: MODERATOR: Raj Verma (70 MET)
a. Exchange with U of Manitoba . and Env Engrg Initiative – Dr chadda
Dr. Chadda updated the audience with efforts put forth by Bidhu Jha for Educational Exchange between BIT Sindri and Univ. of Manitoba; and another effort by Ranjit Sinha for initiative to include Environmental Science Education in the Civil Engineering PG-curriculum at BIT Sindri.
Please see appendices for details of these reports.
b. Rejuvenation Committee Report – Amar Mishra (62 CE). Indra Jha (63 CE)
Amar Mishra and Indra Jha presented the arduous efforts made by the Ad Hoc Committee to make this Annual meet a success. They looked around and declared .. it is a success!
Here Is Yogi Chadda who presided over the Rejuvenation Efforts; Here is Neil Pundit who has worked all waking hours of his life after July 29th. 2012. Today where we are is the fruit of his Bhagirath Praytna. Here is Ranjit Sinha who never missed an opportunity to provide compliance with Federal law and our Alumni By-laws. Here is Amar Mishra who got on phone. and Here is Indra Jha who fought and worked with these gifted Ad Hoc Members towards the big tent open Structure to make it accessible and transparent for one and all. And of course. here are Sudhakar Raj and Keerti Prasad who helped all these happen!
Objective No 2 …to provide structures and stability … has been initiated; Look at our Slate of Directors … quite impressive! Is not it! And. Objective No. 3 .. thought of the Continuity of BIT Pride?…. of its Grandeur? … Of course! Well. we cannot bring back Dr. Despande! Nor. Dr. T. Prasad ! Nor. Dr. N. K. Sinha ! But we can do what we saw them doing — help make BIT a Prime Institution! — bring continuity to the cultures of giving. initiated and glorified by Dr. Uday Sinha and the Committee he had organized.
Now it is our turn. to show something happening!
This is our 3rd.. 4th.. 5th. … and nth. Objective! We should learn to give! … to BIT Campus. We should devote our time to impart some of our experience to the Graduating Class. We should initiate many constructive projects at BIT Campus. Like. Ranjit Sinha initiating Environmental Education for Civil Engineering curriculum…. Like. Bidhu Jha initiating Manitoba Collaboration.
Please see appendices for details of these reports from Ranjit Sinha and Bidhu Jha.
c. Website Update and plan – Naresh Sahu. Sudhaker Raj
d. Interactions with Alumni worldwide and nostalgia – Divyanshu Raj (91 MET)
e. Summary of Bylaws – Ranjit Sinha (62 CHE). a past President. Short Break
Please see appendices for details of these reports.
11:15 am ELECTION SESSION – Dr Chadda; MODERATOR: Shiva S. Tripathi (59 ME) The Slate; Nominations from floor; Voting; Results Announced by Dr Chadda
Farewell by outgoing Directors: Keerti Prasad. Sudhaker Raj. Dr Chadda Elected Directors – what do you wish to accomplish (in 25 words or less)
The following SLATE of CANDIDATES was presented to the General Body present there in the hall and the Slate of Candidates was voted and accepted and thus confirmed the election of the Board of Directors to manage and run the affairs of the Alumni Association for a two year term. 2013 to 2015. Here is the Slate of Candidates:
SLATE
As required by the Bylaws. President Dr Chadda presents the following SLATE of Candidates for Directors for a term of 2 years. Nomination of additional candidates is welcome from the floor. While the newly elected Directors can decide by election within themselves who would hold what office. Dr Chadda suggests a particular officer position for each candidate. All the candidates are on LinkedIn. and you may contact them directly by email.
1. (1961 TC) Neil Pundit. from Fort Lauderdale/Miami area. FL. current VP. and also a past VP. Proposed officer position: President. Neil is a retired Supercomputing R&D Executive from Sandia National Labs. pundit@ieee.org
2. (1961 CE) Raj Dubey. from Waterloo. Ontario. Canada. as Regional Vice President.
Raj is a Professor Emeritus at the U of Waterloo. r4dubey@yahoo.com (unable to attend)
3. (1971 EE) Ramesh Yadava. from CA Bay Area. as Regional Vice President. Ramesh has been a key organizer of West- Coast Meets.
Ramesh is a Technology and Social Entrepreneur. yadava@aol.com
(unable to attend. Ramesh and Neil will attend the west-coast meet on Sept 14 in San Jose. CA)
4. (1974 EE) Bharat Sahay. from Greater Rochester. NY area. as Regional Vice President. Bharat is in Software consulting business. bharatsahay@gmail.com
5. (1984 EC) Dilip Gupta. from Dallas. TX area. as Regional Vice President.
Dilip is a past Secretary; a Project Mgmt professional. exploring new opportunity. dilipgupta@hotmail.com
6. (1990 MIN) Naresh K. Sahu. from greater Washington DC Area. as Secretary. Naresh is designing and managing our website. He is an expert web designer. nksahu@yahoo.com
7. (1991 EE) Arunima Thakur from greater Detroit area. as Vice President. and also as Regional Vice President.
Arunima is a Quality Control executive. arunima_thakur@yahoo.com (unable to attend)
8. (1991 MET) Divyanshu (Divy) Raj. from greater NY/NJ area as Treasurer. and also as Regional Vice President. Divy is a AVP with Citi. and has worked on many financial products. divyanshu_raj@yahoo.com
9. (1995 ELC) Alka Srivastava. from Atlanta. GA area. as Regional Vice President.
Alka is a Database Senior Manager. alkasrivastava@yahoo.com
(unable to attend; She and Neil will meet with Atlanta area alumni on August 2)
RE: 2014 GET TOGETHER: July 26 (last Saturday in July)?
The Date July 26. 2014 was unanimously accepted and confirmed.
Among several suggestions for the venue of the next Annual meeting … Orlando – Host Vijay Kumar (75 ME); Miami/ Ft. Lauderdale area – Host Uday Sinha (60 MET); Huston; Vancouver Canada – Host Satya Taneja (62 CE) and NY/NJ area for its central location; ——- The venue of NY/NJ area was accepted for its central location and confirmed as venue for the next Annual Meet of July 26. 2014.
c. 12:00 noon ………LUNCH …. LUNCH
Afternoon Session:
01:00 pm DISCUSSION: WHAT IS HIGH ON YOUR MIND? MODERATOR: Dr Onkar P Sharma (59 EE). planning a visit to Sindri in September
Ideas Heard on FaceBook and from emails and phone calls: Neil Pundit What else can we (alumni in US & Canada) do for our Alma Mater? – all
Dr. Onkar P Sharma took the podium and spoke at length his experience in trying to do any collaborations and or partnership to help institutions in India. Some of the renderings. to quote him verbatim. are as follows: — “I expressed my frustration in working with Indian Institutions on establishing academic partnership because of bureaucratic and archaic academic system.
Institutions. particularly at college level. have very little freedom and flexibility on matters of external relationships. They are controlled by UGC (University grants Commission) and also AICTE (All India Council Technical Education) if they award Engineering and Management degrees. One such example is that of an institution in Hyderabad. AICTE first approved the MOU and then cancelled it. The Indian institution has gone to court but the case has not come up for hearing for three years now.
There are additional problems with institutions like BIT which are government-supported and government-controlled. Then Government secretaries and directors come in picture. These officers. as we all know. are mostly interested in advancement of their career rather than the State they serve. I will give examples. I wrote more than once to director. NIT Patna. Director BIT Sindri. as well as director of Technical education/ concerned Government department secretaries in Ranchi and Patna but never got a response. This was my experience of working with government (public) colleges in India.
Private institutions do take some interest but goal is to make money and not the advancement of the institution vis-a-vis students and faculty. I have worked with two such institutions with exactly the same experience. I don’t know if I want to give out the names. One was in Delhi and the other in Pune. After spending time. money. and effort. the MOU which was signed was cancelled. These institutions were not prepared to spend money in promotion and advertising up-front which was their responsibility as laid out in the MOU.
I am currently working with a private University in UP. Universities seem to have some authority. I was personally impressed by the VC of this university who. like me. is a Fulbright Scholar and was placed in USA for a year. I believe.
Programs which I work on are; two-plus-two where students will complete 2 years in India and last two years in USA and get US Bachelor degree. two-plus three where students complete 2 years in India and three years in USA and get US Bachelor and Master degrees. offering US curriculum and Bachelor and Master degrees on the campus of partner universities. faculty exchange. student exchange. and some others. Private institutions are not very interested in student transfer programs for loss of tuition money for 2 years. They get fixed quota from AICTE.”
Summing up his inputs to this minute of meeting. he wrote:
“Jha Ji. I could go on and on if I start detailing all the intricacies involved in establishing partnership.
Select whatever information you consider relevant for the minute.As regards BIT Sindri. I will shy away from any talk of establishing partnership but will do my best to help those students who desire to come to my institution for higher studies.”
I sincerely applaud his candid overviews of the state of things in India; and I intend by presenting them here with only intension to get the message and follow it in our efforts.
01:45 pm INSPIRATION # 1: Experiences of an Immigrant Entrepreneur
by Dr Krishna Pal Singh* (67 ME). Founder & President of Holtec International Introduction by Dr Lakshman P Sinha (60 EE). Retiree of Bell Labs and AT&T.
Dr. Singh will share his personal perspectives based on the experiences gained from three decades of technological entrepreneurship that may be relevant to other immigrants to America.
Q&A. Short Break
Dr. Lakshman P Sinha spoke very highly of Dr. Krishna Pal Singh (67 ME) while introducing him to the audience. Dr. Sinha knew him as PG student at U- Penn. Dr. Sinha added that he does not see these days. students coming from BIT Sindri of the caliber – of the class and qualifications as of Dr. Singh. There is no surprise to see Dr. Krishna Pal Singh so successful as Founder/Owner – President of Holtec. a multi-billion dollar enterprise specializing in processing and disposal of Nuclear Waste. Dr. Singh holds many patents in the complex science of Nuclear Energy. He is a member of NAE (National Academy of Engineering). and a Trustee of U- Penn.
Dr. Singh got up and gave a very personal account of him-self as he was growing up in India. He expressed an admiration for his teacher. a missionary from Hungary. who asked him to read Sanskrit. Kalidas and Meghdoot. He said he attended U-Penn to learn Nuclear Science and Business of producing energy but all of the engineering he learnt was at BIT Sindri. To me his life story was very inspiring and still better as it was spoken so lucidly; the audience was spell-bound listening to this man of success. I also happen to know him personally and I congratulated him on his grand success by saying “we all knew you were going to be a success. but we (Dr. Diwakar Mishra and I) did not know. you will be such a grand success”!
People heard him and took with them what they saw in him.
Dr. Chadda recalled “he gave us a talk sharing his life experiences as an immigrant entrepreneur but reminding us of his humble beginning growing up in a village in a poor family where his diligence in studies kept him focused. While attending a missionary high school in Ranchi he was much impressed by a teacher. a Hungarian Sanskrit scholar. who imparted much wisdom by having him read the Sanskrit classics. which he enjoyed. After his PhD from UPenn. he worked for a company but soon after he founded his own company Holistic Technology. shortened as Holtec International in NJ. which is now an international company with offices in many countries worldwide. He shared the struggles he faced in developing his business. (with) his wife (and) Martha (was) more stressed than him. Prudent risk taking with self confidence in the undertaking is the essential step to success in entrepreneurship. He briefly touched upon his current efforts in ultra-safe self-contained nuclear reactors that his company is installing worldwide. He mentioned that he has committed to India that all the nuclear installations in India would be at the cost – no profits.
His humbleness. integrity. and down to earth manners were a pleasant surprise to the audience which showered him with a lot of questions. and he answered all with utmost sincerity and patience until the time ran out. Apologizing Neil asked the alumni whose questions could not be entertained to email him their questions. and he would relay Dr. Singh’s answers”.
This was a unique experience for us all alumni – so uplifting. so heartwarming. and it made us all so proud of our Alma Mater BIT Sindri. and our motherland India.”
This is how Neil Pundit recalled Dr. Singh speaking:
“He spoke about the products of his company: Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management and specially about Manufacture of Modular Power Generation System using Nuclear Fuel for providing Safe and affordable energy and Storage and Transportation of Nuclear Fuel etc. He discussed how he got involved in these activities (These are part of his Ph.D. Research. He has 10 patents in his name on the Storage of Nuclear waste) and he has companies all over the world including India. He explained his plans to remove the energy shortage of India by installing Modular Power Generating system which are safe. He is a philanthropist and all his earning goes to charity in KPS FOUNDATION. Because of this he expressed his desire to improve the SANITATION system of India. specially starting from his State of Bihar. He has made starts in Bihar but with some disappointments. There were interesting questions from the audience which were politely answered.”
“ After achieving the highest point as an entrepreneur. KRISHNA Pal is very modest in nature.”
02:30 pm INSPIRATION #2: Intelligent Way of Living to Reach Human Goals
by Shri Vijay Kapoor*(61 TC). Founder of Arsha Vidya Center and a disciple of Swami Dayananda Saraswati Introduction by Gurdeep Singh Dhanjal (61 ME)
Shri Vijay Kapoor will analyze and shatter a common flaw in our life: Our hunger for food is fulfilled but our hunger for unconditional happiness is NOT fulfilled!
Q&A
Shri Vijay Kapoor was the second inspirational speaker. All in one word. he is an “Engineer turned Swami”. In my recollection of the college days. I remember him as inventor of “bolo re bhai bum … bolo re bhai bum … bum bolo” that he came up during a cricket match with arch-rival. ISMAG. What a turn a life takes; in his case it is unique and definitely for better!
Shri Vijay Kapoor (61 TC) did his MS at UC Berkeley. and worked for high technology companies like IBM and HP. In early 1970’s he personally met and was influenced by Swami Chinmayananda and Swami Dayanand Saraswati. He became an early disciple of Swami Dayananda. went through years of devoted learning in upstate California. and finally founded Arsha Vidya Center in Silicon Valley. taking early retirement from HP. He teaches two courses in Vedanta philosophy and one course in Sanskrit.
I am quoting Dr. Chadda the way he recalled him speak:
“What he chose to speak to us about is a paradox in our lives. We are born with hunger for food. and we know how to satisfy the hunger by eating. Similarly our thirst is quenched by drinking water. We all also have a yearning. a hunger or a thirst for unconditional happiness in our lives but most of us are unable to satisfy this yearning. This observation is a paradox. a puzzle. a mystery. and a disappointment for most. Shri Vijay Kapoor has found the answer in ancient Indian writings upnishads & shastras. as have many before us. He meticulously articulated our failings and how we can overcome”. This was a sublime moment as we delved into the wisdom of a mere mortal before us. one of us. a fellowalum”.
Now I am quoting Neil Pundit the way he recalled him speak:
“Mr. Vijay Kapoor did his MS in EE from . UC BERKELEY. worked with IBM and took an early retirement. He is an early disciple of Swami Dayananda Saraswati of PA and founder of Arsha Vidya Center in Silicon Valley. He teaches Sanskrit and Vedanta.
He spoke essentially on fulfillment of human desires which vary with individuals. But the desires which are given to us by nature such as Hunger and Thirst can certainly be fulfilled. Even then. we are unhappy though the fundamental desire to be unconditionally happy is also given to us. We create our own desires and human goals and they are not fulfilled. He explained that our Shastras only provide the answer.
In his talk he examined the problem and tried to explain that happiness is your own internal bliss. The time was not enough to complete this EXCELLENT spiritual discussion. He was the last speaker and we had to clear the hall for the other group party in the evening. He cut his talk short. We were running late. and we could not entertain any questions from the audience. However. Vijay had assured his friend Neil that he will answer questions..
With his presence. California was well represented”.
The meeting was adjourned at 4.30 PM of SATURDAY. JULY 27th. 2013.
It was a great get together.
Alumni as far as Vancouver. Canada. came. Mr. Satya Taneja our Alumni(62-CE) happens to be owner of famous NANAK SWEETS’. He was kind enough to get 100 packets of sweets to be distributed to the Alumni.Photos:http://bitsindri.org/content/alumni-meet-2013

Minutes of Telecon Meeting of September 24. 2013
2013-09-24 00:00
Directors Raj Dubey. Bharat Sahay. Dilip Gupta. and Alka Srivastava were unable to attend. Some of them had advised us earlier. Dr Chadda was absent probably because he is on his India trip. Uttara Sahaym was present.
Referring to the AGENDA sent out by me. here is the summary of deliberations and actions:

– Minutes of the last meeting of Sept 10. 2013 was approved.

ACTION ITEMS:

1. Corporate Resolution to open a Fidelity Brokerage Account was approved unanimously. Divy will complete her part of the form in consultation with her employer. She would also need to do the signature document.

2. TRAVEL GRANT. as proposed by Neil was approved unanimously. Ramesh mentioned that he would seek candidates from all possible sources including the regional directors.

3. The Advisory Board slate as proposed by Dr Chadda was approved unanimously. The absentee directors have communicated their approval by email to me separately. [I will communicate with the Advisory Board. and copy the BOD.]

DISCUSSION ITEMS:

a. Getting to 1000: Arunima discussed a well thought out plan of multi level marketing and sales which she would refine with promotion materials. Uttara mentioned her own initiative of contacting alumni friends in Seattle area and beyond.

b. Future Regional Meetings: In absence of Bharat. Dilip. and Raj. this matter will be taken up at the next meeting. However. Neil mentioned that he has suggested to Bharat to consider Niagara Falls and to invite Canadian alumni in Ontario. working with Raj. Arunima mentioned a possibility of Chicago area for her next planning.

UPDATES: All the items were briefly covered. some thru prior emails. Neil provided additional details of the Autonomy documents approved by the Jharkhand government in 2010 but not acted upon fully yet. Neil. Yogi. and Surendra Chadda will try to nudge them in their November visit to Sindri. Neil may have to extend his trip as he has been invited to meet with the Government officers in Ranchi.

A discussion initiated by Ramesh to provide simple mechanisms on the website for payments (for Membership Fee. Event. Donation) concluded with Naresh taking the Action to investigate and report at the next meeting.

NEXT TELECON: Oct 29. to be presided by Arunima ( as I will be in India).

No new business. and we adjourned at about 11:40 pm ET.

Cheers.
Neil

Minutes of Telecon Meeting of June 28. 2013
2013-06-28 00:00
Teleconferencing on FRIDAY. JUNE 28 at 9.30 P.M.Please see the minutes of teleconference of June 28. 2013. below embed with agenda items.
The following are the items on the agenda; after hi-hello (5 min) please watch your time:
Present: Amar Mishra (P/T). Ranjit Sinha (P/T). Indra Jha. Dr. Chadda. Dr. Neil Pundit. Kirti Prasad. Divy Raj
Updates: (20 min.)
1. Progress on Env studies talks ? – Ranjit …5 min
Ranjit stated: Nothing much has been done.
Dr. Chadda stated: He is in touch with all parties concerned. The BIT Director was away and he had responded that an invitation to Dr. Burak of Manitoba Univ. to visit BIT would be sent as soon as he would go back; there had been State Govt. Bureaucracy in play for the delay. He assured that he would make arrangements for Dr. Burak to stay in Dhanbad and he would personally see to his comfortable stay there. Also. Dr. Chadda has been in touch with Alumni Bidhu S. Jha and Bidhu has all the updates.
2.Legal Status BITSAA ? – Neil … 1 min
Neil Pundit stated that the attorney had informed him that IRS had our application and tax-exempt status would come in due course.
3. What we can do for BIT ? – view points by Dr. Chadda … 5 min
Dr Chadda stated that BIT has presently been enrolling 3000 students wit a meager 67 professors and among them there are only a handful P.h. D. He suggested to raise funds to the tune of 1 million dollars to award scholarships for deserving teachers to pursue doctoral programs.
Indra Jha said that BIT alumni should work on a program of Individual and/or group programs where we can participate on regular basis and engage and impart some personal experience & professional knowledge to students so they get exposure to the engineering practices and thus. help them go a notch up in their preparation for entering the professional career.
Neil Pundit commented that similar to what Indra said. he has been hearing from a lot of alumni. By scholarships. we help a very small number of students; where as this type of individual/group participation benefits a much larger group of students; and. over some years. this would raise the character and personality of these students and the standards of Institutional Education gets elevated.
It was a consensus that we should embark on such participation. Dr. Chadda was asked to outline such program so we can develop from there and firm up the program for regular participation.
3 a — DO….. other opinions …. 9 min. … see above …
ANNUAL MEETING SATURDAY. JULY 27 NEIL ( 30 min.)
1. Responsibilities for audio-visuals – introduce Divy Raj by Neil …5 min
Neil had high impression of this alumni and he said them well … Divy Raj a 91 graduate. is one good discovery… she is interested and seems to have an eagerness to participate. She would help Ranjit in managing the annual meet on July 27. She talked of managing registration desk and banners for the occasion. She also knows that a little pomp ans show should go along the professional image that we wish to bring out.
2. Progress in Alumni Contacts; Head count – Amar/Neil … 3 min
The head count as presented by Neil Pundit is 79 confirmed and 27 probable participants expected. It is some number beyond our expectation. Credit should go to this AdHoc committee who vowed rejuvination of BITSAA. but special mention goes to Dr Neil Pundit.
3. Guests needing rides and accomodation and volunteers . Ranjit …. 5 min
Not needed here in the US. and not needed in this age of internet and websites. But we should have the help available if somebody needs some particular information.
3a. … DO…. Overall Discussions 17 min.
Indra Jha said that he was not impressed with Crown of India hospitality; it was very mediocre! We want some class with some pomp and show and the venue should exude some professional image. Welcome. registration desk. program – pamphlet. a nice banquet … and all! We discussed all these and we concluded it is a little too late now; so leave it to beaver i.e. Ranjit and… . and Divy!
BITSSA Structure(30 min)
1. Membership/Life member contribution – Neil & Indra — 10 min.
A lot of back & forth … Indra Jha and Neil Pundit are still debating over the issue…. a lot was said … and concluded that a life membership fee of $300 from 1950-graduates. $600 from 1960 & 1970 graduates and $900 caps for all the rest may be adopted. Neil wants to do it on ascending scale. Questions were raised to qualify a life membership. a value statement for becoming a life member etc. etc. came up in the discussion. Divy Raj. a 91 graduate wondered if there was any good purpose for raising funds with life membership. Alumni give $50 quite willingly as annual dues …SO THE ISSUE WAS NOT RESOLVED; NOR IT WAS SLATED FOR URGENT RESOLUTION. Dr. Chadda would find a way to come up through recommendation of a small and young committee.
2. Office Bearers 2013-14-15 – Dr Chadda & Neil – general participation —- 10 min
We should come up with a list of candidates for Board of Directors by the next Telecon of July 19. The nomination should be from among willing-to-participate candidates who have both willingness and time for participation.
3. Regional Directors – view points by Indra …. 5 min
Indra Jha strongly recommended nominating regional directors; you have to have ambassadors in each region to hold Alumni banners. do couple of get togethers in the name and under Alumni banners. It gives these people away in remote places. a feeling of ownership and participation. Neil pointed out if it is a good time when we are just re-organizing our Alumni; can we not wait for a year or two? Indra Jha argued that it is not early in its timing; rather it is overdue if you wanted to expand! … well. we will see…
4. Gen Discussions to continue .. 5 min
In our next Telecon on July 19. we have two – only two items on agenda … (1) Discuss List Of Candidates for Board of directors … (2) Reviews of preparation for Annual meeting next week on July 27.
It was lively; thanks and good night … we said good bye until next time.

Minutes of Telecon Meeting of May 24. 2013
2013-05-24 00:00
Minutes of Conference callThe tele-conference opens timely at 9:30 pm.
Bidhu Jha was informed and was supposed to join. but he did not.
One List of membership prepared by Keerti. now fully updated. was being distributed by Ranjit.1. BITSAA INCORPORATION/BYE LAWS ——- NEILThe incorporation papers of BITNA were submitted in Delaware sometimes in late February.
The attorney has suggested hiring of a third party Custodian to maintain Alumni legal documents current with IRS and to deliver them to President’s office. to Dr. Chadda’s address.
Dr. Chadda said he can handle and there may be no need for such assistance..
Neil argued in favor of Custodian. in keeping with the attorney’s advice; and also it is for a small fee …. est. $100 – $200..
Ranjit argued that is not necessary and a decision in this regard will be taken later if there be a need.
The attorney will be filing the papers including bank accounts. annual budget.etc. of BITNA. next Tuesday to IRS….. as it is required for a Social Corporations asking a tax-exempt provision. .
In the mean time we can operate as a tax-exempt Institution. Form 990 tax return needs to be submitted regularly.
Donations from members living in Canada will not be tax exempt. To set-up a tax-exempt status in Canada is a lot of grief & deliberation.2. PROGRESS IN ALUMNI CONTACT ——- AMAR and NEILNine names were suggested for contacts. They are being contacted.
Amar continues and will continue to contact them.
Neil is contacting members on the membership list. He has gone over list several times and by now he has 127 members.
Additional 10 names are given to him and are being worked out.
At the present we are relying on emails; but later we might use other few medium like Google. Facebook. Linkedin. These media are already in use .
The list will be expanded and refined in times to come.
Ranjit has sent 160-member list.3. ChIEF GUEST : ANNUAL MEETING ——- -NEILTwo Alumni. Dr. K. P. Singh and Vijay Kapur have been invited as Chief Guests.
Dr. Singh is a very successful entrepreneur of global reach. He would talk on his experience as business man in his adopted country. USA.
Vijay Kapur. an accomplished silicon valley engineer. has turned towards Vedanta and teaches in Swami Dayanand’s Gurukul in California.4. WHERE ARE THE ALUMNI FROM 2000?? SUDHAKER and KEERTINaresh Sahu of ’90 batch. has an independent list of his batch mates and Alumni. Currently he administers platforms for three similar organization.
He said he can help technically – make it user friendly and presentable
He can set up a system for collection of membership fees through pay pal.
He has a vision and may develop a website where you get BIT information. facts and figures and a lot more … to know interesting facts. illustrations to entertain and a Web Site you want to go to … and something worth visiting.
Mr. Sahu. as it was evident. was a good discovery. Dr. Chadda is going to authorize him as custodian of Almni website.
Some of the 2005 and 2009 graduates are expected to attend the Annual gathering in July.5. MEMBERSHIP DONATIONS —————- INDRANAND$50/yr as already in talks. is too little.
$120/yr is suggested (on a $10/mo.basis) contribution.
$ 600 is suggested for Life Membership contribution.
Both Amar and Ranjit argued that $50/yr is reasonable. is not burdensome.
Dr. Chadda. Dr. Pundit and Indranand were in favor of higher contribution; Indranand argued that we are not giving to a charitable organization where the sponsors ask to pick any amount … $10 or $5 or $100 or $500. …that we were contributing to BITNA towards its annual budgets. for its smooth running and maintenance as we have sponsored it and we are taking ownership in BITNA. It is contribution and not a donation and we should consider that we need a stream of funds to run this organization; we can not be wishy-washy.and non-committal here.
Of course. we have provision that we do not lose membership for not paying contribution. But to suggest an yearly contribution from members is to guide them to a firm commitment.
.
This discussion continues.6. PROGRESS OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM ——– RANJITNot much has been done since Ranjit’s last visit to Ranchi to meet BIT Director and officials of the State of Jharkhand. Ranjit suggested that .Dr. Chadda should use his official position and provide a follow-up request w/ Dr. Shyam Kishore Sinha to expedite. Dr Chadda said he would definitely make contacts with Dr. Sinha and see how it gets expedited.
Ranjit had presented a model for collaboration between U of Manitowa and BIT Sindri to include Cyber based teaching exchange for Environmental programs. But Bidhu Jha needs to look into it and explore the possibility of implementing the suggestion. Dr. Chadda gave more than one scenario how such arrangements work… said a Joint-ventures among educational institutions work on a schedule of participations in academic programs; what U of Manitowa was prepared to adopt … needs to be explored.7. WEBSITE UPDATE – NARESH SAHU. SUDHAKERPlease see —- Merged with Item 3.8. LOGISTICS (Audio Visual. Laptop Connections. ..) : Possible names AbhayTiwary. Abhayendra Jha. Virendra Ojha. Alka SrivastavaThese guys are available to assist Ranjit in conducting the July gathering.
Dr. Chadda would talk to them and itroduce them to Ranjit.9. NEXT MEETINGFriday June 21st..
Friday July 19th.10: ADJOURNThe conference was lively; it ran 30 minutes over the scheduled time.
