Neil Dwivedi Pundit, PhD, 1961 TCPresident, BITS Association Internationalpundit@ieee.orgAugust 10, 2016Abstract: A plan is presented to unite the alumni of BIT Sindri all over the world for the purposes of uplifting the Alma Mater and the Alumni – in professional and social domains. The First INTERNATIONAL MEET is set for November 26, 2016 in New Delhi, India, followed by a Social Lunch on November 27, 2016 where the spouses (or significant others) are particularly invited. Alumni from India, North America, and the rest of the world (primarily with bases around Dubai, Singapore, Sydney/Melbourne, and London) are being urged to unite locally and send a strong delegation to the International Meet in Delhi.I. INTRODUCTIONWith many years of systematic and consistent effort to uplift BIT Sindri, theJharkhand government has launched a massive effort to restore the old glory, and there is a master plan of rejuvenation and new development now to progress on the model of IIT Kharagpur. Autonomy has been promised. Our proposal for full autonomy in under consideration by the cabinet tentatively named BIT Sindri University.There is a need for a consistent united effort by all stakeholders. Keep the eye on the ball. We must stand united and vigilant to reach the goal. How many are the alumni? Where are they located? How do we ensure unity?Based on a laborious study, we present a plan of a grassroots effort to unite at the local level, and join in the worldwide alumni community to keep the pressure on. Total number of alumni worldwide is estimated to be somewhere between 25K to 35K. Of these some 5K are on FaceBook which does not allow compiling a list, email address, etc. And, there are some 4,500+ on LinkedIn which does allow limited processing. LinkedIn is a professional network, more popular with the younger graduates and students. It allows searching for alumni by locations.Although the vast majority is in India,  it is the initiative and pressure by North America that has succeeded in getting the state govt attention and promise. We want rest of alumni in Asia, Europe, Middle East, Australia & New Zealand and elsewhere to unite for the common goal. Many alumni, even in developed countries, seemingly do not have any local alumni association.In India the established chapters are: Sindri, Delhi, Ranchi, Dhanbad, Patna, and a few more. Other chapters are rather informal, and they come and go out of existence for lack of organization or other causes. LinkedIn count of alumni are:Dhanbad 518, Bengaluru 341, Delhi 338, Jamshedpur 288, Bokaro 280, Ranchi 255, Mumbai 253, Kolkata 160, Patna 127, Noida 117, Pune 103, Gurgaon 98, Hyderabad 69, Hazaribagh 54, Chennai 41, Durgapur 28, Ahmedabad 26, Bhubaneshwar 24, Asansol 24, Bhagalpur 24, Surat 20, Chandigarh 16, Bhopal 16, Bhilai 15, Nagpur 15, Dumka 15, Varanasi 13, Kanpur 13, Gaya 11, Lucknow 10, and many in single digit.[This is not an exhaustive list but a representative one.]II. DISCUSSION & ACTION PLANThe action emerging from this study for the BITS Association International is toorganize unrepresented alumni population in India and elsewhere. In india and the North America the alumni have local organizations, and there is an established role of a chapter. The bigger problem is in the rest of the world where there are no chapters at all. Mapping of alumni by location in rest of the world suggests the following new chapters:A. Middle East Chapter (102)Based in Dubai consisting of:UAE 56, Oman 8, Qatar 11, Bahrain 5 , Saudi Arabia 22, total of 102.B. Asia Chapter (36)Based in Singapore consisting of :Singapore 16, Indonesia 3, Malaysia 3, Thailand 3, Hong Kong 3, Philippines 1, China 1, South Korea 2, and Japan 2 , for a total of 36. Nepal 1 may join here or with Patna chapter.C. Australia & NZ Chapter (30)Based in Sydney (or Melbourne) consisting of:Australia has 27, and NZ 3, for a total of 30.D.   European Chapter (52)Based in London consisting of:UK 32, Germany 6, Switzerland 3, Netherland 2, Ireland 2, Spain 1, France 1, Austria 1, Denmark 1, Norway 1, Sweden 1, and Finland 1, for a total of 52.E.  Canopy Chapter (9+)In the rest of the world, particularly in Africa and South America, the alumni are scattered. This Canopy Chapter based in Delhi may cover the entire globe wherever an alum can not find a suitable chapter to belong to.  A listing of countries with non-zero alumni population is:So America: Venezuela 1, Brazil 1Africa: Senegal 1, Ghana 1, Nigeria 1, Angola 1, Mozambique 2, and So. Africa 1.How do we get a chapter started? We need to energize a critical mass, provide encouragement, support, and guidance to establish the alumni bond. The uniting force is the common goal of uplifting the Alma Mater and the alumni in their professional and social domains.Through my network of contacts over many years the email list of critical mass in each of the proposed chapters have been prepared. Similarly, a critical mass list can be prepared for needed areas in India as well. Cooperation and help from established chapters in India will further facilitate.BITS Association International needs one representative from each chapter, and other stakeholder entities. We are well on our way.Letters to form Chapters in Dubai, Singapore, Sydney (or Melbourne), and London have been sent. I have offered to visit in each of these places.III.   The First INTERNATIONAL MEET in DelhiAn all-day meeting of alumni worldwide is planned for November 26, 2016, Saturday in New Delhi. Through a number of Panel Discussions in critical areasfor uplifting the Alma Mater and the Alumni in the Professional and Social Domains, we wish to make a significant impact. We are seeking 200 alumni worldwide. The following day on November 27, we will have a Social Lunch in which the Spouses will join. Details will be posted on our websitewww.BITSindriInternational.orgIV.   CRITICAL MASSESa.  INDIA: As the majority of alumni are in India, the Delhi Chapter being the host has the responsibility of coordinating the chapters in India. VP Chandrika Prasad will be responsible for entire India. A Representative is sought from each Chapter  as listed in our Directory.b.  NORTH AMERICA: The North America Chapter, being the biggest overseas Chapter with a roster of some 700 alumni, has the responsibility of proper representation and coordination. Director Bal Trivedi, will be responsible for North America, assisted by designated representatives from US and Canada.c.  REST OF THE WORLD: The rest of the world, consisting of 4 proposed Chapters based respectively in Dubai, Singapore, Sydney, and London would be my responsibility. The initial critical masses are compiled from LinkedIn. While the list is growing, the email list currently is: MidEast (Dubai) 17 out of 102; Asia (Singapore) 12 out of 36; AUSNZ (Sydney/Melbourne) 11 out of 30; and Europe (London) 27 out of 52.V.   SUMMARY & NEXT STEPSEmail and reminders are being sent to the critical masses, referring them to thiswrite up, reminding them to Meet locally in Dubai, Singapore, Sydney/Melbourne, and London, form a local chapter, and send as many alumni to the International Meet in Delhi, Nov 26-27, 2016. Details of the International Meet will be posted on our website www.BITSindriInternational.org under News & Articles heading. Our Contact Us section provides a means for you to ask a question, post a comment, and more. We look forward to a great Meet in November, 2016.