IIT Madras Alumni Association (IITMAA) has launched a ‘Mission Million Smiles' initiative to create a positive impact on the lives of at least one million people in India and rest of the world in two years. The Association seeks to channelize the energy, resources and commitment of its alumni in achieving this objective. IIT Madras Alumni Association has a total of 53,825 members, including 22,179 undergraduates and 31,646 postgraduates.
Another key initiative of IITMAA is the ‘Mission 5000 Ignited Minds', which aims to get 10 per cent of the Alumni as committed volunteers for its initiatives.
Highlighting the key objectives behind the new missions, Krishnan Narayanan, President, IIT Madras Alumni Association (IITMAA), said, “We are inspired by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Mann Ki Baat address last year on the importance of alumni associations to the nation.”
Further, Krishnan Narayanan said, “The IITMAA ecosystem, comprising over 50,000 alumni, students and faculty, has the potential, knowledge and skills, and resources to become a powerful change agent. It is important for us to give back to India, and to our local communities. I urge our alumni to take the Mission Million Smiles Pledge at iitmaa.org.”
The IITMAA's societal impact initiatives will focus on areas such as Science, Technology and Innovation interventions for the nation, mentoring students, water and sustainability, and Women in STEM.
The initiatives at IITMAA are driven by the new team of office-bearers who took charge on August 14, 2021. They include:
- Krishnan Narayanan, President (Alumni, Class of 1996)
- Jeyappria Dhevi, Vice President (Alumni, Class of 2005)
- Shyamala Rajaram, Secretary (Alumni, Class of 1995)
- Ramachandran Narayanan, Treasurer (Alumni, Class of 1980)
- Gopakumar V T, Joint Secretary - India (Alumni, Class of 2005)
- Gokul Bala, Joint Secretary - Overseas (Alumni, Class of 2012)
- Yadav Sankaran, Executive Committee Member (Alumni, Class of 1976)
- Prasad T L, Executive Committee Member (Alumni, Class of 1987)
- Latha Venkitachalam, Executive Director, Office of the IITMAA
Highlighting the unique aspects of IITMAA's new initiatives, Shyamala Rajaram, Secretary, IITMAA, said: “The three pillars of focus for IITMAA are Community Spirit, Thought Leadership, and Societal Impact. We will be working with our alumni located across the world – through our 7 chapters in India, and multiple chapters in the United States, Singapore, and Europe – to kindle community spirit and deliver societal impact.”
