Dr Prem Vrat,
Director,
Indian Institute of Technology,
Roorkee

Dear Prem Vrat,

It is my great pleasure to welcome you as Director IITR on behalf of the Alumni in North America and my own behalf.

We have a strong relationship with our Almamter and want to see Roorkee recover its past glory. I am sure your leadership will be able to achieve that. You can count on us for all help and assitance.

We have 11 chapters in the US and about 700 alumni. Our web-page is www.RUAA-nac.com

We are in the process of updating it to reflect IITR.

It is our pleasure to invite you to visit the Alumni in US and Canada at your convenience.

With kindest personal regards

Shamsher Prakash
Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering,
University of Missouri, Rolla (MO) 65409
TEL 573-341-4489 Fax 573-341-4729
and
President,
SHAMSHER PRAKASH FOUNDATION,
Anand Kutir,1111 Duane Ave. Rolla(MO) 65401
Tel/Fax 573-364-5572
Email Prakash@umr.edu
www.angelfire.com/biz4/freeyoga (For Yoga)

CC All Presidents. We are in the process of setting up 3-new chapters, 1) Florida, 2) Colorado , and 3) Trisate NY, NJ And delware. Please send to the President Designates of these chapters any alumni names and addresses not on our list, who may be known to you.

Love

cc Ravi Sharda Sec. General Please send this to all the Chapter presidents.
--

DATED:11/12/2001

To:

Dr DV Singh
Director, IITR

Dear Digvijay,

During my travels and meetings with Alumni in North America, the following quetions came up again and again, which I reproduce for your information and appropriate action;

1 We may target a collction of $ 25 million in the next 10 years.

2 A Trust fund be created in the US for these collections and a Board of trusrees be appointed.

3 IITR may designate a window/officer to respond to questions from overseas alumni

4 Our North america Chapter be converted to :OVERSEAS CHAPTER" and we may create and work with chapters from other countries where there may be sizable alumni ie in LONDON, Kuwait, Australi/Newzealand, Africa and others.

5 IIT Roorkee may become the premier institution in the country and be restored to its old glory.

The above opearations are in the pipe line at this stage. No 5- needs input from alumni, faculty, students, staff and all other well wishers.

The following Resolution was adopted in Alumni Meeting in Chicago on Octobet 14, 2001

"" It is resolved that a representative of the Roorkee University Alumni Association- North America Chapter be taken as a member on the Board ofGovernors of The IIT ROORKEE "

I suggest that these and other questions be discussed with you and President of Alumni association and other Officers of IITR whom you may invite ,during my visit. I will arrive in Roorkee in the afernoon of Nov 22, 2001 and leave after
the charter day celebrations on Nov 25, 2001.

Best Regards.

Shamsher

DATED:Tuesday, October 30, 2001 3:51 PM

OVERSEAS ROORKEE ALUMNI

Shamsher Prakash (CE54)
President, Roorkee Alumni Association-North America
Professor Emeritus,
University of Missouri - Rolla
Rolla, MO 65409 USA
Email: prakash@umr.edu

Roorkee University has been a true temple of learning and an institution of excellence in engineering in Asia for over a century and a half. Roorkee has been recognized as above all along by the profession and the governmental agencies, i.e. the University Grants Commission, All India Council of Technical Education, and others, but tangible and due recognition has come now with the charter of the INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY.

The glorious past has been the subject of many university and public reports and articles in this souvenir. I will therefore dwell on overseas alumni particularly in North America.

We are about 700 Roorkee alumni at this time (2001) in North America with an active association; Roorkee University Alumni Association-North America, with 11-chapters from California to Massachusetts. We maintain our web page at: www.ruaa-nac.com.

The association had been conceived in the 1970s with the then President Jagdish Narain (CE48). A first formal National get-together was held in Chicago (IL) on July 4, 1976. I happened to participate in it from Roorkee. The responsibility for this get-together was primarily on Purnima Gurpta (B. Arch ) and Sher Bahadur (FAC) since Jagdish Nairain had to be in India for Nandinis' wedding. This was a marvelous event with about 90 families from far and near. Similar get-togethers have continued at intervals. In addition every chapter holds their own programs and keeps the fellowship alive.

I understand that there are smaller groups in other countries; in Australia, Kuwait, England, and in other countries. WE have been dreaming to bring all overseas alumni under one umbrella of "OVERSEAS ASSOCIATION"!

During these twenty-five years, the then young alumni in the seventies have matured; some have since retired and have deliberated over the future of our great almamater. "Giving" back to the almamater was the major concern. All the alumni in North America are well to do financially and are willing to give back. Therefore, this question was discussed again and again in several forums of the chapters, executive committee and in private meetings. Major effort was to pick credible programs and channels, for "giving." By the way we have amongst our alumni billionaires also. Therefore, it will be no small giving.

Our target is twenty-five million U.S. dollars in ten years. As we mature (grow older), we begin to identify our roots of Roorkee, the education and training we received, the fellow-feeling we developed, and the dedication to duty. These are our assets in maturity. Therefore "giving" is natural. Only a start was needed. Thanks to the efforts of H.S. Agarawal (CE--) and Sushil Chardra (CE57) and promise of U.S. $1 million by Rajber Singh (EE68) is a good starter. We are identifying willing alumni who will contribute one time large sums and/or sizable contributions every year. We are also in contact with all alumni to join this effort to whatever extent they want. No contribution is too small for a good cause.

After the charter of IIT to Roorkee University, one of our foremost concerns should be "how to keep almamater at the top in excellence amongst all the IITs. It deserves so because of its traditions and simply over 150 years of rich life. With the changing emphasis on new areas of learning, we need to give directions to our efforts to plan ahead.

The most important thought which has kept us going all along with handicap of resources is the "Roorkee zeal", "I will do it" and the basic sermon we learned in Roorkee: "SHRAMAM VINA NA KIMPI SADHYAM"

I along with all our fellow almni in North America salute the almamater in this new setting and dedicate ourselves to its service.

MAY GOD BLESS INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, ROORKEE.

DATED:Sunday, October 28, 2001 6:26 PM

Hello Dear alumni,

I had two very fruitful meetings with Alumni, one in Washington DC on September 30, 2001 hosted by Sanjay Arora, President and the other in Chicago IL on October 14, 2001 hostedc by Tarun Kumar President and Padmakar Srivastava A great friend.

I report below first the common discussions.

Shamsher Prakash informed about Roorkee as;

1 Roorkee University has been elevated to Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee on September 21, 2001. Dr. DV Singh vice Chancellor has been appointed temporary Director till a new appointment is made. A Gazzette notification is attached.

The Annual Budget of IITR will increase from Rs 30 crore to 50 crore and NR Rs 110 crores will be made available for upgrade of labs and Library.

There will be Joint Entrance Exam with IIT's this year.

A COPY of the GOI Gazzette notification is appended ( ON THE WEB ALSO PL).

2 About our Alumnin Association

a We have a web page. PKV is Web Master. Ravi Sharda is secretary
General.

b We have added 2-new Chapters, Dallas and other.

c Giving to Almamater

I had selected a figure of $ 5 million in Detriot in our meeting on October 8, 2000. Alum Rajbir has alredy committed $ 1 million with a promise of more. We are in the process of setting up an account of Shares/bonds in our Bank in Rolla. The giving will be in this form most of the time.

ROORKEE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION is Non Profir Org. by the IRS. A copy of the IRS notification is placed on the web.

I suggested that we revise this figure to 25 Millionn dollars in 10 years. Wait for a year or two how Roorkee makes use of the enhanced funds, but our drive to collect MUST not dimininish.

It was decided that;

1 We may establish a Board of TRUSTEES ro adminster these Funds ( Collections ).
2 These funds be retained in the US only.
3 The Board of Trustees will decide when, how much and for what purpose the allotted funds will be used by almamter.
4 We may work on matching funds by the donor companies
5 We may establish rules for LIVIG TRUSTS as by other NOT FOR PROFIT ORGANISATIONS in the US.
6 IIT R need to establish a window which will be responsible to address querries from us. We need quick and authoritative replies.
7 IIT Roorkee need to work to become No 1 IIT in the country.

The Following Decesions were take at Chicago Meeting only

1 IIT Roorkee may have a represtative of ROOrkee Association in North America on the Bord of Governs of IITR.
2 We must define our Vision and Mission for IITR
3 We may work for Corporate Donations from US to IITR. Sri Roshan Goel is working for this project with his company . We will await progress.

Dear Alimni,

Please let me have your input and comments on these issues soon. We have a lot in front of us and any input is equally valuable. Please share it with those alumni who may not have access to Email and/web

Love

I will be in Roorkee on Nov 25, 2001 for Charter Day of IIT ROORKEE

Shamsher.

Dear Digvijay,

We have seen the Gazette Notification of IIT Roorkee of September 21, 2001.

Congratulations for this achievement. You must have been very pleased with the final outcome.

I will be in Roorkee Nov 22-25, 2001. Please let me know the detailed program of the Old Boys meeting. You may ask Arun to send me details.

Also have any other functions been planned or executed in the meantime?

I was in Washington and Chicago in last fortnight. Every Alumni here is excited.

Please accept our congratulations again.

Love

Shamsher