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A rare photograph of the first IIT Madras faculty and staff members contributed by Dr. Poornima Balasubramanyam, alumna

Date:

Jan 02, 2023

Time:

4:30 PM - 5:30 PM

Venue:

Heritage Centre, IIT Madras

Dr. Poornima Balasubramanyam, an alumna of the 1984 B.Tech. batch provided to the Heritage Centre, a  photograph of the first batch of faculty and staff members at IIT Madras. This photograph was part of Dr. Balasubramanyam's mother Mrs. R. G. Lalitha Devi's collection. Mrs. R. G. Lalitha Devi was one of the first-ever staff members of IIT Madras. The photograph was handed over by Mr. M. Subramanian, a classmate of Dr. Poornima Balasubramanyam, and also an alumnus (B.Tech., 1984).

The speciality of the photograph is in its timing as it was taken just a month after the inauguration of the Institute and a few days after Prof. B. Sengupto became the first Director of the Institute. We had been unaware of this photograph's existence. Other photographs may also have been shot on that same day.

  • Mr. Kumaran Sathasivam (Operational Head, Heritage Centre) receives a photograph of the first batch of faculty and staff members from an alumnus (1984 batch)
  • The photograph of the first batch of IIT Madras faculty and staff members
  • The first batch of IIT Madras faculty and staff members; photograph taken in 1959
  • Mr. Kumaran Sathasivam (Operational Head, Heritage Centre) and Mr. M. Subramanian converse about the importance of the photograph
  • Mr. Kumaran Sathasivam , Mr. M. Subramanian and Mrs. Mamata Dash (Senior Project Officer, Heritage Centre) try to identify faculty and staff members