Prof. K. A. V. Pandalai addresses the audience during the inauguration of the Computer Centre in 1973
Administrators , Inaugurations , Visiting VIPs
Prof. Pandalai was the third Director of IIT Madras. He was Director from 1973 to 1977. He is known for having taught the former President of India Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam at the Madras Institute of Technology. In the course of his career, Prof. Pandalai taught at Madras Institute of Technology, IIT Madras, Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, Stanford University, California, and George Washington University at Washington, USA. He guided M. Tech. / MS and Ph. D. students during his career and published around 100 research papers to his credit.
IBM made a large mural specifically for the occasion, using a photograph of the IBM 370 taken at the Computer Centre. It was made upon Prof. Mahabala’s request. The mural was placed behind the stage of the Central Lecture Theatre (CLT). In this image, it is visible behind the distinguished guests who are seated at the stage. It was around 25 feet long and approximately 6-8 feet high, providing a clear image of the machine. After the inauguration, the mural was kept in one of the classrooms in the Building Sciences Block (BSB) where M.Tech. classes were held.
From left, Prof. K. A. V. Pandalai (Director), Dr. Erhard Eppler (Minister for Economic Co-operation, Federal Republic of Germany), Mr. K. T. Chandy (Chairman Board of Governors) Mr. C. Subramaniam (Union Minister for Industrial Development and Science and Technology) and Prof. H. N. Mahabala (Professor-in-charge, Computer Centre).
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