Prof. K. A. V. Pandalai addresses the audience during the inauguration of the Computer Centre, 1973
Administrators , Inaugurations , Visiting VIPs
According to a report in The Hindu, Prof. Pandalai welcomed the gathering and said that he hoped IIT Madras would become “self-reliant” when German aid would end, and not be reliant on other Institutes or organisations in the future.
The Computer Centre was inaugurated on 17 November 1973, around a month and a half after Prof. Pandalai became the Director of the Institute. The previous Director was Prof. A. Ramachandran (also in photograph). Prof. S. Sampath (seated to Prof. Ramachandran’s right hand side) officiated from 11 May 1973 until Prof. Pandalai officially became Director. The event also marked the inauguration of the newly acquired IBM 370 computer at the Institute.
In the book ‘Computer Education in India: Past, Present and Future’, Prof. Pandalai writes his plans for the Computer Centre following the installation of the IBM 370 computer. He notes the importance of organizing training programmes and refresher courses for students, faculty and also persons from other academic Institutions who might use the system. He also notes that the computer would also be made available to other academic institutions, Research and Development organisations, Governmental departments and so on.
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), Prof. S. Sampath (Deputy Director), Prof. A. Ramachandran (Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India), Dr. Erhard Eppler (Minister for Economic Co-operation, Federal Republic of Germany), Mr. K. T. Chandy (Chairman, Board of Governors) and Mr. C. Subramaniam (Union Minister for Industrial Development and Science and Technology).
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