US-based IIT-BHU alumnus donates Rs 5 crore to alma mater

Money will be used in setting up a new school of decision sciences and engineering

VARANASI : Philanthropist and an alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University (IIT-BHU), Naresh C Jain has donated Rs 5 crore to his alma mater to help it set up new School of Decision Sciences and Engineering. Jain, an IIT-BHU graduate of 1967 batch, is a US-based Philanthropist who is also the founder of Diamond Express Car Wash, Inc.

“The significant donation from Jain will help establish the infrastructure of IIT-BHU’s new school to be named after him. The Naresh C. Jain School of Decision Sciences and Engineering will train the technical manpower of the institute and beyond in all aspects of people and process management by having motivated and dedicated faculties with an enabling course curriculum that provides layered learning experiences,” director, IIT-BHU, prof Pramod Kumar Jain.

Prof Jain and the Board of Governors expressed their gratitude to Jain. “With the nation’s economy developing at a rapid rate, the role and responsibility of educational institutions, particularly of the ones that are of national importance and deal with education and training in the field of engineering and technology, have been dynamically changing at an extraordinary rate,” prof Jain added.

“The Naresh C Jain School of Decision Sciences and Engineering will go a long way towards preparing engineering and technology students to successfully undertake future challenges, quite often not even known during the time of their studies, and to contribute to the growth, prosperity and happiness of the society,” he further said.

The new school will offer a master of technology and a PhD programme in decision sciences and engineering with emphasis on practical learning and applied research. The focus will be on four research areas: logistics and supply chain management, manufacturing systems engineering, healthcare systems management and agribusiness management. The new school will be closer to achieving its objectives of engaging in cuttingedge research in the areas of technology and management of decision sciences and engineering, including organising national and international seminars and establishing state-of-art laboratories among other things.

“There is no better education I could have received than the one I received at IIT-BHU, which was called Banaras Engineering College (BENCO) when I graduated in 1967,” said philanthropist Jain who earned his BS in mechanical engineering before moving to the US and entering the prestigious master’s programme at the Cornell University.

“I was fortunate to have got a full scholarship at BENCO which included tuition fee, room and board. I feel indebted to Indian taxpayers who paid for my education. Now I feel obligated to pay back my debt to my alma mater. I’m confident that we will achieve our mission for the school of decision sciences and engineering which is to become a global leader in producing excellent decision makers with professional integrity and values who will contribute to the progress of the society,” he added.

President, IIT-BHU Foundation, a US-based all-volunteer, non-profit association of IIT (BHU) alumni, Arun Tripathi said Naresh Jain was a long-time supporter of IIT-BHU and would send funds to students in need at the institute via Western Union when the IIT-BHU Foundation did not exist.

“He is one of our most accomplished alumni and the binding force behind this Foundation,” Tripathi said. “With this gift, we’ve secured half of the funding we need for the infrastructure of this new school. He is demonstrating not just loyalty to and support for his alma mater but also a true belief in the mission and vision of this new school and everything it will do to help leaders of the future,” Tripathi said.