Relief Efforts Update

Here is a quick summary of where the Pan IIT Relief Efforts stand as of tonight. We have had a great response from many " helping hands" in the field who have enthusiastically taken up the job of serving those in need. Our heart-felt appreciations and salutes go out to all of them, please continue the great work we have begun; there is lot more to do, which could take the next 6-9 months.

• We continue to follow-up with the 40+ displaced students assembled in Baton Rouge (on LSU campus) who are being assisted by Drs. Ajmera and Ekkad.
  • We have provided them $5000 as seed money to help till more financial aid is available to them.
  • They have asked us to see if we can donate 15 laptop (new or used) which can be lent to these students for school, who have lost many of their belongings in the New Orleans flood. (ANY ONE WHO CAN DONATE, PLEASE CONTACT US ASAP).
  • We are also considering providing career planning and job search assistance (Mini-Career day) to many of these and other displaced students at LSU


• In the wake of the chaos of the hurricanes, with help from volunteers (led by Prashant Karumanchi) we have reached out to 150+ IIT alumni located in the Gulf regions, some of whom were directly affected in the last month.
  • Fortunately all of them have appeared to have survived the worst of the damage; we are still trying to reach more people through them.
  • Despite their own hardships many of the people in Houston, Baton Rouge, Jackson, etc. have helped many others in surviving
  • Everyone of the alumni who we spoke to was immensely touched by the reach out from their fellow IITans to enquire their wellbeing in these times


• Through the Pan IIT network we have raised $40,000, some of it has already been used and more will be used in the near future
  • Various IIT foundations have donated $20,000 and the rest has come from alumni who have donated from $1000 to $20 (through iit.org or checks)
  • IIT Madras alumni donors have lead the donations (50%) followed by IIT Kanpur (40%) and the rest coming from the other institutes
  • We are producing a special Tee shirts with Pan IIT “Helping Hands” insignia, they will be distributed to people contributing to our fund drive
  • We expect to use 20% of our funds for direct relief activities led by Pan IIT and the rest of the money will be contributed to other relief efforts


• In the longer run we expect our group will be assisting to
  • Help find long-term employment and placement service for people, especially students, engineers, scientists etc. through our broad professional networks
  • Provide professional mentoring, counseling (and consoling) service to people in the affected regions so they have hope and renewed confidence
  • Develop " helping hands " teams (volunteers) to bring them to help in various affected cities of LA, TX, MS, GA

• Support from the broadest base of alumni ever assembled, from around the world, especially in North America, so we can continue to build momentum
• $$ Funds raised, led by Pan IIT but in collaboration with numerous organizations like IIM USA, Indian Doctors Associations, TiE, Indian Women’s Org
• Support of a lots of professionals like IITans, IIMers, entrepreneurs, scientists, doctors… who can provide mentoring and job counseling support
• people who can volunteer their time to go to the affected regions and roll-up their sleeves and help out the with the relief efforts.