BITSAA (BITS Alumni Association) is the network of BITS alumni, the Pilani Chapter of which was recently dissolved by the institute. The association used to organise events like the Silver Jubilee Meet, Golden Jubilee Meet, batch snaps and guest lectures, to name a few. BITSAA, like IEEE, has several chapters all over the country. However, the administration felt that the organization in charge of alumni affairs within the institute should be an integral part of the institute.

In an interview with Prof. Arya Kumar, he said “We would like to have stronger connections with the alumni. The alumni have various areas of expertise, which can be used for the benefit of the students. This could not be pursued aggressively while there was no central body for the same.”

While BITSAA successfully managed to maintain good relations with alumni, it failed to serve as a bridge between the alumni and the students currently studying in BITS. The institute wished to involve alumni in ideation, designing as well as execution of the various research projects in BITS. This would also help the students get funding for their projects. For these very reasons, the institute formed a new alumni cell and appointed Prof. Arya Kumar as the first Dean, Alumni Relations, with Prof. Hari Om Bansal serving as the faculty in-charge for the cell.

Another reason for the dissolution of BITSAA was its flawed induction process. BITSAA used to recruit ten students per batch on a referral basis, which left scope for bias. The faculty was not actively involved in the recruitment process. However, for the alumni cell, the  institute itself invited applications from the students. Various faculty members, including the Vice Chancellor, Mr. Souvik Bhattacharya, were involved in the screening process, and a team of ten students was formed.

The Alumni Cell is currently in the process of building a website and updating the alumni database. It is also trying to make the funding process more efficient and hassle-free. It will be taking over events like the Silver Jubilee Meet and Batch Snaps, formerly handled by BITSAA. In addition, it will also identify innovative projects and seek support, financial and otherwise, from the alumni for the same.

One hopes that the new cell is successful, but the precedent it sets might be a little worrisome.