There are moments in everyone’s life when your dedication and pursuit of community service for decades is recognized and rewarded. For Puran Dang, it was such a moment when on January 8th/2011 he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished service to his Alma mater, Kharagpur along with two others. Instituted for the first time, it was aptly given to a person who had attained this status by virtue of his decades of service to the community and to his roots and education at IIT. In a ceremony that was attended by many distinguished alumni and IITians, he received the award from successful Entrepreneur and IIT alum Kanwal Rekhi.

Puran Dang who graduated in 1959 is one of the earliest graduates of the first IIT of India: IIT-Kharagpur. He joined the institute in 1955 and attended the first commencement. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, the Founder of modern India came himself to distribute the degrees to the first batch of this great parent institute.

Reminiscing, Puran Dang recalls his early days at IIT Kharagpur. His family emigrated from Pakistan to Delhi after the partition and the early days were difficult as his family struggled to send him to school. After completing his BS in Physics in Delhi, he persevered for the entrance exam and his dedication won him an scholarship at IIT.  Kharagpur, at that time as the first IIT was aided by many nations with funds and resources.“We had distinguished professors from many countries who came and taught us” he says. “We gained a lot in terms of knowledge and experience from them.” What changes does he see now? “Many changes have taken place, the campus has expanded and attracted many alumni to invest in it. It is now a coed institute; we have added an Management school named after Vinod Gupta, a telecommunication center initiated by Prof  G S Sanyal, and an electronic research lab  set up with Alum Arun Sarin. “And the number of IIT’s have grown since then and are known all over the world.” As for him he is grateful for the education, because it laid the foundation of what he achieved later in his life.

Puran Dang has also been a founder of the first IIT Alumni Association of USA: IIT-SINE and also its First President & now Chairman Emeritus. His keen desire to bring all the IITians together and generate a spirit of community here in the US was the idea behind this group . He served as its first President for many years and was able to devise and implement many programs under its umbrella with great success. Since then many IIT Alumni chapters have sprung and the PAN-IIT movement has taken shape.

Puran Dang was also a member of the first board of IIT- Foundation established many years ago. He is currently also now on board of IIT Foundation. The foundation has lofty goals of serving IIT-Kharagpur by raising millions of dollars and creating and supporting all kinds of programs and collaborations.

 Puran Dang has founded and headed many organizations which promote Arts, Culture, Education, in the community. He is chairman Emeritus of MITHAS, one of the founders and Charter Member of TiE Boston and is an Ambassador for Akshaya Patra Foundation. He also served as the past President of United Association of New England and is now the Chairman of the Indian Americans of Lexington.

Looking ahead to the future, Puran Dang says “ I am going to devote my time to non profit work". Almost semi retired from his own company Minuteman Group, a staffing and consulting service, he and his wife Dr. Kamlesh Dang look forward to spending time with their two daughters  and four grand children and serving the community.

 Lokvani congratulates Puran Dang on his Lifetime Achievement award and wish him all the best for the future.

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