Today At IIT Bombay: Condolence Meet For Alumnus Parrikar, An Advocate Of Academic Transformation

Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) has scheduled a condolence meeting today evening (18 March 2019) to mourn the demise of its alumnus Manohar Parrikar, reports Times of India.

The sad demise of four-time chief minister of Goa yesterday sunk the nation in grief. "He was the institute's distinguished alumnus and keenly involved with the launch of IIT Goa,” the institute’s condolence message read, saying that the news of his death came as a ‘shock’.

IIT-B spokesperson informed that the condolence meeting will be held at 5 pm at the institute's P C Saxena auditorium.

The institute had felicitated Parrikar on 2014 Alumni Day, who graduated from the institute in 1978 with a degree in metallurgical engineering. The former defence minister had also addressed 55th convocation of IIT-B in 2017 and encouraged the students to take up jobs in social and development sector.

He also asked the students to join the army and politics. "Why can't IIT graduates, who have had the best engineering education in the country, take up academics and run some of these colleges, and transform their quality?" he said.

Parrikar earned a lot of praise from people for working tirelessly for Goa’s welfare despite suffering from pancreatic cancer. Not only the chief minister adorned the opening ceremony of Atal Setu on Mandovi river, but also presented the state’s budget with a tube up his nose.

Starting from the grassroots, Parrikar’s journey took him from being a humble RSS pracharak to the world’s largest democracy’s defence minister. Known for his blunt and confrontational style, under Parrikar’s tenure as defence minister, India conducted the surgical strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Known as a tough taskmaster and organised leader, Parrikar’s death is being mourned by BJP and the opposition alike.

Also read: Goa CM And Former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar Passes Away Aged 63 Following Battle With Cancer