
SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Feb 4: Nine distinguished alumni from IIT Indian School of Mines (ISM), Dhanbad, including NTPC Chairman and Managing Director Gurdeep Singh, were recognized for their exceptional achievements during the two-day Annual Alumni Meet, ‘Basant 2025’.
The event, which commenced with a warm welcome and a symbolic group photograph, also featured a vibrant cultural program at the Penman Auditorium.
IIT ISM Director, Prof. Sukumar Mishra, presented prestigious awards to alumni from various batches. The ceremony was attended by Prof. Prem Vrat, Chairman of IIT (ISM) Board of Governing who was present virtually, along with other key faculty members, including Prof. Dheeraj Kumar, deputy director, deans, heads of departments, and officers.

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Notable Awardees and Their Achievements
Gurdeep Singh, a 1983 Ph.D. graduate in Applied Chemistry and former Head of the Environmental Science and Engineering Department, was honored with the Basant Samman Award for his outstanding leadership at NTPC since 2016.
Other awardees included Prof. VP Sharma, who was recognized for his four decades of service in the Petroleum Engineering Department; Prof. Dilip K. Prasad, a full professor at UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, was recognized with the prestigious ‘Research & Academic Excellence Award’ for his outstanding contributions to academia.
Pankaj Satija, a distinguished mining engineer, was honored with the ‘Bhaskar Bhattacharjee Memorial Award’ in recognition of his significant achievements in the field of mining.
Tarun Sharma, the Co-founder and CEO of mCaffeine, was honored with the ‘Young Alumnus Achiever Award’ for his remarkable entrepreneurial success.
Atul Kumar, a gold medalist in Petroleum Engineering from the 1967 batch, was bestowed with the prestigious ‘Nagendra Kumar Memorial Award’ in recognition of his academic excellence.
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Dr. Ragula Bhaskar, a 1981 graduate in Mining Engineering, received the ‘Entrepreneurship Award’ for his outstanding contributions to the mining industry.
Dr. Rajeshwar Singh, a 1996 graduate in Mining Engineering and an MLA from Uttar Pradesh, was honored with the ‘Director’s Award for Service to Society’ for his exemplary public service.
Ujjwal Tah, the Director General at the Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS), was recognized for his significant contributions to mining safety.
Shatabdi Samman Sankalp Champions initiative
An official said that the alumni of the 1975 batch will celebrate their Golden Jubilee, while the 2000 batch will mark their Silver Jubilee this year.
A major highlight of Basant 2025 was the unveiling of the Shatabdi Samman Sankalp Champions initiative. As part of this special program, alumni have pledged to donate one month’s salary towards the upcoming centenary celebrations of IIT (ISM).