Cultural performances entertained alumni at the KMC Annual Alumni Meet
Going back to the days of bunking classes, canteen runs, and carefree friendships, Kirorians gathered at Ashoka Lawns, Kirori Mal College, for their annual alumni meet. The evening saw seniors and juniors reconnect, while cultural performances by the Musoc, the Music Society and Sensations, the Choreography Dance Society, kept the nostalgia alive.
Dinesh Khattar (centre) with alumni at the Wall of Fame
Dinesh Khattar, Principal of KMC (centre), and Ajeet Kumar, Convenor of the Alumni Committee (second from the left), with other alumni at the newly inaugurated Wall of Fame, featuring notable alumni from the college. The principal remarked, “Like Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, this is our wall of fame. There are many more that we need to feature, but maybe the wall space will never be enough.” It was inaugurated by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla last month‘Grateful to be a part of your journey’Welcoming alumni, convenor of the alumni committee, Ajeet Kumar, shared, “Your presence here today is not just attendance; it is a reflection of your enduring love and affection for your alma mater. It also reflects the trust you have placed in us, the organisers, to bring this gathering to life. For that, we are grateful.”Dinesh Khattar, Principal of KMC, said, “Today, this courtyard of Kirori Mal College is once again overflowing with the sound of its own people. There is no greater blessing for any educational institution than its alumni. Even after touching the heights of success, return to your roots, because no matter how far a person goes, a part of their heart always remains where they learned to dream.”
Sensations, the choreography society of KMC presented their annual production, ‘Mind the Gap’ depicting a woman’s uncomfortable experience in the chaotic Delhi Metro
‘Satish Kaushik was extremely talented’In 2023, the fraternity lost an icon in alumnus Satish Kaushik, who made his name in the university before becoming an actor. His batchmate, Subhash Chander Khurana, from the batch of 1976, said, “Satish was a dear friend; he was my classmate and practical mate. He was extremely talented. Frank Thakurdas shaped him into the actor we know.” The late actor had also funded the restoration of the college auditorium, closed for over two decades, which will now be named the Frank Thakurdas Memorial Auditorium.Recalling the food, Subhash added, “No matter which batch we’re from, all alumni bond over having Chacha ke chhole bhature and Sudama ki chai during college.”
(Clockwise) Subhash Chander Khurana, batch of 1976, Sudhakar Singh, batch of 1995, Ajeet Kumar, convenor of alumni committee, Vasuben Trivedi, chairperson of the college governing body
‘Never known a life outside KMC’Alumni meets bring students back to their home ground after decades. But for theatre actor and former Staff Advisor of Players, the Theatre Society of KMC, Keval Arora, from the batches of 1976 and 1978, the college is still part of his routine. “I have never known a life outside KMC. I’ve taught here, and although I formally retired in 2022, I keep in touch.” Explaining how his experience changed when the principal changed, he said, “The new principal during my graduation, NM Pradhan, turned the college around; the demographic changed to become what it is today. In hindsight, I don’t think I could have had a nicer education because of the roughness of those movements.”
(L-R) Dilip Kumar Basu, Keval Arora, Arun Jain
A trip down memory laneVivek Thakur, from the batch of 1990, said, “As students, we would rush past that corridor to avoid the principal. And today, I was formally welcomed there – so a lot has changed,” adding that the institution shaped his confidence and ability to face challenges. Meanwhile MP Sudhakar Singh, from the batch of 1995, said, “The most important thing I learnt here was critical thinking – a very important skill as a leader and policymaker.”
