New Delhi, July 10 2026: PanIIT Alumni India, the apex body representing the alumni of all 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), today announced two key additions to its national leadership team. Dr Amitabh Ranjan (Registrar IIPA)has been elected Vice Chairman, and Rajeev Singh (Chief General Manager, Engineers India LTD)has been elected General Secretary of the organisation for the 2026-28 term.

The two office bearers join Chairman Prabhat Kumar, IRS, and Treasurer Ashish Kela, CFA, on the Executive Council, which represents a community of over five lakh IIT alumni across India and around the world, including active chapters in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Korea, Singapore, and Australia.

Dr. Amitabh Ranjan currently serves as Registrar at the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), New Delhi, one of the country’s premier institutions for the training and capacity-building of civil servants. A petroleum engineering graduate, he has previously served in leadership roles within the Government of Uttar Pradesh, where he was widely credited for spearheading the digitisation of the state’s Transport Department through the “Vahan” (vehicle registration) and “Sarathi” (driving licence) digital platforms, now used nationwide. He has been an active voice within the PanIIT ecosystem, frequently moderating and speaking at flagship PanIIT summits on themes ranging from public governance to India’s knowledge traditions, and brings with him a keen interest in the energy, renewable energy and climate domains.

Rajeev Singh has been a long-standing and active member of PanIIT Alumni India’s core team, having played a key role in organising several of the organisation’s flagship initiatives, events and community engagement programmes over the years. He takes charge as General Secretary at a time when PanIIT Alumni India continues to expand its footprint across India’s technology, entrepreneurship and public policy landscape.

Commenting on the new appointments, Prabhat Kumar, Chairman, PanIIT Alumni India, said, “Dr Amitabh Ranjan and Rajeev Singh bring with them years of dedicated engagement with the PanIIT movement. Their leadership will add further depth to our efforts in strengthening alumni collaboration, driving thought leadership, and contributing meaningfully to nation-building. We warmly welcome them to their new roles and look forward to their continued contribution.”

Speaking on his election, Dr Amitabh Ranjan, Vice Chairman, PanIIT Alumni India, said, “It is a privilege to take on this responsibility within an organisation that has consistently channelled the IIT community’s talent towards public good. I look forward to working with the Executive Council to deepen PanIIT’s engagement with public policy, governance and the larger national development agenda.”

Rajeev Singh, General Secretary, PanIIT Alumni India, added, “PanIIT has always been a platform built on the collective energy of its volunteers and alumni. As General Secretary, my focus will be on strengthening this ecosystem further and ensuring that our chapters, initiatives and members remain closely connected in pursuit of shared goals.”

PanIIT Alumni India serves as an umbrella organisation for the alumni of all IITs, promoting collaboration, thought leadership and national service through a strong and unified network. Over the years, the movement has expanded significantly, organising flagship summits and initiatives across the country in the areas of technology, entrepreneurship, public policy and education. The newly strengthened Executive Council is expected to build on this momentum, fostering deeper alumni engagement, innovation-led partnerships and initiatives that contribute meaningfully to society and nation-building.

Bengaluru, 19 May 2026: Spiritual leader Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar unveiled the official teaser of IIT: The Story of India’s Most Prestigious Educational Ecosystem, an upcoming non‑fiction book by Prabhat Kumar IRS, Chairman, Pan IIT Alumni India, at the Pan IIT Bangalore Summit 2026 at Taj Yeshwantpur, Bengaluru, on May 16. The summit brought together IIT alumni, students, startup founders, policymakers and industry leaders around the theme “Sovereignty in Technology.”

The book, to be published by HarperCollins India on 20 June 2026, documents the evolution of the IIT system from its early years after Independence to its current role in technology, entrepreneurship, research and public policy. Using the tagline “From Silicon Valley to Indus Valley”, it sets the IIT story in the wider context of India’s economic and social change.

The teaser was released during Gurudev’s address to an audience that included senior policymakers, corporate executives and IIT alumni from different batches. Gurudev extended his blessings to the IITs and their alumni, characterising them as contributors to nation‑building and stressing the need to combine technical capability with a concern for society.

The book traces the conversion of the former prison at Hijli, Kharagpur, into India’s first IIT in 1951 and follows the system’s expansion to 23 institutes and a global alumni base of more than 500,000. It looks at entrance examinations and coaching, academic and hostel life, research, career paths in India and overseas, entrepreneurship and startups. The material is aimed at IIT aspirants and their parents, current students, alumni and readers interested in the history and present role of these institutions. The narrative also touches on current debates around access, regional and gender diversity, mental health, and the movement of graduates between India and other countries.

The author positions the work as an updated account of IITs in the present decade. It builds on earlier books about IITs but extends the period covered to include newer campuses and recent policy and social changes. The book treats IITs as part of a broader public‑education project, describing how students from different backgrounds share the same classrooms and laboratories and how this has influenced both professional outcomes and public discourse. It also includes examples of alumni who have gone into areas such as social enterprise, climate and environmental work and public administration, in addition to corporate and startup roles. Written from the perspective of the current chairman of Pan IIT Alumni India, it combines data, institutional history and personal accounts to examine how the IIT network has developed since the 1950s and how it may evolve further.

“From the first campus at Hijli to 23 IITs and a global alumni network building Viksit Bharat 2047, the IIT story is not just about an exam or a degree. It is about how India chose to bet on knowledge, science and young people,” said Prabhat Kumar.

“As both an IITian and the chairman of the Pan IIT Alumni Association, Prabhat Kumar offers a vantage point in narrating the story of IIT – one of the world’s most influential technical education ecosystems,” said Sachin Sharma, Associate Publisher at HarperCollins India. “This book takes readers from Kharagpur, where it started, to Silicon Valley and major Indian startup hubs, where the impact of IIT alumni is widely visible.”

The teaser is available on the digital channels of Pan IIT Alumni India and the author. Pre‑orders have opened on Amazon, and the book will be available after publication through major online platforms and bookstores across India.