Bostonian Puran Dang to Receive IIT Kharagpur Life Fellow Award for the Year 2021

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Puran Dang
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BOSTON—Bostonian Puran Dang, a long-time resident of Lexington, MA and a community leader, has been awarded the IIT Kharagpur Life Fellow Award for the Year 2021.

The award will be conferred to Mr. Dang during the upcoming Convocation Ceremony of the Institute on Dec. 18, 2021, announced Prof. V. K. Tewari, Director of Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur.

“The Institute recognizes and applauds your significant contribution towards the development of the IIT Kharagpur and how that helped the Institute in its journey for excellence,” said Mr. Tewari. “We take pride in all your achievements to date and wish you further success in your personal and professional journey.”

About 30 years ago, Mr. Dang founded the very first IIT Alumni Association (IIT-SINE), which has developed into as PAN-IIT with chapters in about 40 countries. Mr. Dang serves as the Chairman Emeritus of IIT AGNE/IIT-SINE organization. In addition, he has he served his alma-mater IIT Kharagpur for more than three decades as the host and key organizer of the meetings and programs for the visiting directors and deans in New England and facilitating collaborations between IIT Kharagpur and US universities like MIT and Tufts.

Mr. Dang was also one of the first members of the IIT Kharagpur Foundation of USA and has been honored as the Life-Time Trustee of this organization. He founded his technology consulting and services company Minuteman Group in 1980 and ran it for 40 years with distinction.

“Puran is a true IIT Kharagpur alumnus. He is completely dedicated to all IIT causes and freely welcomes all visitors including the directors and deans. His advice has always meant for the upliftment of education, said Ron Gupta, president of IIT Kharagpur Foundation USA and president-elect of Pan IIT Alumni USA.

Partha Ghosh, Professor of Practice, Globalization and Multinational Strategies and Fundamentals of Economics at Tufts School of Engineering at Tufts University and a fellow IIT Kharagpur alumni, said that Mr. Dang’s unselfish commitment to advance of the purpose of organizations he is related with is unparalleled.

“When IIT Kharagpur was set by the trio: Prof Jygan Chandra Ghosh, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Ray and PM Jawaharlal Nehru, little did they realize the that the reach and goodwill of IIT will spread all around the world, and among this galaxy of personalities who have earned respectable stature in a full range of global affairs, one shining star that stands out is Puran Dang,” said Mr. Ghosh. “IIT ecosystem is fortunate to relish and benefit from the leadership he has generously offered to IIT alumni in the US and all the visiting faculty members and Directors who have visited the US – not only from Kharagpur but other IITs as well. So this lifetime award is well deserved and it is a source of pride for all the individuals who have benefited from (his wife) Kamlesh and Puran’s love and caring.”

George Ruckert, founder of MIT Heritage of Arts of South Asia, known as MITHAS, and a Senior Lecturer-Emeritus of World Music at MIT, said that he recently leaned that Mr. Dang has been awarded this prestigious Life Fellow award.

“Considering the work he has done to support IIT through the world, and the many service organizations that benefit the underprivileged in India, I can only look on the award with applause,” said Mr. Ruckert. “But, adding my own praises to Puranji’s life work, especially in his years of service as Chairman (now emeritus) of MITHAS, I am overjoyed that he has received this recognition so richly deserved.  What a great and high life!  God bless.”

In addition to MITHAS, IIT Kharagpur and IIT AGNE/IIT-SINE organization, Mr. Dang has been involved in several other professional and community organizations during the last forty years. They include Tie-Boston, United India Association of New England, Indian Americans of Lexington, and Vision-Aid, among others.

Mr. Dang holds B.Tech (Hons ) degree from IIT Kharagpur, BSc Hons degree in Physics from Delhi University, and MBA degree from Western New England University in Massachusetts. He has also received several awards and honors. They include Distinguished Service Award by IIT Kharagpur,

Distinguished Service Award by India Association of Greater Boston and TIE-Boston, Star of Boston Award by India New England News Media, Distinguished Service Award by MITHAS, and Community Service Citation by former Massachusetts Governor William Weld.

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