Passing Forward What Alma Mater Gave
“We are born with nothing and leave with nothing; what matters is how much good we do in between.” - Mr. Kesava Rao Kaza
For Mr. Kesava Rao Kaza, giving back to IIT Madras was never a sudden impulse; rather, it was a quiet decision that grew out of years of gratitude for an education he calls “wonderful” and almost free, shaped by friends, seniors, and teachers who left a lasting mark on his life.
Early years and campus life
Arriving on a green, animal-filled campus, he remembers not one grand moment but “almost every moment” with affection, including but not restricted to the deer and monkeys, the easy camaraderie in the Chemical Engineering department, and a culture with “no competition” where classmates freely shared notes and cleared each other’s doubts. Long hours at the first-year workshop, learning carpentry, welding, wiring, and filing, remain etched in his mind as symbols of hands-on learning that built both skill and humility?
Career and quiet influence
He still remembers his professors fondly; one of whom he speaks about so dearly is Prof. M. S. Ananth, whom he considers an “excellent teacher and wonderful human being.” Those IITM years shaped him into someone curious, collaborative, and always pondering life's bigger questions: what it's all really about. Today, that same generous spirit shines through in those small, heartfelt choices—like patiently guiding PhD scholars through their thesis struggles, or the pure joy of starting to teach science to one special orphan right here in Chennai.
Turning gratitude into scholarships
When it came to giving back, he and his family quietly chose scholarships for students who had the talent but lacked the means, all because they believed “students have the ability but not the means to continue their studies.” Since his Silver Reunion, he has given regularly, often without restrictions, so IIT Madras can use it where needed most, trusting the place that once opened doors for him.
A life of steady giving
Over the last two to three decades, giving has become a weekly rhythm: “At least some part of your earnings, you should be used to promote good causes,” he says, emphasising that it should be done without ego, as naturally as one lives one’s life. Yet in the same breath, he adds that “each person is different” and he has “no message” to prescribe to others, underlining a quiet humility that keeps his giving personal rather than performative. For him, the joy of giving is simple and profound. He adds, “You are born with nothing and leave with nothing, but in between, you can choose to turn what you receive into opportunities for others”.?
“Slowly, we should develop an introspective mode to think – why are we living?”
If there is a message he leaves current students with, it is not about ranks or positions, but about showing up: attend classes, take notes, stay humble, be friendly, ask questions, stay curious about the world around you – and slowly, ask yourself what deeper purpose your IITM education can serve. His own answer is still unfolding, week after week, in quiet acts of support to strangers and to the institute that once opened its doors to him.?
Bio:
Dr. K. Kesava Rao graduated from IIT Madras with a B.Tech in Chemical Engineering in 1977. Subsequently, he obtained M.S. and PhD degrees in the same field from the University of Houston in 1979 and 1982, respectively. After a brief stint as a postdoctoral fellow/half-time lecturer at Princeton University, he joined the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, in 1983. Rao taught there till his retirement in 2021. His research focused mainly on the flow of granular materials, such as sand and glass beads, and on the removal of excess fluoride from drinking water.
| Mr. Kesava Rao Kaza revives memories of campus life with this photo from the 1977 batch of the Chemical Branch, outside the Humanities & Sciences block. He is in the third row from the front, 4th from left from the viewer’s perspective. |
Career and quiet influence
He still remembers his professors fondly; one of whom he speaks about so dearly is Prof. M. S. Ananth, whom he considers an “excellent teacher and wonderful human being.” Those IITM years shaped him into someone curious, collaborative, and always pondering life's bigger questions: what it's all really about. Today, that same generous spirit shines through in those small, heartfelt choices—like patiently guiding PhD scholars through their thesis struggles, or the pure joy of starting to teach science to one special orphan right here in Chennai.
Turning gratitude into scholarships
When it came to giving back, he and his family quietly chose scholarships for students who had the talent but lacked the means, all because they believed “students have the ability but not the means to continue their studies.” Since his Silver Reunion, he has given regularly, often without restrictions, so IIT Madras can use it where needed most, trusting the place that once opened doors for him.
A life of steady giving
Over the last two to three decades, giving has become a weekly rhythm: “At least some part of your earnings, you should be used to promote good causes,” he says, emphasising that it should be done without ego, as naturally as one lives one’s life. Yet in the same breath, he adds that “each person is different” and he has “no message” to prescribe to others, underlining a quiet humility that keeps his giving personal rather than performative. For him, the joy of giving is simple and profound. He adds, “You are born with nothing and leave with nothing, but in between, you can choose to turn what you receive into opportunities for others”.?
“Slowly, we should develop an introspective mode to think – why are we living?”
If there is a message he leaves current students with, it is not about ranks or positions, but about showing up: attend classes, take notes, stay humble, be friendly, ask questions, stay curious about the world around you – and slowly, ask yourself what deeper purpose your IITM education can serve. His own answer is still unfolding, week after week, in quiet acts of support to strangers and to the institute that once opened its doors to him.?
Bio:
Dr. K. Kesava Rao graduated from IIT Madras with a B.Tech in Chemical Engineering in 1977. Subsequently, he obtained M.S. and PhD degrees in the same field from the University of Houston in 1979 and 1982, respectively. After a brief stint as a postdoctoral fellow/half-time lecturer at Princeton University, he joined the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, in 1983. Rao taught there till his retirement in 2021. His research focused mainly on the flow of granular materials, such as sand and glass beads, and on the removal of excess fluoride from drinking water.
