From Discipline to Life Lessons: What Alumni Remember Most About Their Professors
Teacher’s Day 2025 was a moment to pause and reflect on the remarkable mentors of IIT Madras who have shaped countless journeys with their wisdom, guidance, and unwavering dedication. Beyond imparting knowledge, our professors have inspired curiosity, instilled values, and nurtured leaders who continue to make a difference across the world. Their influence extends far beyond classrooms and laboratories, leaving lasting imprints on the lives of students who carry these lessons into every walk of life.
To mark this occasion, we launched a campaign through emails and social media, inviting our alumni to share their wishes for their professors. The response was heartwarming—alumni from across the globe not only sent in their greetings but also fondly revisited their days at IIT Madras, recalling how their professors laid the foundation for their personal and professional journeys.
Here are a few heartfelt wishes written by our alumni for their professors.
“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow, and the important thing is not questioning. I have witnessed Professor Nallayarasu during my PhD (Guide), who used to come to the department sharply at 8.30 am and leave the office around 5.30 to 6.00 pm. I tried to adopt his discipline in my workplace, which helped me to balance many things in my academic work. And, his bold decision-making and managing skills, which I have witnessed in many aspects during my PhD, is a great life lesson for me in academic perspective. I admire his discipline, decision-making, and management skills, which are much needed for researchers like me. I would like to thank all my teachers right from school to date, who inspired me a lot and shaped my life till today.”
- Mr. Karthikeyan Srinivasan (2023/PhD/OE)
- Mr. Karthikeyan Srinivasan (2023/PhD/OE)
“Happy teacher's day to Prof. Anand Kanjarla and Prof. Phanikumar Gandham!!! Thank you very much for your guidance, advice and kindness which instilled in me a passion for scientific research and gave me a strong footing to pursue my career path in materials science. All the stuff I learnt from you - through courses, working on projects, interactions in your office or tea and coffee chats - is something I cherish and is an invaluable part of my IITM experience. Thank you for that!”
- Mr. Aaditya Lakshmanan (2016/BT/MM)
“Just like heat transfer, your knowledge radiates, conducts, and convects into our minds. Wishing you a warm and wonderful Teacher’s Day, Prof. S K Das, Mechanical Engg.”
- Dr. Ananda Srinivas Vaka (2000/BT/ME)
“Dear Sir (Dr. Santosh Kumar Sahu), Wish you a very happy teachers' day. Thank you for transforming an unshaped sub-urban fellow into a confident economist. Yours truly, Prantik”
- Dr. Prantik Bagchi (2022/PhD/HS)
“Dear Sirs and Madams, Wish you a wonderful Teacher's Day! Thanks is not enough for the care you have given to students coming from various backgrounds—various knowledge levels, different economic levels—to make them as one group called IITians.”
- Mr. Kiran Prasad Juthi (2005/MT/CS)
“To all my Teachers, in particular to late Prof. YBG Varma, late Prof. T Gopichand and Prof. MS Ananth. A heartfelt thank you! You imparted true education to a small village boy and contributed to his lifelong growth.”
- Mr. Srinivasan M S (1977/BT/CH)
“Dear Professor Mahesh Panchgula, on this Teacher’s Day I fondly remember your inspiring lectures at IIT Madras. The way you explained concepts made learning truly meaningful. Your words—‘for one with the hammer, the whole world looks like a nail’—still resonate with me, reminding me that with the right skills, any problem can be solved. Thank you for being a guiding light”
- Mr. Manoj Gupta (2016/MT/AM)
These few wishes reflect only a glimpse of the immense gratitude and admiration that alumni hold for their teachers. Many more heartfelt messages have been shared, each carrying its own story of inspiration and respect.
The quizzes are over. Assignments submitted. Projects and viva done with. However, the lessons continue to remain fresh in their minds. For some, these experiences date back decades; for others, just a year ago. Despite the difference in time, they carry these lessons forward, and this enduring respect and gratitude is clearly reflected in the heartfelt wishes shared by our alumni. That, truly, is the legacy a professor or teacher leaves behind.
Read all the Teacher's Day 2025 wishes here!
Read all the Teacher's Day 2025 wishes here!
