Family Of IIT-B Founding Faculty Member Donates Two Mumbai Flats To The Institute; To Be Used For Developing Facilities

Beyond the prestige or placements that come knocking at your doorstep if you’re an IITian, something even more valuable is the bond between its members and the institution. One such member sharing a strong bond with the institute was late Professor R. S. Ayyar - one of the founding members of Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay.

Recently, R. S. Ayyar’s wife and two daughters have donated two flats - one at Powai and the other at Ghatkopar, to the institute. Both the daughters of the ex-professor are alumni of IIT Bombay and currently reside in the United States with their mother.

#IITB is grateful to Mrs. Parvathy Ayyar, wife of late Prof. R. S. Ayyar (former HOD, Dept. of Civil Engineering) for donating her property for the establishment of a Chair & renaming a conference room in the Dept. in his memory. Two MoUs were signed for the same on May 05. pic.twitter.com/uPxqdCwaJt

— IIT Bombay (@iitbombay) May 9, 2022

Who Was Professor R. S. Ayyar?

Professor Ayyar was a pioneer in the structural engineering field. His most renowned work was in the shell structure, polymer concrete, and low-cost housing. His eldest daughter Ranjani Saigal carries his legacy and now manages the US arm of an NGO that has the largest number of rural area schools in India. During his time at IIT Bombay, Professor Ayyar was also the dean of academics and head of the civil engineering department until he retired in 1993.

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The agreement was made between the institute and the family in an online meeting that was presided by the current IIT-B director, Subhasis Chaudhuri. The documents of both flats have been given to the institute and the money obtained from their sale will be used to set up a chair in the civil engineering department and upgrade a conference room.

After joining the institute in 1958, Professor Ayyar spent a major part of his life there, and this donation is one way to keep his memory alive at a place where he has contributed much.

The Culture Of Giving Back

The family drew inspiration from a similar story for the unique way of donation. A year ago, the wife of the late Professor Subir Kar also bequeathed her property for the betterment of the institute. Professor Kar was also a prolific engineer who was credited with bringing the biomedical engineering programme to the institute.

"He served IIT for so long that he always wanted to give back to the institute. When he suffered his first attack in the 1990s, he made his will bequeathing everything he belonged to the institute after my lifetime. I fully supported his decision," said his wife, Nina Kar.

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Professor Ayyar’s daughter, Jayshree Subrahmiya remarked, “After he passed away in 2019, we wanted to create a legacy in his name. When we got to know about professor Kar’s will, we thought it would be a unique way to continue our father’s legacy too,”

Empowering Women Through Action

He was also an ardent believer in women's empowerment and ensured his wife completed her education after marriage. Last year, a scholarship program for meritorious girl students in the civil engineering department was instituted under his name.

The current head of the civil department, Professor Deepankar Choudhury stated the chair position will be reserved for research work in Analysis and Design of Infrastructure Using Mechanics. “The institution of this chair professorship will help carry forward his legacy and will help in promoting excellent teaching and research that he was known for,” he remarked.

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