The Class of 1972 made this reunion a four-day event. Many participants arrived on the morning of December 26 (Day 1), with the largest group arriving by Shatabdi Express. This group reserved and filled up an entire compartment in the Shatabdi; so their reunion began at 6 a.m. in New Delhi on the train. A total of 93 alumni, most of them with family members (for a grand total of around 170), came from around the globe, with nearly half of them from outside India. This amounts to about 37 percent of the class at this time, believed to be the highest attendance at an IITK reunion to date. In addition, four professors from the early 1970's - Prof. R. N. Biswas (EE), Prof. A. P. Kudchadker (ChE), Prof. P. K. Ghosh (Chem), and Prof. M. Anandakrishnan (CE) attended the reunion at the invitation of the 1972 batch.

Day 1 was filled with excitement as the batchmates, many meeting for the first time since 1972, introduced each other and their families, and also to the visiting professors, during the afternoon and evening, followed by a sumptuous dinner at night. Some bull sessions continued in the Visitors Hostel till nearly 3 a.m.!

On Day 2 (December 27) the reunion was formally inaugurated at the Outreach 69 & 80 building by the Director's welcome address where he presented a sash to each participant. Some attendees, including the visiting professors, visited their Departments and met the current faculties. Later that morning the Dean, RPG gave a virtual tour of the Institute and engaged in a variety of discussions with the batch at the Alumni Center auditorium. This was followed by a lunch hosted by the Director at his residence lawn where souvenir T-shirts was distributed to all batch mates. The reunion group photograph was taken near the Basketball Court, and it was a feat fitting in all attendees into the picture frame. Nostalgia overwhelmed all during midafternoon when they drove and/or walked around the campus visiting academic buildings, hostels, airstrip, etc. The highlight of the day was a 2-hour variety entertainment Cultural Program by the classmates and their families (organized by Raj K. Seth) in professional style during the evening at the Alumni Center auditorium. It was webcast so that the rest of the batch could see it live. The Grand Reunion Dinner was then hosted by the batch in a festive musical atmosphere. The reunion cake was cut by the Director, who publicly agreed to a request from the batch for the 40th Year reunion five years from then. A special midnight session was held at the PBCEC hall where old photographs (culled from JEE forms!!!) were projected on a large overhead screen. Each attendee stood next to his 1967 photo and the audience, at the end of the session, voted on whose appearance was least changed and who looked most changed. The visiting faculty cast the tiebreak votes.

On Day 3 (December 28) morning, most participants assembled in the Alumni Center auditorium to discuss various issues such as contributions to IITK and society. In addition, the next North American get-together of the batch was announced (a Mexico roundtrip cruise from Los Angeles, July 4-7, 2008). An open session with the Director, Deputy Director, and Deans was held later that morning, generating questions and answers on a variety of topics. Two batchmates (Kamal Agarwal and Rakesh Gandhi) announced their pledge to fund a Chair each at IITK. In addition, the batch expressed its interest in two other projects for the Institute: scholarships for undergraduate students from economically deprived backgrounds, and the construction of a new Faculty Club building.

The venue moved to Hall III quadrangle at noon where the Director felicitated the alumni and gave them gifts and reunion photographs from the Alumni Association.

Lunch in the Hall III dining room was another nostalgic experience. Many attendees availed of the glider rides offered by the Institute at the airstrip during the day. Dinner with cocktails pleased everyone at night, and the diehards continued the bull sessions till the wee hours of the morning.

On Day 4 (December 29), after breakfast at the Visitors Hostel, buses picked up the attendees for a short ride to Bithoor where one of the batchmates, Ravi Tandon, hosted the batch for cocktails and a picnic chaat lunch at his farmhouse next to the banks of River Ganges. Everyone continued the informal networking and enjoyed the Kanpuria style made-to-order chaat, fresh jalebis and rabri, besides a host of other lunch dishes cooked onsite, in a backdrop of music from the 60's and 70's. Most of the participants reluctantly left the party at mid-afternoon to catch the Shatabdi Express. A few others returned to the Institute to walk around the campus one last time, with hearts filled with joy and sorrow, before departing to the station at night for the Shram Shakti Express. However, all participants left with the determination to keep in touch with each other and relive the past again at the 40th Year reunion.
Udai P. Singh (BT/CE/1972)