Saarang surrounds around ‘Madras Memoirs’
S Vishnu Sharmaa, INN/Chennai, @Svs037
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M) will be the place to be for the next few days, thanks to Saarang which got a grand beginning on January 8 amidst a thunderous applause.
The student run tech fest ‘Saarang 2020’ being organised on IIT-M premises till January 12 is themed around ‘Madras Memoirs’ this year. This edition of the student run cultural festival is the silver jubilee edition and will see a participation of over 500 colleges across India.
The theme of the festival is worth mentioning. It is expected to evoke the memories of its decades worth of history and tap into the rich heritage and culture of its mother city.
Professor M.S. Sivakumar, Dean (Students), IIT Madras, said they expect over 70,000 footfall for over 100 events. There are over 850 students involved in this effort.
There are many regular features with one being a theme around which the event revolves. This year’s theme is ‘Madras Memoirs.’ Socially relevant campaigns were also undertaken. All the five days will end with pleasant performances by artistes in the event.
In the past, the organizers have successfully taken up causes such as cancer awareness, child welfare and water conservation through Eunoia, Sukriti, and Boondh respectively, which garnered tremendous attention, he said.
Professor Nandita Das Gupta, faculty advisor, Saarang 2020 said this year, they have taken up the responsibility of continuing their mission of making education more accessible from the previous year, taking LEAP- Learning and Education Accessibility Project to further heights of impact.
The goal of LEAP is to make and provide tools and resources of education to the underprivileged and create an impact through paper recycling campaigns, manufacturing and distribution of eco-friendly notebooks to Government school children, career counselling opportunities, book donations.
Lectures by people with a track record of illustrious achievements are going to delight the students at this festival. Vernacular Fest, India Fest and the Film Fest too are a part of the special event. The cynosure of all eyes will be the performance of noted singer Shankar Mahadevan with his band ‘Karnautic.’
