From: kannan@macpost.caltech.edu (Kannan Rangaramanujam)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian,soc.culture.tamil,soc.culture.indian.telugu
Subject: BITS,Pilani - Book Bank Project
Date: 29 Sep 1992 04:55:30 GMT
Organization: Caltech
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: 131.215.249.8

Dear Friends,

	I am posting this on behalf of BASE {BITS Alumni Support Effort}
If you have any questions, contact the persons whose addresses
are given at the end.
Thanks 
Kannan {8
3A1PS}
>From: mishra@sbcs.sunysb.edu
To: bits@cs.uiuc.edu
Subject: ..BASE: Book Bank Project..

PLEASE DISTRIBUTE TO YOUR FRIENDS, FELLOW BITSIANS
AND ALL THOSE INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING BITS.

THIS DOCUMENT MAY BE FREELY COPIED AND DISTRIBUTED 
AS LONG AS IT IS MAINTAINED IN ITS ENTIRETY.
	
	(C) Bits Alumni Support Effort 1992


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		BITS ALUMNI SUPPORT EFFORT
		   Book  Bank  Project   


Birla  Institute  of  Technology  and  Science,   Pilani,  (BITS)  is
recognized as a leading Indian center of  technical training.   It is
one of the very few nationally and  internationally recognized Indian
institutes that is a non-governmental organization.   BITS was founded
and subsequently developed  with the  support of  the Birla family,
who run India's largest private sector business  house.   For over 25
years, BITS has provided  the highest-quality  technical education to
students from all over  India admitted  on the  basis of  merit.  Its
graduates  may  be  found  throughout  the  world  in  all  areas  of
engineering, science and commerce.   BITS symbolizes  the maturing of
Indian  technical   ability  and   "can-do"  entrepreneurial  spirit,
especially as derived from the private sector.  

The BITS Alumni Support  Effort (BASE)  has the broad objective of
assisting BITS in a variety of ways,  which are  to be  arrived at by
discussion  within BASE  and mutual  agreement between  BASE and BITS
administration.  Following extensive discussion with  BITS alumni and
administration, parts of which are  summarized below,  BASE has taken
up the Book Bank project as the first step towards  a larger support
effort.  

The  Book  Bank  allows expensive  resources (technical  books) to be
shared  and  it  is  an  important  technique  for  lowering costs of
training people in India.  All BITS grads have used the book bank and
this is an experience shared  by every  BITS student.   Assisting the
Book Bank  will improve  quality of  education of  all BITS students,
improve text-book availability and free up limited  resources for use
elsewhere.  

We have set a goal of $10,000 to be raised during 92-93.   Funds will
be used to  (i) buy  books in  india, (ii)  send texts  which are not
available there to India from the US.  The funds will NOT be used for
any administrative costs (all BASE organizers  are volunteers; please
join us and help!)  other than a very small amount  of advertising in
newspapers.  BASE organizers will acquire  list of  books needed from
BITS,  Pilani,  and  work  with  them to  acquire books.   A complete
accounting of all funds spent will be made available over the network
and to all contributors who request it.  

Each  donated text  will carry  the statement:   Donated  by the BITS
Alumni Support Effort.  Individuals donating  5% or  greater than our
target goal may direct their funds towards specific  courses and will
have  their  names included  in the  text:   Donated by  Mr./Ms.  XYZ
through the BITS Alumni Support Effort.  

Please join us in this exciting adventure and help  take BITS forward
on  its  goal  of  becoming  Asia's  leading under-graduate technical
institute!  Suggested donation amounts are:  $25 for students, $100
for working folk, but  all sums  are useful.   All  checks should be
made out to:

	BASE (BITS Alumni Support Effort)

and mailed to:

	Rajiv Gupta
	GE Corporate R&D
	KW-C313, 1 River Road
	Schenectady, NY 12301

Brought to you by: Bits Alumni Support Effort

Rajiv Gupta, 
GE Corporate R&D
KW-C313, 1 River Road
Schenectady, NY 12301
email: gupta@manowar.crd.ge.com

Jay S. Krishna 
Member of Technical Staff,
Silicon Graphics Computer Systems,
2011 N. Shoreline Boulevard, Bldg. 10L,
Mountain View, CA 94039.
Tel: (415)-390-4417
email: krishna@mti.sgi.com

Prateek Mishra, 
Associate Professor,
Department of Computer Science,
SUNY, Stony Brook, NY 11794
(516)-632-8450
email: mishra@sbcs.sunysb.edu