IIT Madras Director Dresses Like A Fresher, Sits Among Students Unnoticed For 90 Minutes | Watch | Education and Career News
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Instead of arriving as a VIP to inaugurate the event, Professor V Kamakoti came wearing a t-shirt, a cap, and a backpack, and blended in with the newcomers.
IIT Madras Director Professor V. Kamakoti at the freshers party on campus. (Image: Instagram/iitmadrasofficial)
A heartwarming and amusing incident has emerged from IIT Madras, one of India’s premier engineering institutes. The director of a prestigious institution is often imagined as someone stern and formal. However, IIT Madras Director Professor V. Kamakoti broke that stereotype in a delightful way. At the recent freshers’ party on campus, he surprised students by making an unexpected entrance.
Instead of arriving as a VIP to inaugurate the event or deliver a long speech, Professor Kamakoti blended in with the newcomers. Wearing a T-shirt, a cap, and a backpack, he looked just like any other fresher. What made the surprise even more remarkable was that he sat unnoticed among the students in the auditorium for nearly one and a half hours. When the students finally realized who he was, the hall burst into applause and laughter.
IIT Madras shared a fun video of the freshers’ party on its official social media handles. The now-viral clip shows Professor Kamakoti entering the auditorium dressed in the same T-shirt, cap, and backpack that had been given to first-year students as part of their freshers’ kit just a few days earlier. He even exchanged greetings with a few students at the entrance, but no one recognised him.
He quietly found a seat among the students, who were busy chatting, singing, and enjoying the event. None of them had any idea that the director of one of the country’s most prestigious institutions was sitting right beside them. He spent nearly 90 minutes enjoying the celebrations unnoticed. It was only when a few students looked at him closely that they recognized him, leaving everyone around them stunned. Watch below.
When the students invited him on stage, the excitement in the auditorium was unmistakable. Taking the microphone with a smile, Professor Kamakoti joked, “Friends, I’m getting old now! When I used to pull off pranks like this, no one could catch me for a long time. This time, I was caught in just an hour and a half.” His witty remark had the entire audience laughing and instantly won the hearts of both new and senior students.
‘Student Life Is The Most Beautiful Phase’
After the laughter subsided, Professor Kamakoti turned reflective. Looking back on his own college days, he said, “I’m no longer a B.Tech student, but during these one and a half hours, I got to relive those wonderful memories. Believe me, student life is the most beautiful phase of life. Being the director is one experience, but sitting among students like this is something completely different. These ninety minutes were truly special for me.”
An alumnus of IIT Madras, Professor Kamakoti completed his MS and PhD in Computer Science and Engineering. He joined the institute as a faculty member in 2001 and took over as Director in January 2022. Known for his approachable and student-friendly nature, he often comes up with such surprises to encourage students.
He has also served as the Chairman of the Artificial Intelligence Task Force under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. He is currently a member of the High-Powered Task Force for Major Changes in Examination Reforms of the National Testing Agency (NTA) led by Nandan Nilekani.
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August 07, 2026, 10:33 IST
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