Lucknow: The legacy of late Dr. Akhilesh Das Gupta—former Union Minister, ex-Mayor of Lucknow, and visionary founder of BBD Group—was fondly remembered across Uttar Pradesh on his 8th death anniversary. A series of commemorative events were held in Lucknow and other districts, drawing participation from political figures, sports personalities, social activists, and the general public, all united in paying homage to the respected leader.
The main memorial event, organized by BBD Group, witnessed floral tributes being offered by Alka Das Gupta (Chairperson, BBD Group), Viraj Sagar Das (President, Dr. Akhilesh Das Gupta Foundation; Vice President, Badminton Association of India), Devanshi Das, Sonakshi Das, and other members of the BBD family. Simultaneous tribute gatherings were also held at BBD Engineering College in Delhi.
Speaking at the event, Viraj Sagar Das highlighted his father’s legacy of compassion and service. “Dr. Das Gupta’s mission was to uplift the underprivileged and spread joy through meaningful acts of service. Today, we continue to be inspired by those ideals and remain committed to making a positive difference,” he said.
City-Wide Tributes Across Lucknow
Across Lucknow, a series of heartfelt initiatives marked the occasion:
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A Sundar Kand recital was held at Hanuman Setu temple, led by Mahesh Rathore.
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A community feast took place at Lete Hanuman Temple, Pakka Pul, arranged by Sushil Dubey.
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Fruits were distributed to the needy at Mother Teresa Ashram by Jai Shri Priya Gupta and Ajay Deep.
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The Volkswagen and Hotel Sagar Sona teams conducted food and sherbet distribution drives.
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A memorial ceremony was held outside the BBD Times Square Tower in Gomtinagar.
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At the BBD Badminton Academy, Vipin Khand, players and staff offered floral tributes.
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A large-scale bhandara and homage gathering was conducted by the Dr. Akhilesh Das Gupta Foundation near Dr. B.R. Ambedkar crossing.
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In Narhi, a pyaau and sherbet stall was arranged by Sandeep Agarwal.
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A grand wrestling tournament (Inami Dangal) took place at Harishchandra Inter College, Sadar, under the aegis of Guru Ji Akhara, with Mr. Viraj Sagar Das as chief guest.
Tribute Events at BBD University
At BBD University, the commemorations began with the “Akhil Jyot” programme, where faculty, students, and administrative leaders paid floral tributes to Dr. Das Gupta’s portrait. Dignitaries included R.K. Agrawal (CEO, BBD Educational Group), Dr. S.C. Sharma (Pro Vice-Chancellor, BBDU), deans, directors, and faculty members.
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The NCC cadets launched a new “Clothes Donation Bank” named BBD Generosity Junction, inaugurated by Vice President Ms. Sonakshi Das.
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A community library aimed at educating underprivileged children was inaugurated in Uttar Dhauna village by R.K. Agrawal and Dr. Sharma.
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An NSS-led blood donation camp was also organised as part of the outreach efforts.
Academic Highlights and AI Conference
A major academic highlight of the day was the International Conference on AI in Digital Growth, hosted at the university auditorium. The Dr. Akhilesh Das Gupta Memorial Lecture was delivered by Dr. Sanjay Tyagi, Jurisdictional Director of STPI, Bangalore, who praised Dr. Das Gupta’s contribution to education, social upliftment, and sports.
A panel discussion on the role of AI in shaping everyday life featured distinguished speakers including:
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Dr. Nischal Kumar Verma (IIT Kanpur)
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Dr. R.K. Mishra (IIT BHU)
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Dr. Krishna Pratap Singh (IIT Prayagraj)
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Dr. Tina Sharma (IIT Guwahati)
Speakers emphasized the growing impact of AI on human progress and daily life, urging students to innovate responsibly.
Students showcased impressive tech talent through an Ideathon titled ‘Spark to Startup’, a Robotics Hackathon, and presented research papers on cutting-edge topics.
In his closing remarks, Dr. Praveen Kumar Shukla, Dean of the School of Engineering, extended heartfelt gratitude to the panellists, faculty, and students. He credited the successful organization of the event to the inspiration drawn from the BBD Group’s leadership—Chairperson Mrs. Alka Das Gupta, President Mr. Viraj Sagar Das, and Vice Presidents Mrs. Devanshi Das and Ms. Sonakshi Das.
Mass Community Feast
The day’s events concluded with a Shraddh Bhoj (community feast) held at the BBD campus, where thousands partook in the offerings, symbolizing unity, service, and remembrance.
Notable Attendees
Among the many who paid their respects were Arun Gupta, Kailash Pandey, Sudarma Singh, Rajeev Bajpai, Sushil Dubey, Vandana Raj Awasthi, Shaan Bakhshi, Kamlesh Gupta, Usha Valmiki, Uma Gupta, Chandra Rawat, Kamal Valmiki, Ayush Valmiki, Rajeev Behl, Ajay Srivastava, Dr. P.S. Jaywal (former councillor), Maulana Hasan Abdi, Sparsh Darbari, Arun Kakkar, Sarvesh Awasthi, Ravi Vishwakarma, Ch. Veer Singh, Arjun Choudhary, Ateeq Ansari, Sunil Yadav, K.C. Yadav, C.P. Goyal, and Ashok Singh.
