Prof. Ashok Kumar Gupta

Professor AKG was someone who truly left an impact on me. In my very first semester at IIT Delhi, I attended his “Intro to Chem” seminar classes. Coming from a Hindi-medium background, I struggled with the language in general, especially in those early months.

One day, we happened to cross paths near block II. He remembered me from the class and we walked together for a few minutes. He asked about me about the semester and I opened up about the challenges I was facing. Without a second thought, he took me to his office, where he showed me the Hindi-medium books he still read. He then said something I’ll never forget: “Engineering is much harder in Hindi. If you can master that, you’ll do brilliantly in English.”

That simple conversation gave me a sense of confidence I still carry with me. As he often said, “We are born chemical engineers.” He truly was, not just a brilliant chemical engineer but also an exceptional educator who touched lives in ways he’ll never know.

Prof AKG sir started our journey at IIT the Course on Introduction to Chemical Engineering, and everything that he taught has been so valuable all through. Along with that, sir was also a great mentor on making many decisions during the journey of college and beyond. I can recall being able to discuss with sir and get advice when I was confused about which internship to apply for, whether to go for exchange or not, and the summer when my grandmother had passed away and I was struggling with managing my research project. He was truly a blessing for all the students, and we often talked about his kindness and willingness to help students.

During my final year at IIT Delhi, I met Prof. A. K. Gupta unexpectedly on campus. After exchanging pleasantries, Prof. A. K. Gupta commended me for my academic performance, and told me that I would achieve success in my career if I kept working hard. That conversation with him motivates me almost 10 years later. It is very powerful to know that one of my teachers believed in me, and keeps me going during challenging times. He was a beautiful soul and was supportive towards his students. I am grateful to have taken multiple classes with him at IIT Delhi.

Though Sir is no longer with us, his words and teachings remain deeply meaningful. He reminded us to always be grateful to God and to everyone in society who makes our lives better. He also emphasised that beyond our professional work, caring for our children and family is equally a noble and virtuous responsibility.

My most memorable birthday was on 19 October 2024, when I cut my birthday cake at AKG Sir’s home. On that day, Sir gifted Guncha and me a copy of the Bhagavad Gita.

For those who knew Prof. AKG, he was an inspiration. He did not preach his values; he lived them.

I can go on about his outsized impact on my life, but I would just share the quote he said the most to me: “दीपक जहाँ होता है, वहाँ रोशनी करता है।” which roughly translates to “Wherever a lamp is present, it brings light.”

Prof. AKG was a living lamp and will always be, wherever he is today. I will always aspire to be like him, as an educator and as a mentor.

I first met Prof. AKG during my counseling session after JEE, when I was trying to decide my department and college. At the time, I had already made up my mind to pursue Civil Engineering. But through his sheer passion for the subject and his conviction about the possibilities within it, he persuaded me to consider Chemical Engineering instead. Looking back, that conversation was one of those pivotal moments that quietly shape the course of my journey.

Like many of us who encountered him as teenagers just beginning our college lives, I didn’t always agree with some of his teaching methods at the time. But even then, it was impossible not to recognise the depth of his commitment, as an educator, as a mentor, and as someone who genuinely believed in the potential of his students.

What stood out most was how strongly he encouraged us to think beyond ourselves: to consider the broader impact we could create and the responsibility that comes with knowledge and opportunity. Over the years, I have often reflected on those lessons, and I believe they have influenced my thinking and growth more than I probably realised at the time.

For that, I will always remain grateful. My thoughts are with his family and with the entire IIT Delhi community who had the privilege of knowing him and learning from him.

Daddu’s very first class in my first year is what got me interested in Chemical Engineering. He was one of the kindest Professors at IIT Delhi. Throughout my undergraduate years, I would ask him for advice, be it for internship or struggling with coursework, he always made time to talk and offer guidance. I am so grateful for his mentorship and that I had the opportunity to learn from him.

He taught our batch the introduction to Chemical Engineering. The way he used to teach us, taking us to different labs and sharing his experiences from visiting various universities, left a lasting impression on me. I still remember those moments vividly. His teachings have deeply inspired me in my academic journey and continue to motivate me to work hard.

He was our teacher in first year and his was the only course I excelled effortlessly. Very learned and polite teacher. Unlikely of what we see in first year. His course helped me get the self belief back. My prayers for his family. May his soul rest in peace.

Sir, thank you for being such a passionate teacher and an amazing human being! You made me see the intricacies of chemical engineering and made it super interesting. Will always remember the warmth with which you taught and interacted with us. Thank you!

I am fortunate to have had him as my ethics faculty in my first year, where his wisdom and values left a lasting impression on me. His kindness, moral strength, and eagerness to help will always be remembered and deeply missed.

Very sad to hear the news. He was a deeply dedicated teacher whose warmth and kindness touched the lives of many students. He will be greatly missed.

So sorry to hear this. Prof AKG was a true teacher for many of us and inspired many of us. I’m sure he’s gone to a good place.

Deeply saddened to hear this news. As a member of the 2001 batch, I still remember Professor Gupta with immense fondness and gratitude.

During my first year, a calculation error in my final marks resulted in an ‘F’ grade. Though he didn’t know me personally at the time, he stepped in the moment he became aware of the situation. He took it upon himself to coordinate with everyone involved to ensure the error was rectified and my grades were corrected.

It is rare to encounter someone so selfless and consistently ready to help. He was a true guiding light for his students. Rest in peace, Sir.

Deeply saddened to hear this news. Professor A.K. Gupta was my M.Tech thesis guide, and I have always felt truly fortunate to have him in my life. He was not only a great teacher but someone who was always available for academic and personal guidance. We always knew that whenever we went to his office, even when he wasn’t there, he would leave a note on his door saying where he was and how long he would be away. Such people aren’t made anymore. May he rest in peace, Sir.

In his course each loss in attendance cost 1 mark, even when you are asked to leave the class for not bringing a calculator or having conversation during the class. I had to leave the class for both these reasons and lost one credit. After passing out from the college it became part of my memory, neither a good one or bad one, but just a beautiful college memory of a great professor who taught with passion and loved by his students and fondly remembered as “Daddu”.

I had the privilege of having Prof. AK Gupta (Prof. AKG, as many of us fondly called him) as my BTP guide. He was an incredibly humble, grounded, and non-judgmental person who made it easy for students to learn and grow. I don’t have any photos to share, but I want to acknowledge that whatever I was able to accomplish during my BTP was largely because of his patient support and guidance. I will always remember him with gratitude.

He had a rare ability to bring calm in chaos. During my time at Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi felt like a sanctuary, a place I could turn to for clarity on both academic challenges and life beyond it. What first connected us was our shared love for speaking Punjabi, but what stayed with me were the many meaningful conversations, his thoughtful perspectives, and his invaluable guidance.

Sad to learn the news that Prof. Ashok Gupta is no more with us. He was the Head of Department when I was recruited. He was very, very warm during the interview. His kindness helped me settle down and grow in the role when I was all new to Delhi. A super humble human being who was an inspiration to many, many students. He lived by Gandhian principles and was an exemplary teacher.

I was in a lab course with him in 2018 and he loved teaching so much that he would come to every group and ask us insightful questions. He never made us feel bad if we didn’t know the answer, always helped us get to fundamental understanding.

I lost a true mentor in Prof. AKG sir. He was one of the rarest professors that I got the opportunity to learn from.

He used to come in many of our tutorial classes and used to explain us very kindly, he used to listen very carefully and used to guide us very nicely.

Professor A.K. Gupta aka AKG aka “daddu” was truly a remarkable professor and human being. His work ethic was unmatched, and he always made time for every student. I remember his infectious energy as he walked into the classroom and addressed every one by their name which he had made sure to memorise. He brought a rare and deep sense of kindness and humanity to science and teaching.

I will also cherish the time spent in his office chatting over philosophy and spirituality. While I had much less experience thinking about these ideas, he listened to my thoughts attentively and always knew to direct me to a specific page in a specific book to help me think deeper.

He was one of the kindest people I have met. He will be deeply missed and will live on in the values and kindness he has taught to everyone around him, through his words and life itself.

Prof Gupta was one of the best educators I’ve ever met. Always enthusiastic to teach and always ready to help. And because of this he commanded respect like no one else. I still remember him asking me a question in class and when I answered the question correctly his reply was “ati sundar”. Those two words still resonate with me. He didn’t just teach, he also gave us the confidence to learn. He will be sorely missed.

Prof. Ashok Gupta was a dedicated teacher and always taught fundamentals with practical applications and also stressed on understanding the value of education for the welfare of the society. He used to give stress on physical picture of the research problems focusing on mass / energy balance before going deeper in the research. He will always be remembered for his ideologies and simplicity. He had been very kind and helpful to students, staff and faculty members. There are a lot of memories to share. We will miss him a lot. 🙏

I am deeply saddened to learn about the passing of our beloved Prof. Gupta Sir, who taught us Heat Transfer during our B.Tech Chemical Engineering days (1983–87 batch). Even after all these years, I still lovingly remember his engaging laboratory demonstrations and his unique way of explaining that made complex concepts so easy to understand.

Late Prof. AK Gupta was an epitome of ethics and integrity. I still remember his creative analogies to teach me ethics in research by discussing topics like breaking a traffic signal and its impact on society. He was a living example of true patriotism and the nationalist values of Swami Vivekananda.

I still remember his calm and kind demeanour. In spite of his years of experience, what stood out was his humility and his steadfast belief in the values he held. He taught us Thermodynamics. May his soul rest in peace.

Heartbreaking to hear this news. I was fortunate to receive his guidance during my time at IIT Delhi. He was a deeply dedicated teacher whose warmth and kindness touched many lives.

Prof AKG was very grounded and supportive to many of us. He often used to write in Hindi regarding attendance and some notices.

Condolences from the Society for Engineering Education India. May his soul rest in peace.

Sad to learn this. Very humble and straightforward person. May his soul rest in peace.

Memorable, relatable way of explaining concepts: “Wetted wall column.”

Professor AKG was a very good-hearted man. Sorry to hear of his passing away.

Very sad news indeed. He was truly an exceptional teacher.

This is a huge loss. His one-liners were so impactful.

Om Shanti. He was an inspiration to all the students.

I have my own AKG memories. Will always treasure.

Prof. A.K. Gupta was the steady anchor of my life for over thirty-five years. We first met in July 1990 during our Chemical Engineering orientation at IIT Delhi. As a young student, I didn’t yet grasp the full depth of his wisdom, but his words on sacrificing for one’s country and using engineering for the global good were instantly inspiring.

In the classroom, he was a truly transformative teacher. Even when we were up to silly pranks right in the middle of his lectures, he never lost his composure. He dealt with our youthful mischief with a characteristic calmness and inspiration, turning even those moments into lessons in character. He was deeply committed to his students, ensuring that even the weakest in the class could master the material. Outside of academics, his dedication to social causes, like blood donation, taught us the importance of serving others.

Whether I was visiting him during my return trips to Delhi or later joining him as a faculty member in 2004, he remained my formal mentor and a constant presence through every high and low. He never missed a milestone, always remembering important dates and offering a calm, prayerful strength during challenging times.

Having met him just a few weeks before his passing, I found him still radiating that same kindness. He exposed me to philosophies, books, and a level of goodness I have seen in no one else. I feel like a better person simply for having spent time with him, and I will miss him more than I ever realised I would.

I have many memories with him, but one of the strongest ones is from the time he was guiding me while I was writing my thesis. During that period, he shared a thought with me that has stayed with me ever since and remains one of the most valuable lessons I have learned.

He told me that whenever you receive a cup of chai, a cup of coffee, or even a simple piece of roti, you should always feel grateful. That small thing reaches you only after a long chain of hard work by many people. The chapati on your plate exists because a farmer worked hard in the fields to grow the wheat. Then someone transported and sold it. Someone cleaned and ground the wheat into flour. Someone packaged it and brought it to the market. Finally, someone at your home prepared it for you.

Only after all these efforts does that chapati reach your plate.

So always remain grateful and humble. Remember that the simple food you receive is possible because many people are doing their jobs sincerely. You don’t always have to stand at the borders to serve your country. If you do your work well and with honesty, that itself becomes a meaningful contribution to the nation.

That lesson taught me to always stay grounded and appreciative of the unseen efforts of others.

Since 2017, I had the privilege of knowing and learning from Sir. Through countless conversations about my PhD journey, academics, life, and even spirituality, speaking with Sir always felt like being at home. He was not just my Thermodynamics professor, but a mentor, a guide, and someone who always believed in me, and always helped to grow.

Sir is a soul full of compassion and love for everyone and everything around. At the end of our every conversation, he would always lovingly say, ‘Prabhu se hamesha prarthana karte rahe, aur unki kripa sab par bani rahe’. His words and thoughts were always filled with wisdom and utmost grace, and will stay with me forever.

I will carry Sir’s guidance, love, and kindness with me always. I am truly grateful to God to have been connected with him in this lifetime.

Prof. A.K. Gupta played a huge role in being not only a great teacher and mentor in my life but also a guiding light. The dedication he showed towards his students, his hardwork and the ethics and principles he believed in and practised every single day inspire me to this date. I still remember how immensely he believed in me, became so proud and joyous in every accomplishment of mine. After graduating, no IIT visit would feel complete unless I got to meet him, so visiting next time would be bittersweet. I still hold onto a diary of his with motivational quotes he gave me and said “I know you will do big things in life”.

I hope I can live by his teachings and honor him by giving back and spreading knowledge and joy as he did in his students’ lives.

Oh, this is a deeply sorrowful moment for all of us, who have been touched so much by Prof. AKG’s kindness, sincerity and moral uprightness. He was a genuinely great soul, among all of us. Personally he provided so much guidance to me, as a student, and later on as a close colleague, providing me great help during a very difficult time in my life. My prayers for his family.

He was my PhD supervisor. He treated me as his own child. He was a great teacher and a great human. He visited me in Hyderabad in September ’24, just a year after my surgery; he travelled in sleeper class with me. He visited my mom’s family hometown also. I was so blessed to have him as a teacher and a guide.

I was very fortunate to be associated with Prof. A. K. Gupta. He was a great mentor. I fondly remember countless discussions with him on wide-ranging topics. He was always there to advise whenever it was needed.

Professor AK Gupta was one of the referees for my PhD thesis. Feeling really sad on getting to know of his demise. Heartfelt condolences. May his soul rest in peace.

This is sad. He was my project guide for the final year project and we had a great time together. God bless him and his soul.

I had known him for the past four decades. Very sad to know his demise. May his soul attain moksha. Om Shanti.

My heartfelt condolences. I will always preserve the books and spiritual notes he gifted to me.

Dr. Ashok Kumar Gupta happened to be my grandfather by relation, but to me, my sister (Tanvi) and mother (Nivedita), he was always a dear friend.

He was one of the closest people in my life, someone with whom I could share everything: personal moments, professional thoughts, and even the smallest details of daily life.

I still remember my college days when thermodynamics was one of my weak subjects and something I wasn’t particularly interested in. The moment he came to know about it, he called me to his office at IIT Delhi and patiently explained the fundamentals to me.

About two years ago, he shared something very special with me, his writing on the correlation between thermodynamics and human life. He had printed it himself at home and handed me a copy. The title was: “Parallels between Thermodynamics and Human Life.”

There are countless memories from our meetups, long phone calls, and WhatsApp chats. I could keep writing, but…

Chacha Ji (as we all lovingly called him) has left behind teachings that will stay with us not just for life, but for generations.

I will end with one of the greatest lessons I learned from him:

“Let us all be thankful and grateful to the Almighty for everything.”

Chachaji’s teachings paved a beautiful way to approach life that we will certainly cherish forever. Throughout my entire childhood, I have fond memories of him visiting us every weekend and talking to us about what new we had learnt at school in that week.