AGM Minutes
AGM Minutes
MINUTES OF ANNUAL GENERAL BODY MEETING OF NDRI GRADUATES ALUMNI ASSOCIATION (NGAA) HELD AT MAIN AUDITORIUM, NDRI KARNAL ON SEPT. 26TH 2026The 17th Annual General Body Meeting (AGBM) of the NDRI Graduates Alumni Association (NGAA) was convened on September26, 2026 at 4:00 PM in the Dr. D. Sundaresan Auditorium, ICAR‐NDRI, Karnal, under the chairmanship of Dr. S. S. Mann, President, NGAA. The meeting was attended by 53 Life Members and 28 Student Members. As the prescribed quorum of 25% of the eligible members was not present at the scheduled time, the meeting was kept in abeyance for 30 minutes, in accordance with the applicable provisions. The President subsequently declared the AGBM open at 4:30 PM.
1. WELCOME ADDRESS BY THE PRESDENT, NGAADr. S S Mann, President, NGAA welcomed all the members to the 17th AGBM. The assembly observed a two-minute silence as a mark of profound respect and remembrance for the departed NDRI graduates who had contributed to the legacy of the institution and the profession. As of July 2026, and as per available records, out of 1912 graduates, 206 members, including 67 Life Members had passed away until August 2026.
The President, thereafter presented an overview of the activities and initiatives undertaken by NGAA during the preceding year.
a) New Central Executive Committee 2025 ‐ 2028: Pursuant to the resolution adopted at the 16th AGBM held on September 20, 2025, the new Central Executive Committee (CEC) for the term 2025 ‐ 2028 was duly constituted. The new CEC has continued to strengthen NGAA' s institutional engagement and collaborative association with ICAR ‐ NDRI.
b) Strengthened Collaboration with ICAR-NDRI: The MoU between ICAR- NDRI and NGAA has been further extended for a period of five years, (September 25, 2026 to September 24, 2031). The renewed partnership will facilitate structured initiatives for graduate skill development, pedagogical improvement, professional mentoring academia ‐ industry interaction. It will also strengthen opportunities for internships, expert engagement, knowledge exchange, and industry-oriented learning, thereby contributing to enhanced student preparedness and institutional capacity.
c) Significant Donations for CSR Activities: During the year, a total contribution of ₹ 6.51 lakh was received from NGAA alumni towards CSR and student-support activities. The contributions were made by Mr. Narayan Majumdar, Mr. S. Menon, Mr. Chintan Kharbanda, Mr. Anil Chopra, Mr. Baby Joseph, Dr. T. N. Tiwari, Mr. Balwinder Singh, and the Silver Jubilee Batch of 2004.
d) Recognition of Excellence: During the inaugural function, Late Shri S. C. Malik (Batch of 1972), Managing Director, Nu-Tech Engineers, was posthumously conferred the "Lifetime Achievement Award 2026 ” in recognition of his distinguished contributions to the NDRI Graduates Alumni Association and the dairy and food industry. His sons received the award on his behalf.
Mr. Ankit Deep and Mr. Vikas Gulia were also honoured in appreciation of their valuable contributions to the successful organization of the NGAA event.
e) Student Outreach and Engagement with First-Year B. Tech Students: Student development remains a key priority of NGAA. Interactive outreach sessions were conducted for first-year B. Tech students of Dairy Technology, Food Technology, and Biotechnology, familiarizing them with NGAA' s initiatives in mentorship, training, scholarships, expert lectures, industry exposure, internships, and professional networking, while encouraging their active engagement with the Association.
f) NGAA continues to provide a ₹ 5,000 monthly scholarship to a deserving B. Tech student until graduation. During the year NGAA also provided ₹ 55,500 financial support to the NDRI E-Cell for a workshop focused on entrepreneurship, business model development, and start-up ideation. Guest lectures by alumni, along with NGAA representatives' participation in academic programmes and the Winter School, further enriched student learning, industry interaction, and professional exposure.
g) Key Recognition of Alumni Excellence: The year witnessed several notable achievements by NDRI graduates across the dairy, food, quality, nutrition and public sectors. These included leadership roles in the Indian Dairy Association, prestigious professional distinctions such as the IDA Fellowship 2026 and the Dr. N. N. Dastur Oration Award, as well as national and international honours recognizing excellence in dairy, nutrition, quality, and alumni-led.
h) Registration Under Key Statutory Provisions: In keeping with its commitment to sound governance, regulatory compliance, and transparency, NGAA successfully obtained GST registration during the year, supplementing its existing statutory and regulatory registrations. These measures further strengthen the Association' s institutional credibility and reinforce donor confidence in its transparent and accountable functioning.
i) International Internship for B. Tech (DT) Students: NGAA supported two B. Tech (Dairy Technology) students for a one-month international internship at Massey University, New Zealand, providing financial assistance of ₹ 2.00 lakh per student. The programme provided valuable international exposure and practical learning opportunities, strengthening students' professional capabilities and reflecting NGAA' s commitment to developing future professionals in the dairy and food sector.
j) Successful Seminar Organization: NGAA successfully organized the 13th National Seminar on "From Farm to Fork: Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Dairy & Food Value Chains, ” providing a platform for knowledge exchange, industry ‐ academia interaction, professional dialogue, and capacity building. The seminar further strengthened NGAA' s role in advancing professional development and fostering meaningful engagement across the dairy and food sector.
k) Centre of Excellence in Dairy Education: The establishment of the Centre of Excellence in Dairying at ICAR ‐ NDRI, Karnal marks a significant milestone in alumni ‐ institute collaboration. The initiative has received CSR support of about ₹ 3.00 Crores from Parsons Nutritional Pvt. Ltd., a Mann Group Company, with Dr. S. S. Mann playing a key role in its establishment. The Bhumi Pujan in December 2025 and foundation-stone ceremony in March 2026 marked important milestones. During the inaugural session, the keys of the Centre were formally handed over to Dr. Dheer Singh, Director, ICAR ‐ NDRI. The Centre is envisaged to strengthen dairy education, training, research, and industry-oriented learning, creating a lasting institutional asset for future generations.
The members present at the meeting expressed their appreciation in the current Central Executive Committee (CEC) for these remarkable accomplishments.
2. CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS AGBM HELD ON 20.09.2025: The minutes of the 16th AGBM held on September 20, 2025 were circulated to all members by email and were also uploaded on the NGAA website. No comments or observations were received from the members. The minutes were accordingly placed before the 17th AGBM for consideration and confirmation. After due consideration, the members approved and adopted the minutes without any objection, and the following resolution was passed:
"Resolved that the minutes of the 16th AGBM dated 20.09.2025 are hereby approved without any amendments. ”.
3. PRESENTATION OF NGAA ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE FY 2025-2026 BY PRESIDENT, NGAA: The President informed the members that the NGAA Annual Report for the Financial Year 2025 ‐ 2026 had been circulated to all members. The Report provides a comprehensive account of the activities, initiatives, and achievements of the Association during the year. Members were encouraged to review the Report and disseminate it among their professional and alumni networks. After due consideration, the members approved and adopted the Annual Report, and the following resolution was passed:
"Resolved that the Annual Report of NGAA for the year 2025 ‐ 2026 as presented at the 17th AGBM is hereby approved ”.
Mr. Ankit Deep, Treasurer, NGAA, presented the financial report of NGAA along with the audited Statement of Income and Expenditure for FY 2025 ‐ 2026. The detailed financial audited statement as part of the Agenda papers was already shared with all the members of NGAA one month prior to the AGBM.
The deficit of ₹ 1.45 for FY 2025 ‐ 26 was primarily attributable to expenditure incurred on the half-day seminar, against comparatively lower sponsorship receipts; and lower recognized investment income following the reallocation of funds from Fixed Deposits to Mutual Funds. Interest income consequently declined from ₹ 7.04 lakh in FY 2024 ‐ 25 to ₹ 3.71 lakh in FY 2025 ‐ 26. The reduction in recognized investment income reflects the revised investment mix and timing of realization of Mutual Fund returns, and does not represent any erosion of the Association' s accumulated funds.
It was further informed that, as on 31 March 2026, membership contributions, Corpus Fund and CSR receipts remained intact, while major programme expenditure was substantially supported through institutional sponsorships.
The members appreciated the efforts of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) in mobilizing financial resources and maintaining the Association' s financial position. The financial report and audited Statement of Income and Expenditure were deliberated upon and thereafter approved and adopted by the members through the following resolution
5. APPROVAL OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FY 2027 ‐ 2028 The Central Executive Committee (CEC) placed the proposed budget of NGAA for FY 2027 ‐ 2028 before the AGBM for consideration and approval. The members deliberated on the proposed budget and, after due consideration, approved and adopted the same through the following resolution.
6. APPROVAL OF APPOINTMENT OF AUDITOR & REMUNERATION FOR THE FY 2026 ‐ 2027 The Central Executive Committee (CEC) proposed the re-appointment of M/s Amit Ved & Co., Karnal, as the Auditor of NGAA for FY 2026 ‐ 2027, at the existing remuneration of ₹ 20,000 per annum for the annual audit. The proposal was placed before the General Body for consideration. After due deliberation, the members approved the re-appointment and remuneration and adopted the following resolution:
7. ANY OTHER MATTER At the request of the General Secretary, NGAA, the President, NGAA accorded permission for an open house discussion on the following matters:
a) Membership Expansion: As of 2026, out of 1,912 NDRI graduates up to 2026, 765 (approximately 40%) are registered as Life Members. The members discussed the need for sustained efforts to broaden the Association' s membership base and strengthen engagement with alumni across batches.
Mr. Rajan Malik - 1976
Mr. Abir Mukherjee - 1992
Mr. Deepak Kaul - 1980
Mr. Gunjan Pandey - 1996
Dr. Latha Sabikhi - 1981
Mr. Sanjay Chauhan - 1997
Mr. Sanjay Kumar - 1987
Mr. Narsingh Kumar - 1998
Mr. Dharmender Bhalla - 1990
The following suggestions were also discussed:
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- - The CEC should identify and address the reasons for eligible graduates not enrolling as Life Members and develop appropriate measures to improve conversion. -
- - The Association should enhance its visibility and strengthen communication with graduates through social media and other digital platforms. Mr. Deepak Kaul volunteered to extend his support in this regard. -
- - Regular and targeted communication through WhatsApp, email, and other suitable channels should be undertaken to reach non-members. -
- - The feasibility of introducing member-oriented benefits, such as group health insurance, may be explored as an incentive for membership. -
- - A proposal to provide complimentary Life Membership to final-year students was considered. However, the estimated annual cost of more than ₹ 5 lakh for enrolling the entire batch was considered financially unsustainable and, therefore, was not approved. -
- - The possibility of discussing with NDRI authorities whether Life Membership could be incorporated as a mandatory requirement for students at the beginning of their academic programme may be explored.
b) Enquiry report of Mr. Sandeep Singh: In compliance with the decision taken at the 16th AGBM, an Inquiry Committee comprising Mr. Y. K. Arora, Mr. Narayan Majumdar, and Mr. Sudhir Kumar Singh was constituted to examine the allegations raised by Mr. Sandeep Singh against the NGAA Central Executive Committee (CEC), through messages posted on the Association' s WhatsApp group between August 31, 2025 and September 04, 2025, followed by an email dated September 05, 2025.
Mr. Y. K. Arora presented the Inquiry Committee' s findings before the General Body. Upon examination of the material within its mandate, the Committee concluded that the allegations were not substantiated by sufficient credible and verifiable material, and that no constitutional violation or substantive procedural irregularity by the CEC was established. The Report was thereafter placed before the General Body for consideration and discussion.
Following detailed deliberations, the General Body took note of the findings of the Inquiry Committee. Considering that this was the first such instance involving Mr. Sandeep Singh, the General Body resolved to take a lenient and constructive view and not to initiate any further disciplinary proceedings against him at this stage.
During the deliberations, some members expressed the view that, in the larger interest of maintaining discipline and propriety within the Association, a formal written advisory/warning may be issued to Mr. Sandeep Singh, with a view to preventing recurrence of similar instances and reinforcing the standards of conduct expected from all members. The General Body, however, did not consider the matter as warranting any further disciplinary action at this stage.
c) Financial assistance for foreign internship: NGAA has been providing financial assistance of ₹ 3.00 lakh or 70% of the eligible expenditure, whichever is lower, to students selected for foreign internships. Verification of actual expenditure, however, has resulted in administrative and accounting complexities.
To ensure greater clarity, uniformity and administrative efficiency, the CEC approved a revised fixed financial assistance of ₹ 2.50 lakh per selected student, irrespective of the actual expenditure. Of this amount, ₹ 2.00 lakh will be disbursed before commencement of the internship, and the balance ₹ 50,000 upon submission of the internship/training report by the student.
The CEC' s decision was placed before the House for consideration and approval. After due deliberation, the General Body approved the revised financial assistance structure of ₹ 2.50 lakh per selected student and adopted the following resolution:
"Resolved that the proposal to fix the NGAA foreign internship aid to fixed Rs.2.50 lacs from the earlier Rs.3.00 lacs or 70% (whichever is lower) is hereby approved ”.
d) Mobilization of NGAA Corpus Fund and Sponsorship funds for Annual Meets: The members were requested to contribute generously to the NGAA Corpus Fund to strengthen the Association' s long-term financial sustainability and enable it to continue and expand initiatives in the broader interest of students, ICAR ‐ NDRI, and the NGAA fraternity. It was suggested that a contribution of ₹ 10,000 or more per member would significantly strengthen the Corpus Fund and provide a stable financial base for sustaining NGAA' s student-support and professional initiatives. Members were also encouraged to facilitate sponsorship support for the Association' s annual programmes and other institutional activities.
Meeting ended with a vote of thanks to the chair and with the promise by members to further the cause of NGAA to make it more vibrant.
Ashok K Rao
General Secretary