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IIT Madras director walks into student mess during dinner in viral video, announces key achievement
The video comes after the release of the NIRF 2025 rankings, which placed IIT Madras at the top spot once again.
A heartwarming video of IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti addressing students inside the campus mess hall has gone viral, winning praise across social media. In the clip, shared on Instagram by Vaibhav Gujar, Kamakoti can be seen walking into the crowded dining area to personally share a milestone achievement with the students.
“We have been rated No. 1 again for the 10th consecutive time,” the director announces as the camera pans to show students cheering and clapping. He goes on to thank them for their contribution to the institute’s success. “All because of the hard work of each one of you, it is time for me to come and thank you all. Wishing you all the best for a very technically rewarding future. Let us all work together, thank you very much,” he says.
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NIRF rankings
The announcement came after the release of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2025 rankings, which placed IIT Madras at the top spot once again. The institute was ranked the best in engineering, innovation, and the newly introduced sustainable development goals (SDG) category. This marks the 10th consecutive year that IIT Madras has been named India’s leading engineering institute.
NIRF is an annual ranking system by India's Ministry of Education that ranks higher education institutions across various disciplines, such as universities, colleges, research institutions, innovation, open universities, etc. The ranking framework evaluates institutions based on five broad groups of parameters, namely, Teaching, Learning and Resources (TLR), Research and Professional Practice (RP), Graduation Outcome (GO), Outreach and Inclusivity (OI), and Perception (PR).
Social media reactions
The video quickly caught traction online, with many praising the director’s humility and the institute’s consistent excellence.
“It’s not the institution but the attitude which the frontrunners hold,” one user wrote.
Another user highlighted the institute’s contribution to research, commenting, “One of the few IITs which is truly spearheading industrially relevant research.”
Many users also noted how rare it is for college leaders to directly engage with students in such an informal and encouraging way.
“I don’t know anything about this man, but one thing is clear — colleges and institutes need such professionals everywhere who engage with budding talent. It instills confidence in students,” remarked one user.
“Best thing an institution can have is its head! As the leaders vision, so the institution's path! Love you Sir. Lot respect and admiration,” expressed another.
