Vishwamitra: Vishwamitra was a leading lawyer of Allahabad. He was very well connected with the social, political and academic circles of the town. He was a senior congressman and had rubbed shoulders with all time greats of the pre-independence era. He hailed from Bijnor a flourishing town in west U.P lying along the foothills of Himalayas. He was a self made man. He worked hard for his education and initially settled down as a lawyer at Bijnor and subsequently moved to Allahabad. One of his daughters was married to the son of Rai Bahadur Laxmi Chand Principal of Civil Engineering School Lucknow. May be, that prompted him to start a Civil Engineering School at Allahabad in 1955. Initially, Rai Bahadur Laxmi Chand provided him with a proposal for starting the school with an intake of 60 students. Allahabad was full of distinguished retired persons at that time. Consequently, a society with a governing body of ten distinguished persons was formed for launching the Civil Engineering School at Allahabad. That was followed by issuing an advertisement for the admission of students and recruitment of staff in September 1955. So far so good. Applications for admissions and recruitment of staff started pouring in. No buildings, no equipment, no staff, while the applications for admissions and recruitment of staff were piling up. That was the time when Vishwamitra thought of contacting Rai Bahadur Laxmi Chand for further help and guidance.
A day in the first week of October 1955: That was the first week of October 1955. As usual, I reached the institution in the early hours of morning and completed my first lecture in the class. Thereafter, while I was still on my way towards the staffroom, I got a message that the principal was waiting for me in his office. As soon as I entered the office of the principal, I was introduced to Vishwamitra, who had accompanied Rai Bahadur Laxmi Chand to the institution. I was told that they were starting a Civil Engineering School at Allahabad and that I should make available to them all that information, which should be useful to them in the beginning, for setting up and smooth running of the institution. I returned to the staffroom and collected a copy of the syllabus, copy of norms about the requirements of staff, equipment and accommodation and other facilities, alongwiwth other relevant information about running of the institution in the initial stages. I placed all the papers on the table of the principal and explained briefly all those things that needed attention. Thereafter, I took leave and got busy with my classes and other activities associated with the students. When I was free at about 6.00 PM in the evening, I was told that the principal wanted me to meet him in his office. When, I entered the office of the principal, I found Vishwamitra sitting by his side. With all the courtesies and formalities, the principal requested me to accompany him to his residence and to have a cup of tea with him and Vishwamitra.
It seems, that, in the morning, after getting necessary papers and briefing from me, about setting up and smooth running of the institution, the principal made a casual remark and told Vishwamitra that, if he can get a person like me, it should be very helpful for them, in setting up and running the institution. Vishwamitra was a seasoned lawyer. He immediately pounced on the principal, why a person like me, why not me and with these words they parted in the morning. Vishwamitra had some distinguished friends and relations at Lucknow. During his visit to the town in the day. He consulted them. It is just a coincidence, that, most of them happened to know me and told him to pick me up, without any ifs and buts. Perhaps, that earned me an invitation for a cup of tea at the residence of Rai Bahadur Laxmi Chand .
The informal chat at the residence of Rai Bahadur Laxmi Chand was very homely. Vishwamitra briefed me about all that they had done for the setting up of Civil Engineering School at Allahabad and expressed a desire for help for a few days in the beginning. Rai Bahadur Laxmi Chand added that it may be useful, if I could spend a few days at Allahabad to provide necessary help to them in the initial stages. The suggestion was almost like an informal request and the same night, I left for Allahabad on ten days casual leave with Vishwamitra, who took me to his sprawling residence on 19, Elgin Road at Allahabad.
Allahabad in 1955: Those were the days when there was tremendous unemployment and bright graduates and post-graduates of almost all disciplines congregated at Allahabad for trying their luck in competitive examinations for central and state services. Quite a few of them were hovering round 19, Elgin Road in the fond hope of getting a placement in the new institution. They were talented, young and energetic and were keen for a job. I picked up some of them and utilized their services for sorting out applications, preparation of merit lists and call letters and other odd jobs. Incidentally, that also helped me in shortlisting the selections for the recruitment of staff. Only two private civil engineering schools were running at Lucknow in the whole of Uttar Pradesh at that time and Civil Engineering School Allahabad was going to be the first private civil engineering school to be established in Uttar Pradesh after independence. Naturally, there was a great rush for admissions. Vishwamitra was associated with a number of prestigious institutions at Allahabad as secretary or treasurer and was popular in the social circles for his thrifty and economical management practices. He seemed to be keen to help almost everybody, who met him, thereby, providing a lot of hope to the surging crowds at 19 Elgin road.
Governing Body: The society had ten members. It was headed by Justice Shankar Saran, who was functioning as the custodian general of evacuee property in India in the aftermath of partition of the country. Justice Shankar Saran was also the head of Harijan Ashram, where Vishwamitra was functioning as secretary/treasurer. Vishwamitra was designated as secretary of the newly formed society of the engineering school. Kunwar Balbir Singh was another active member of the governing body of the society. He had retired as Chief Engineer of U.P. Irrigation, was an officer of the Indian Service of Engineers and a topper of 1910 batch of Thomason College of Civil Engineering Roorkee. The other seven members were also distinguished persons including judges of Allahabad High court, professors of Allahabad University and senior technocrats and professionals. Kunwar Balbir Singh had sounded Brij Kishore Agrawal a retired superintending engineer of U.P. Irrigation for assuming the responsibilities of the office of principal of Civil Engineering School Allahabad. In the meantime, Vishwamitra had second thoughts and wanted to push my name for the office of the principal. Those were the conditions, when the first meeting of the governing body of Civil Engineering School Allahabad was held. Till then I had not been consulted and I was not an applicant for the job. When Vishwamitra introduced my name for the post of principal, there was a furore. Members of the governing body were unable to reconcile to the proposal, that a young boy of thirty years could be the principal of their institution. Ramesh Chandra was the younger brother of Vishwamitra and was one of the members of the governing body of the society. He had graduated as a Civil Engineer from Thomason College Roorkee, was an officer of the Indian Service of Engineers and had retired as Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department of Assam. He was sounded for assuming the responsibilities of the office of Principal of Civil Engineering School Allahabad. He was reluctant to do so. However, he agreed to function as Honorary Principal, provided that he is freed from all responsibilities associated with the day to day running and management of the affairs of the institution. Accordingly, the name of Ramesh Chandra was approved for the office of Honorary Principal and my name was accepted for the office of Vice Principal and Head of Institution of Civil Engineering School Allahabad. After the meeting, Vishwamitra broke the news and told me, that vigourous activity was to begin now. I had almost no option and the following day, I applied for leave from Civil Engineering School Lucknow for the rest of the session.