It was a trip down memory lane on December 28 for about 70 UoH alumni from the schools of humanities and social sciences who completed their studies at the Golden Threshold campus more than three decades ago. The group that calls itself ‘GT Vintage’ consists of senior alumni who have been, among other things, civil servants, academics, business and corporate leaders. Many of them fondly recalled GT of their time to have been not only a hub of intellectual activity, but also an intimate space where they made lasting friendships and forged life-long bonds from about the late 1970s to the late 1980s, the period in which they graduated from their respective programmes.

Alumni of History Department

The humanities and social sciences moved to the main campus in Gachibowli in 1988 when GT became the home of the new Sarojini Naidu School of Performing Arts, Fine Arts, and Communication until 2003.

Alumni of Economics Department

They remembered with much respect the eminent faculty who taught them, including scholars such as RVR Chandrashekara Rao, Shantha Sinha, Shishir Bhattacharya, G. Haragopal, and Rajen Harshe in Political Science, Ratna Naidu, GS Aurora, Kodanda Rao in Sociology, R. Radhakrishna, Shridhar Shrimali, Sanjaya Baru in Economics, Meenakshi Mukherjee, S. Nagarajan, S. Vishwanathan, Sudhakar Marathe in English, Ramachandra Gandhi, Suresh Chandra, SG Kulkarni in Philosophy, and Venkataramana Rao, Shashi Mudiraj in Hindi. The group observed a two-minute silence in honour of teachers and classmates who passed away.

Alumni of Department of Sociology

Many of the alumni attributed their success to the rigorous training they received at Golden Threshold in the humanities and social sciences. Current faculty members of UoH who had studied at GT during the period briefed the attendees about the University’s plans to restore the heritage structure that used to be the residence of Smt. Sarojini Naidu, the poet and freedom fighter.

GT Vintage members applauding the sharing of memories

The alumni were excited to learn that the fully restored space could house a museum dedicated to Sarojini Naidu and play host to literary and cultural events for the city. They expressed their willingness to support in whatever they can efforts to convert Golden Threshold into a literary and cultural hub.

Alumni of Department of English

The GT Vintage group of alumni decided to hold such meets every year during December.