Manish Aggarwal

Manish was a breath of fresh air at IIT. An island of absolute calm in an ocean of stress and hyper-competition. Ever smiling and forever willing to help people, Manish was by far one of the most likeable people you could meet on campus. He was a 'good' guy in the real sense of the word.

I had the good fortune of knowing Manish through all the 4 years at IIT - we were in the same department and also together in a couple of project groups. I do not recall having ever seen Manish tense, anxious, worried, or concerned anytime - exams, grades, placements, admissions, scholarships.. nothing seemed to affect him. Manish was extremely bright but never competitive; excelled in several courses yet very humble; hard working but never stressed; an achiever and also a complete team player. I fondly remember him nodding his head in agreement after particularly complex discussions in class while most of us just sat and stared in disbelief wondering if we were attending a Latin or Hebrew class.

After IIT, I chose to stay back in India but we kept in touch. I met Manish again after a couple of years when I was passing through DC. It was a bitterly cold evening (for someone from Mumbai) but Manish's company and jokes kept all of us warm and entertained as we recalled the good times together. That was the last time I saw him though we connected on social media and exchanged messages, off and on.

They say the good die young. And that holds so true about Manish. His smiling face and calm manner will forever be etched in my memory but the burden of not seeing him before he left for his heavenly abode I shall carry for the rest of my life.

Part of my life I grew up in Sindri. Although I did not know him there, I had already heard a lot about him. He was in De Nobili Digwadih and I was in De Nobili, Sindri. He was already very popular in Sindri due to his exceptional smartness and scored a very high rank in IIT JEE. For a small town like Sindri that was a great achievement. I ended up joining IIT, Delhi one year after him. I could not believe my luck when I was assigned Aravali Hostel and found that Manish was also in Aravali hostel. My memory of him is very clear in my mind: ever smiling, very mild mannered and no attitude in spite of his brilliance. May God give all the courage to his beautiful family to cope up with his untimely departure.

Ravi Prasher, IIT-D, 1995 batch

Extremely sad to hear of Manish’s departure. I am sure he lives on in all our memories. His enigmatic smile and warm personality had touched so many our lives in ways probably he didn’t know himself. I was one of them. I was one year his junior in IIT and resident of Aravali. I am also from Dhanbad and I reached out to him for support as soon as I found out that he was a Nobilian from Dhanbad. His calm and reassuring presence in Aravali Hostel at IITD was one of my lifelines that helped me through those overwhelming initial days in IIT and the hostel life. During the subsequent years also, he was an immensely warm, kind and happy person to be with. Always of full of advice and never flustered by anything, it breaks my heart to hear about him having gone through so much. I would let ke to extend my deepest condolences to his family for this great loss. Words can’t describe what you guys must be going through. I will pray to God to give you all the strength to cope through these terrible times.

My deepest condolences to the family for the grave loss. Manish was such a kind and gentle heart and it is makes me deeply sad to know that he is no longer with us.

I knew Manish from over 20 years back when I use to visit him in Virginia over weekends from NJ. We were also colleagues back in Goa and remember he came to visit my family. Fondly remember those budding career days and the time spent together. Will dearly miss him and thankful that our paths crossed and I got to know him.

May god bless his family and help them find the strength to bear the loss.

Dear Manish - I would always cherish the time I was fortunate to have spent with you. You touched us all as a great friend and a wonderful person. Everyone who knew you would feel a void that can't be filled, but you have given us all sweet memories to cherish. -Pranav.

Manish and I studied together in De Nobili from Class 6 to 10. He was one of the brightest and most gentle person I have known. We will always carry his infectious smile in our hearts. Rest in Peace Dear Friend. You will be missed by All.
Shantanu Pandey