A Jadavpur University alumna who taught at the university for 36 years donated Rs 5 lakh to her alma mater to help it buy smartphones and data packs for poor students facing Net connectivity problems.

Krishna Roy, 79, a resident of Jatin Bagchi Road in south Calcutta, had done her PhD from the university. She did not bother about the possible health risk and came to Aurobindo Bhavan — the university’s administrative headquarters — on Monday to hand over the cheque.

The former head of the philosophy department had retired in 2006. During her stay on the campus she had seen many students grappling with financial problems, she said.

The septuagenarian found it an “irresistible call” when she got to know of the university’s fundraising drive to build a corpus to help poor students with smartphones and high-speed data packs.

“Scores of poor students study at JU. They cannot afford such a device or Net connectivity that is a must to attend online classes. When I got to know that vice-chancellor Suranjan Das has requested all to raise funds to help disadvantaged students, I found the call irresistible,” Roy said.

In August, Das had requested university teachers and other employees to donate a day’s salary and the alumni, guardians and others to contribute and help raise money to provide students with smartphones and high-speed data packs so that they can overcome the digital divide and attend classes.

Roy who had graduated from Jogomaya Devi College believes in the joy of giving.

Last year, she had donated Rs 5 lakh to an organisation that works to help those in distress. “I am a pensioner. Whatever I draw I consider adequate for my sustenance. When my alma mater is going to unparalleled lengths to tide over the digital divide, I thought I would do as much to support the initiative,” Roy said.

On Monday, she had met Gour Krishna Pattanayak, the finance officer of JU. He took her to the vice-chancellor’s office. “I had heard about Suranjan babu but hadn’t got any opportunity to meet him. Considering that virtual education is the way forward during the pandemic, what he has been doing is laudable,” Roy said.

“I am touched by the Krishna Roy’s gesture. At a time like this when everybody is busy saving for himself or herself, wary of what is going to unfold, this gesture of giving stands out,” VC Das said. “It will help us ensure no one is left out for want of Net connectivity.”

Some former mechanical engineering students have donated Rs 1.95 lakh to the corpus.

Ananda Sengupta, a former student from the mechanical engineering department who, like VC Das, is from South Point School, played a key role in raising the fund.

A survey on Net connectivity, conducted by the university, has shown 110 students need smartphones and 400-odd students need high-speed data packs.

Classes for the new semester in arts and science have started from September 14 and the university has started the process of buying phones and data packs.