We begin the issue with the sad demise of one of our former faculty, Dr. Rama N. Singh of Applied Physics dept. He was a great scientist and space-physicist. He was also the Director of our college. We all share the grief with his family and friends. The news and obituary were forwarded by Prof. B. N. Dwivedi of Applied Physics.

In this issue, we are publishing an interview about one of our most notable alumnus, a social worker and winner of international Magsaysay Award, Dr. Sandeep Pandey. What is striking is that most of his answers for the interview are coming straight from his heart.

There is a troubling sign about HRD ministry re-negotiating terms with state govts. for take-over of colleges for IIEST upgrade. Any deviation from Anandakrishnan Committee Report will certainly dilute the standard of IIESTs.
We need more news. Please send us news, events, articles, information, etc, at: chronicle[AT]itbhu.org. Please indicate your branch/year.

Thanking you,
The Chronicle Team

We are sad to announce the demise of our beloved professor in Applied Physics dept., Prof. Rama N. Singh at Varanasi on April 23, 2007. Being an extremely talented person, he won many awards and held many important posts, including Director of IT-BHU. He wrote many papers about space science and technology in leading national and international Journals. Below please find the obituary written by B.N. Dwivedi of Applied Physics dept. and one-time student of Prof. Singh. A copy of the obituary is also sent to Current Science Magazine (published jointly by Current Science Association and Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore) http://www.iisc.ernet.in/currsci/ , which has published a number of research papers by Prof. Singh. Prof. R. N. Singh was the counselor representing IT-BHU during the IIT-JEE interview at IIT-Bombay campus in 1972. IT-BHU joined with IITs in 1972 to admit students through IIT-JEE. A batch of about 300 students joined our college that year, and about 1/3 rd were from Bombay. Like me, many of my batch-mates credit Prof. Singh and his charming personality to convince us to join our college. With the death of Prof. Singh, our nation has lost a great physicist and a great space-scientist. Our college has also lost a renowned professor and an able administrator.

He is survived by wife, two sons and three daughters. Among the sons, Prof. Ramesh P. Singh (E-mail: rpalka425[AT]gmail.com) is a Professor in Civil Engg. Dept., IIT-Kanpur; and Prof. Ravi P. Singh (Email: singh_ravi_p[AT]rediffmail.com) is Dean of Distance Education Department (with additional charge of the Academics Department) at Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar, Punjab.

We are inviting tribute from students/faculty/administration/alumni/friends, etc. Please send your memoirs and tribute about Prof. Singh, latest by 15th June to chronicle[AT]itbhu.org. All tributes will be published in June issue of chronicle.

May his soul rest in peace.

Yogesh K. Upadhyaya
Chemical 1977
For IT-BHU community

(This obituary is written by B. N. Dwivedi (Applied Physics dept.), and a copy is forwarded to the Editor of Current Science Magazine, Bangalore.)

Rama N. Singh (1933-2007)

Rama N. Singh (retired Professor of Applied Physics, Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi) died at Varanasi on 23 April 2007. Professor Rama N. Singh was born on 4 January 1933 at Dharwa, Ghazipur. He did his secondary education from U.P. College, Varanasi, and higher studies (B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D.) from Banaras Hindu University. He worked on a purely experimental investigations, preparing a radio transmitter and carried out experiments to measure the velocity and direction of ionospheric drift for his Ph.D. research, under able guidance of late Prof. S.R. Khastgir. He was appointed as Lecturer in 1958 in Physics Dept., Faculty of Science, BHU, and joined as Reader in 1966 in the School of Applied Sciences at the Institute of Technology, BHU. In 1971 he became Professor and superannuated in January 1993 as Director, Institute of Technology, BHU. During his illustrious teaching and research career, he served in various capacities, such as In-charge of Applied Sciences, Head of Applied Physics Dept., Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology and finally Director, Institute of Technology, BHU.

Prof. Singh was regarded as an outstanding ambassador of academic excellence in the university environment: visited almost all the premier institutions around the globe as Visiting Professor/Scientist; guided 19 PhDs and many post-docs; published over 200 research papers (several of them in Nature), wrote the university level text book on ‘Electromagnetic Waves and Fields’; published by Tata McGraw Hill in 1991 as well as edited several symposia proceedings; organized and gave invited talks/papers in several national and international seminars/symposia/workshops in his broad field of specialization ‘space sciences’.

Prof. Singh also brought out a “Special Issue on Inner Planets” in Current Science (1994, vol. 66, Numbers 7&8). Starting with his prestigious PL-480 project in the 1970s, he successfully carried out several ISRO, IMAP, DST, UGC and CSIR sponsored research projects. He also served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York in 1961, and Institute of Geophysics, University of Alaska, USA in 1962; Visiting Professor, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), California in 1985-86; Fellow of the Max-Planck Society at MPAE, Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany in 1989-90.

Prof. Singh shifted his interests after his Ph.D. to theoretical research work on modelling related with the Earth's magnetosphere formed by solar wind interaction. His research interest in planetary sciences continued with special emphasis on the study of Mars and other planets and published papers on all the planets of the Solar System. Realizing the global impact of space research, becoming highly dependent on rockets and satellites launching, he focused his investigations of lower ionospheric and tropospheric, stratospheric and ground based observations and theoretical researches.

He mostly distributed his time with self-study and research and collaborative projects with available opportunity. His main research interests included: ionospheric physics, magnetospheric physics, space physics, plasma physics, solid state electronics, remote sensing and exploration. While working at UCLA, Prof. Singh analyzed Pioneer-Venus data together with Prof. C. T. Russel and found the evidence for Lightning on Venus which was later confirmed from other satellite measurements. Prof. Singh also established a research group in Physics Dept., BHU and did pioneer studies related to the measurements of low-latitude whistler in Banaras

Prof. Singh received several recognitions which include:

• Fulbright Award in 1962


• Guest of Soviet Academy of Science in 1971


• Chairman of Parallel Session


• International Conference on Wave and Instabilities, Innsbruck, Austria, April 1973


• Leader of the National Delegation to SCOSTEP General Assembly at COSPAR, Boulder, Colorado, USA in June 1976


• Convener, Energy Coupling, International Conference on Sun Weather Physics, Ohio State University, Columbus, USA, July 1978


• Member COSPAR, Working Group - II, Paris, .France, 1978-81, 1982-86


• SCOSTEP Delegation. Innsbruck. Austria in June.1978


• URSI Delegation, Helsinki, Finland, August 1978


• Panel on Plasma Teaching, CITP, Trieste, Italy in 1981


• CONACYT Federal Award, Mexico, 1995-96.

He was also a member of:

• IEEE, U.S.A.


• American Geophysical Union


• Indian Physics Association


• Study Group, Bangalore


• Chairman, National Committee for STP. INSA. 1975-78


• Editor Proc. National Academy of Sciences. (Earth and Planetary Science.) 1986-1990.

One glorious thing about Prof. Singh is this: He published his paper this year too and several projects were still in progress. Only recently, Purvanchal University conferred onto him D.Sc. Honoris Causa.

With Prof. Singh’s demise we have lost an eminent space scientist. He is survived by his wife, two sons and three daughters.

B.N. DWIVEDI

Department of Applied Physics, Institute of Technology,
Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221005, India
E-mail: bholadwivedi[AT]yahoo.com

(We are starting a new section called -Chronicle in news. It will include chronicle mentioned prominently in news media, blogs, etc.)

Chronicle in S. N. Bose blog

This was in reference to the article about Prof. S. N. Bose posted in our April 2007 issue.
(Go to www.snbose.org and click on links)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
New!

ITBHU.org - S N Bose and Bose Einstein Principle

The Bose-Einstein Condensation Principle statistically predicts the behaviour of gas atoms near absolute zero (0 degree K or -273.15 C). In simplified way, it states that near absolute zero temp., instead of individual Brownian type motion, gas particles moves in a group and behaves like a liquid. <read entire article>
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

This was in reference to the article about Zuula (the meta-search engine website) in our April 2007 issue and the comment posted on Zuula blog by us. http://www.zuulablog.com/posts/39#comments
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you, for your kind comment regarding Zuula. I am glad you find our site so useful, and we really appreciate the publicity you've provided us via your monthly news magazine. It's nice to hear such news while we're hard at work, adding to Zuula's capabilities while we also improve and debug its existing features.

Please feel free to continue spreading the news about Zuula. We're very committed to giving our users the best search tool possible, so it's rewarding when more and more people use the service. Any additional help you can lend in getting the word out about Zuula would be very much appreciated.

And, of course, we welcome any additional feedback, comments, or suggestions
you may have.

……………

Zuula actually has a reasonably large group of users in India. I just did a
quick check, and India is sixth among all the countries with Zuula users, in
terms of the number of visits to Zuula during April. It ranks just after
Japan, and above countries such as Germany and Spain. It seems that you
have done a good job in getting the word out about Zuula!

All the best,

Boris.

Boris Simkovich
Chief Executive Officer
Zuula LLC
Princeton, NJ 08540
USA

(Report forwarded by Rohit Prasad, Chemical 1989)

The first alumni meet of ITBHU.org Mumbai chapter was held on Saturday 28th April at SP Jain Institute of Management & Research Auditorium, Andheri (W) from 5 pm – 9 pm.

About 30 alumni attended the first alumni meet of ITBHU in Mumbai. The alumni were from batches of 1970 to 2006. Some members also attended the meet with their family. The members who attended were from varied fields like engineering, technology, government, business, self employed, finance, marketing, insurance and sales.

Videos of ITBHU life were shown to the members who remembered the golden days of their life at the institute. Also a short presentation on ITBHU.org was shown to the members.

A number of alumni of ITBHU are organized batch wise in Mumbai. The members decided to increase the awareness of ITBHU.org amongst their colleagues / friends and increase the registration numbers of Mumbai chapter. The members also discussed on the ways to take the Mumbai Chapter forward in the coming years.

The main points agreed to in the meet were –

• Formation of Yahoo group or Google group for alumni in Mumbai
• Increasing the registration at itbhu.org for alumni in Mumbai
• Organizing lectures from senior alumni or organizing events to retain interest of alumni in the chapter
• Initiate dialogue with banks for ITBHU co-branded credit card

The members enthusiastically supported the organizing team for the first alumni meet in Mumbai. The meeting ended with the members deciding to be in touch with each other and increasing the awareness of ITBHU Mumbai Chapter.

Mumbai Chapter Members

Rohit Prasad (9820895853) (rohit_a_prasad[AT]yahoo.co.in)
Amit Kulshreshta (9920185166) (askullu[AT]gmail.com)
Suraj Goyal (9867640339) (suraj_goyal[AT]hotmail.com)
Rajesh Kumar Singh (9819797568) (rajeshhimself[AT]gmail.com)
Nitin Jain (9819074247) (nitin_429[AT]yahoo.com)

Some photos of the Mumbai Alumni Meet on 28 April, 2007.

(Forwarded by Puneet Bindlish, Mining 2002)

The announcement is also posted on itbhu.org website at http://www.itbhu.org/chapters/geo/delhi/archives/association_of_it_bh.php

Association of IT BHU Alumni (AIBA) - Notice for 5th AGM

Dear Alumnus

You must have received the invitation to the 5th Annual General Body Meeting, to be followed by the IT BHU Alumni Award of Excellence by now. Please attend the AGM and the Award ceremony and make both a success.

The schedule for the evening is as given below.

Date: 26th May 2007 (Saturday)
Time : 1845 hours onwards
Venue : Jacaranda Hall, India Habitat Centre, Lodi Road, New Delhi 110003

Schedule

1845 -1915: Registration and Networking
1915 -2000 : 5th Annual General Body Meeting

1. Welcome address by the President


2. Adoption of the 4th AGM minutes of meeting


3. Presentation of the Annual Report by the Secretary


4. Presentation of the Financial Report by the Treasurer


5. Vote of Thanks by the Vice President

The IT BHU Alumni Award of Excellence has been instituted to honour the contributions made by our alumni during the course of their career and professional life. To make this award ceremony successful, we seek your help in raising funds for the ceremony. We are trying to raise funds for the ceremony through sponsorships, and the more sponsors we are able to gather, the more would be the visibility of the Awards function and similarly, more would be the Association’s visibility. Please therefore help us in raising finances. The sponsorship appeal is attached for your reference and necessary action.

As every year, we are bringing out a souvenir this year also. The souvenir would contain, other than the member directory, write ups from our alumni and their family members. We require contributions from you so that the souvenir becomes a tool for interaction and sharing of thoughts within our alumni community. Help in the form of advertisements would also be welcome.

Look forward to your help, and presence at the AGM and the Awards ceremony.

With warm regards
AIBA

For contributions or Sponsorship Opportunities. Please click the relevant link below:
Sponsorship Appeal ( download PDF )
Advertisement Appeal for Souvenir ( download PDF )

Mr. Ram Charan is an engineering graduate from our college. He graduated around 1960. (http://www.bigspeak.com/ram-charan.html?&s_kwcid=ram%20charan|635914506)

Excerpts from the 5-pages long article:
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/04/30/8405482/index.htm

The strange existence of Ram Charan

What he does is hard to describe. But the most powerful CEOs love it enough to keep him on the road 24/7 and make him the most influential consultant alive. Fortune's David Whitford reports.

Charan at a Fortune roundtable in 1998. Ram Charan has written or co-written 11 books since 1998. Heading to another appointment in New York City. Fortune's David Whitford talks with Ram Charan, who spends his life in hotels as he travels the world consulting for big companies. Play video

David Whitford, Fortune writer April 24 2007: 9:12 AM EDT (Fortune Magazine) -- The Al Manzil Hotel in Dubai has been open for business all of 18 days on the Saturday night in January that I show up with Ram Charan. The lobby is strangely quiet; there doesn't seem to be anybody else staying here. The surrounding neighborhood is called Old Town, but in fact it's a construction site from which are rising what will one day be the world's tallest skyscraper and the world's biggest mall. Soulless and kind of creepy, I'm thinking, but Charan's thoughts are elsewhere. Already he has claimed an overstuffed chair in the center of the lobby and is talking on the phone. After 12 hours of isolation on the flight from J.F.K., Charan is back in business, deep in private conversation with a client in New York City. He looks tired, and no wonder. He began his day with a 4 A.M. Friday wake-up call in Richmond (he did a Squawk Box live remote on CNBC), and he has a head cold. But he is in no hurry to go to bed. Charan doesn't care what time it is. He doesn't care what day of the week it is.And the last thing he cares about is where he is. As long as Charan is with a client - or can get one on the phone - he's home. Thirty years ago this month, Ram Charan (pronounced "Rahm Scha-RON") quit a tenured professorship at Boston University to devote himself full-time to consulting. Today he's alone at the top of his profession - not a consultant so much as a guru, a corporate sage, with unparalleled access to boardrooms across the globe and intimate, enduring relationships with an array of powerful CEOs. Among them: Jack Welch, formerly of GE (Charts, Fortune 500), who says of Charan, "He has this rare ability to distill meaningful from meaningless and transfer it to others in a quiet, effective way without destroying confidences"; Dick Harrington of Thomson Corp. (Charts) ("He probably knows more about corporate America than anybody"); and Verizon's (Charts, Fortune 500) Ivan Seidenberg ("I love him. He's my secret weapon"). "He's like your conscience," says former Citicorp CEO John Reed. "Just when you sort of think you have everything done and you're feeling pretty good about yourself, he calls you up and says, 'Hey, Reed, did you do this and that and the other?'" There's another aspect of Charan, not unrelated to his success, that sets him apart from his peers, if not the whole human race: what Jack Krol calls Charan's "strange existence." "When I was chairman and CEO of DuPont," says Krol, "he'd show up at the house Sunday morning at nine, and we might spend three or four hours, and all of a sudden he'd disappear. He would go anywhere at any time that you asked him to meet with you. Business is his whole life." That sounds like an exaggeration, but it's not. Having uploaded himself into the global economy, Charan circulates, continuously, with something like the speed and efficiency of capital. Consider the itinerary he sketched at dinner one night a few months ago in New York. He had just agreed - for the first time in his career -to let a journalist travel with him and watch him work. "I should tell you where I've been the last few weeks," he began in heavily accented English. "I go to India on the Friday of the week before Thanksgiving. I am Sunday morning in Bombay. Monday morning I am in Delhi. Wednesday I'm in Bombay. Thursday I'm in Bangalore. Saturday I'm in Trivandrum. Wednesday I'm in Johannesburg. Friday morning, at seven, I am in New York. I have a two-hour meeting with a CEO who has flown in to see me. I have two more meetings and I fly out that night to Dubai. I am in Dubai on Sunday and Monday, then I come back here. On Thursday night I fly out to Jubail, Saudi Arabia. Then I come back here. Tuesday morning I have a whole-day schedule in New York. Tuesday night I go to Milwaukee. I came from Milwaukee last night. They diverted my plane so I had to stay in Pittsburgh. I had a meeting this morning in Philadelphia. I had three meetings here in the afternoon. And I'm here tomorrow, with GE. Then an hour-and-a-half phone call. Then I'm going out tomorrow night to West Palm Beach. Monday morning I have a breakfast meeting in New York. And then I'm flying out to Perth, Australia." At least he flies first-class.

Now consider what comes next: more of the same. Charan never stops. He sleeps in a hotel every night ("Professor Charan, welcome home," is how the doorman greets him at the Waldorf on Park Avenue), except when he's sleeping on a plane or, rarely, in someone's house, which can happen when a client takes pity on him. "I got in the habit of having him over for Christmas because he had no place to go," says Reed. "He was going to sit in a hotel room. That's hardly right."

“One by one, most of the older children left school to work in the family business. Charan was an exception. His teachers visited the shop to beg his parents to let him continue his education. At 15, he enrolled as an engineering student at the elite Banaras University in Varanasi, a 250-mile train ride away. He was two years younger than his classmates, a humble member of the trading caste surrounded by "students whose fathers were big business people." He kept quiet because he was self-conscious about his "lousy English." He excelled, graduating third in his class. "Oh, incredible growth!" is how he describes those years. "Incredible learning!"

After college Charan was invited to participate in a work exchange program in Australia. His grandmother pawned her jewelry to buy him a plane ticket. (Charan recorded that debt, together with every cent his family spent on his education, and paid it back within a year. "This is a return of capital," he wrote on the note accompanying final payment.) Charan ran into a problem at the passport office. The application asked for his first and last names. Like most provincial Indians, Charan didn't use a family name. So he split his one name in two, and Ramcharan became Ram Charan.”

(Forwarded by Sushant Kumar CER 2005)

http://in.rediff.com/money/2007/may/14it.htm

Vish Mishra is a Senior Venture Partner with Clearstone, a top-tier technology fund

https://www.cmpevents.com/SDw6/a.asp?option=G&V=3&id=454600

60,000 IT professionals in US return home

May 14, 2007 08:55 IST
Last Updated: May 14, 2007 08:55 IST

India's fast growing economy and leaping information technology sector is attracting home more and more Indian from the Silicon Valley and the Indus Entrepreneur Group estimates that around 60,000 may have returned in recent years, a media report said on Monday.

No region of the United States has been more affected by this trend than Silicon Valley. TIE had reported in 2003 that between 15,000 and 20,000 Indians have returned and Charter member of the organization Vish Mishra told San Jose Mercury News that the trend had continued and about 40,000 more had gone back in the last four years.

Mishra, who is a senior venture partner with Clearstone Ventures, said the flow of investment capital to India also has expanded, much of it from Silicon Valley VC firms.

Clearstone Venture Partners now has an office in Mumbai, as do many other firms that either are based in or originated in Silicon Valley.

During the 12-month period that ended in August 2006, Mishra told the paper, VC firms invested 2 billion dollars in early and late-stage companies. The report quotes a study released earlier this year by Anna-Lee Saxenian of the University of California-Berkeley and by Duke University, as saying Indians founded 15 per cent of all Silicon Valley start-ups.

The study also found that 53 per cent of the science and engineering workforce in the valley is foreign-born, and that one-quarter of immigrant-founded engineering and scientific companies set up in the United States during the past decade were by Indians. These companies rang up 52 billion dollars in sales and created 450,000 jobs. No wonder, notes the paper, some business and policy leaders are sounding alarm bells about American competitiveness in general and Silicon Valley's future as a technology leader in particular.

The Mercury News says there isn't a single major information-technology company in the United States that hasn't set up operations in India.

IT companies are attracted by low-cost, highly skilled workforce; 3.5 million white-collar US jobs, along with 151 billion dollars in wages, are expected to be outsourced by 2015, with India the top outsourcing destination, the paper says quoting a report by Forrester Research.

But these companies also see a market of potentially epic proportions, the paper says. Half of India's 1.2 billion people are younger than 25. That's 600 million people coming into their peak consuming years in an economy fueled primarily by exploding retail growth.

As Amar Babu of Intel India (where 15 per cent of the workforce is made up of Indians) who returned from the United States, explained, "Intel views India as a critical research and development site. At the same time, India is a consumption market for IT. A lot of future growth will come from these emerging markets".

We are pleased to announce that Prof. N. K. Mukhopadhyay has been selected as a FULL Professor of Physical Metallurgy in the Department of Metallurgical Engineering. He took charge of the new position with effect from May 16, 2007. He joined the department as a Reader in 1998. On behalf of IT-BHU community, Chronicle sends best wishes to the professor for his new assignment.

Dr. N.K. Mukhopadhyay
Professor, Centre of Advanced Studies
Department of Metallurgical Engineering
Institute of Technology
Banaras Hindu University
Varanasi 221 005, INDIA

Phone: 0091-542-2369346, extn. 228 (o),
0091-542-2575512(R)
Fax: 0091-542-2369478/2368174/2368428
E-mail: mukho_nk[AT]rediffmail.com
mukho[AT]bhu.ac.in

To view his profile, visit http://www.itbhu.ac.in/met/faculty.shtml

An article in chronicle-‘Prof. N K Mukhopadhyay-A post card from Far East’

The 89th Convocation of the Banaras Hindu University was held on the 9th of April, 2007. In this regard, the 20th IT Convocation took place on the 7th of April, 2007 for the passouts of 2006. With the Director, Prof. S.N. Upadhyay; the Dean, Prof. J.N.Sinha and the Academic Registrar in close attendance, the Convocation witnessed an impressive turnout considering the fact that the dates were a matter of much conjuncture till late March. In all, a total of 484 degrees were conferred at the Graduate, Post-Graduate, Masters and the Doctorate Level.

Prominent awardees along with the list of honors are as follows:

1. Ankur Gupta
   • Late Shri Shyam Sunder Lal Razdan Memorial Gold Medal for securing highest percentage of marks in B.Tech. Part IV Examination, 2006.
   • Prof. Gopal Tripathi Memorial Gold Medal for securing highest marks at the B.Tech./ B.Pharm. Examination, 2006.
   • Smt. Arati Paul and Prof. Binod Bihari Paul Gold Medal for securing highest marks in IV-Year Examination among all the students of B.Tech./B.Pharm. Examination, 2006.
   • Shri Raj Kishore Kapoor Silver Medal for securing highest marks at the B.Tech./B.Pharm. Examination, 2006.
   • Dr. Annie Besant Prize for standing First among all the branches of Engineering in 2006.




2. Shekhar Tewari
   • R.B.G Modi Medal for standing First at the B.Tech. Part-IV Level in Chemical Engineering Examination, 2006.
   • Manishi Sharma Memorial Gold Medal for securing First position at the B.Tech. Part-IV Level in Chemical Engineering Examination, 2006.
   • Dr. R.J. Rathi Financial Award Rs. 1000/- cash for standing first at the B-Tech. Part-IV Level in Chemical Engineering Examination, 2006.
3. Vivek Verma
   • Rai Bahadur Taracharan Gue Memorial Award Rs.500/- cash for standing First at the B-Tech. Part-IV Level in Civil Engineering Examination, 2006
   • Late Prof. Manoranjan Sengupta Platinum Jubilee Merit Award Rs.1000/- cash for securing highest marks in B.Tech. Part-IV in Civil Engineering Examination, 2006.
4. Kapil Malik
   
   • R.B.G Modi Medal for standing First at the B.Tech. Part-IV in Electrical Engineering Examination, 2006.
   
   
   • Himmat Narayan Singh Gold Medal for securing the First position and First division in B.Tech. Electrical Engineering Examination, 2006.
   
   
   • N.V.R Nageswar Iyer Prize for standing First in B.Tech. Part-IV in Electrical Engineering Examination, 2006.
   
   
   • Late Prof. Manoranjan Sengupta Platinum Jubilee Merit Award Rs. 1000/- cash for securing highest marks in the B. Tech. Part-IV in Electrical Engineering Examination, 2006.
5. Sudeep Tandon
   
   • Lala Balak Ramji Kohinoor Gold Medal for securing highest marks at the B.Tech. Part-IV Examination, 2006 among the branches of Civil, Mechanical, Electrical & Electronics Engineering.
   
   
   • Late. Prof. Nagesh Chandra Vaidya Gold Medal for standing First at the B-Tech. Part-IV in Electronics Engineering Examination, 2006
   
   
   • Dr. (Late) Nandita Saha Roy Memorial Gold Medal for obtaining First position in B.Tech. Electronics Engineering Final Year Examination, 2006.
   
   
   • Prof. V.V. Chalam Prize for standing Second among all the branches of B.Tech Examination, 2006.
   
   
   • Dr. Ayyagiri Sambasiva Rao Prize Rs. 1000/- cash for securing First position at bthe B-Tech Part IV in Electronics Engineering Examination, 2006.
   
   
   • Late Prof. Manoranjan Sengupta Platinum Jubilee Merit Award Rs. 1000/- cash for securing highest marks in B-Tech Part IV in Electronics Engineering Examination, 2006.
6. Manish Yadav
   
   • The Prince of Wales Medal for standing First at the B.Tech. Part-IV in Mechanical Engineering Examination, 2006.
   
   
   • Late Prof. Manoranjan Sengupta Platinum Jubilee Merit Award Rs. 1000/- cash for securing highest marks in B.Tech. Part-IV in Mechanical Engineering Examination, 2006.
7. Nitin Rai
   
   • Aruna and Malviya Medal for standing First at the B.Pharm. Part-IV Examination, 2006.
   
   
   • Late Prof. G.P. Srivastava for standing First at the B.Pharm. Part- IV Examination, 2006.

Glimpses:

Happy Graduates

Students caught in a light mood with Prof. S. K. Sharma

The Director of IT-BHU, Prof. S.N Upadhyay called on graduates to start a new channel of communication with the Institute so that the Institute could adapt and respond as per the requirements of this fast-paced world. In a free-wheeling chat with The Chronicle on the sidelines of the 20th IT Convocation, Prof Upadhyay stressed on the need for passouts and other alumni to keep in touch with the institute and respective departments and give suggestions (albeit critical) on the way forward for the institute. The Director felt that this process of self-evaluation and improvement through feedback could position IT-BHU in the ivy bracket. The Director was optimistic that even in the absence of the IIT tag as is the present scenario, IT-BHU could be in a league of its own through a concerted effort by all people concerned.

Advising engineering students to stay in their core/parent discipline, Prof. Upadhyay said that the services’ growth model was not a sustainable one and that it was only the enhancement of core studies that could take the country forward. The Director, while admitting that the IT Convocation was put together in a hurried and haphazard manner, said that he was pleased with the response. He went back in time when the Convocation used to be held in full decorum faculty-wise and called for the system to be restored. On being queried about the IT Convocation Day being formalized and held in full grandeur, the Director admitted that the framework didn’t permit that at this point of time. However, he felt that this exercise would be more fruitful if held in concert with the alumni reunions in December.

Concurring with the Director, Prof. S.K. Sharma, Head, Department of Mechanical Engineering asked for the IT Convocation to be advanced to the month of August so that students could attend in greater numbers without it interfering with further studies or workplace commitments. Labeling the Convocation as the most sacred ceremony of the IT calendar, Prof. Sharma, an expert in Industrial Management called for a leaner and more agile system that would facilitate the holding of the Convocation in August. His suggestions for implementing the same included outsourcing the preparation of academic rolls to the respective Departments rather than the Academic section as is the case now.

Even some graduates felt the need for the Institute to adopt a slightly more proactive role in the conduct of the Convocation. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, some pass outs attributed the response to the delay and uncertainty in the intimation of dates. Calling for a particular day in the academic calendar to be fixed for the Convocation, the ‘degree-holders’ called the moment a dream come true and reminisced their time at the Institute. However, some were more scathing in their attack of fellow batch mates and criticized their disillusionment and disinterest for not turning up.

(Forwarded by Varun Murli MEC 2008)

http://www.bhu.ac.in/ims/index.html

There is good news about Institute of Medical Sciences of BHU. It will be upgraded to AIIMS level along with 12 other colleges in the country, at a cost of Rs. 120 crores. Read the govt. press release:

http://pib.nic. in/release/ release.asp? relid=27558

UPGRADATION OF MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS

16:47 IST
Rajya Sabha

Under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), it has been decided to set up six new AIIMS like Institutions, each in the States of Bihar (Patna), Chhatisgarh (Raipur), Madhya Pradesh (Bhopal), Orissa (Bhubaneswar), Rajasthan (Jodhpur) and Uttaranchal (Rishikesh). The estimated cost for setting up each institute is Rs. 332 crore based on CPWD plinth area rates.

Under PMSSY, it has also been decided to strengthen 13 existing Medical College Institutions in terms of infrastructure and equipments. List of institutions being upgraded can be seen in the Annexure. An outlay of Rs. 120 crore has been approved for upgradation of each medical college institution. Out of this, the Government of India is investing Rs. 100 crore for each institution and the State Government’s share is Rs. 20 crore and subsequent recurring, maintenance and manpower costs. In respect of SVIMS, Tirupati, the TTD trust is bearing half of the cost i.e. Rs. 60 crore and the GOI share is only Rs. 60 crore. Likewise, in respect of IMS (BHU) Varanasi, which is a GOI institution, Rs. 20 crore is being provided by Ministry of Human Resource Development.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Smt. Panabaka Lakshmi on 4th May, 2007 in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

KR/SK/50 – RS

ANNEXURE

Upgradation of 13 medical institutes under PMSSY

The following 13 medical institutes have already been identified for upgradation under PMSSY: -
1. Govt. Medical College, Jammu (J&K)
2. Govt. Medical College, Srinagar (J&K)
3. Kolkatta Medical College, Kolkatta (W.B.)
4. Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow (U.P.)
5. Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU, Varanasi (U.P.)
6. Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad (A.P.)
7. Sri Venkateshwara Institute of Medical Sciences, Tirupati (A.P.) (50% cost of upgradation will be borne by the TTD Trust)
8. Govt. Medical College, Salem (T.N.)
9. Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranchi (Jharkhand)
10. B.J. Medical College, Ahmedabad (Gujarat)
11. Bangalore Medical College, Bangalore (Karnataka)
12. Grants Medical College & Sir J.J. Group of Hospitals, Mumbai (Maharashtra)*
13. Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala)

N.B. * The upgradation is pending as the matter is subjudice in Nagpur Bench of Mumbai High Court on selection of this institution, instead of the Medical College at Nagpur.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Pune/DST_funds_aerogel_research/articleshow/2024469.cms

DST funds aerogel research
10 May, 2007 l 0556 hrs IST l TIMES NEWS NETWORK

http://www.bhu.ac.in/science/physics/ons.htm

Prof. O. N. Srivastava

PUNE: Scientists at the University of Pune (UoP) have developed an ultra lightweight aerogel material. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has funded Rs 3 crore for a period of five years, to facilitate research on aerogel at the UoP in collaboration with the Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi. Prof O.N. Srivastava and his team at the BHU synthesised the CNT, while the aerogel using the CNT was developed by Sulabha Kulkarni, coordinator of the DST unit on nano-science at the UoP’s department of physics, and her student, Supriya Pandhe.

Kulkarni is a noted Ph.D. guide, who has 200 research papers in international journals to her credit and has been working on this project for over six years. In the past, Kulkarni has worked on Defence Research and Development Organisation-commissioned research on silica aerogels that are transparent and heat insulated compared to the CNT aerogels.

She said a team at Pennsylvania University, US, came up with the most-recent aerogel variant, using CNT and polymer, in February.

The 15 mg aerogel could support 100 gm or 8,000 times more weight than its own body weight. In comparison, the aerogel developed at the UoP has much larger loadbearing capacity, she added.

According to Kulkarni, aerogel applications are as wide as in light-weight jackets for armed forces personnel and bridges in defence use, soundproof rooms, heat-retaining houses, foundries, packaging and electronic sensors.

The breakthrough gives a reason for the UoP to celebrate in terms of furthering varsity-level research. As it comes after a long gap, Jadhav conceded that the varsity doesn’t have much to show in terms of research breakthroughs.

Jadhav said the discovery can be seen as a beginning of UoP’s renewed thrust on research . "We will secure an independent certification for this material soon for the purpose of Indian patent and also try for publication in reputed international journals on nanotech," Jadhav said.

Developed way back in 1930, with silica and carbon being the content of the most common variant in use, research in aerogels got a push only after the international oil crisis of 1974 and the space programmes that developed subsequently.

http://www.dailyindia.com/show/135535.php/HIV-positive-couple-wed-in-Uttar-Pradesh

HIV positive couple wed in Uttar Pradesh

By Vipul Goel

Maharajganj (UP), Apr 22: Setting an example for those who think having a fatal disease is the end of the road, an HIV positive couple in Uttar Pradesh tied the knot in a path-breaking marriage.

The widely attended wedding, presided over by priests performing Hindu rites at a temple in Maharajganj, is considered to go a long way in creating awareness in a country where HIV is still a stigma and its victims socially ostracized and condemned.

Sunil Seth met his bride Suman, who lives in Maharajganj, at the Benaras Hindu University (BHU) Medical Institute when the cupid struck the two.

The couple said they hoped to live normal life despite being HIV positive.

"I met her in Varanasi where she had gone to BHU to get her tests done. From there on, we became friends and even our families came closer. Then we decided to get married," said Seth.

Almost all the families and relatives of the bride and groom were HIV positive, but among the guests were several NGO volunteers and government officials.

"We wish the couple best of luck. They have set an example of being positive. They have shown that being HIV positive is not the end of the world. With hope, and patience, the infected can lead a happy life. This is the state's first such marriage. I do not think it is any less popular than that of Bollywood stars Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai weeding," said Mukta Sharma, Assistant Director, Uttar Pradesh State AIDS Control Society.

According to Government-run National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), over 5.7 million Indians are infected with AIDS virus, and out of them 475,000 are in Uttar Pradesh.

The rising prevalence of HIV in the country showed that a decade of government efforts had not slowed the virus, which is now estimated to have infected 5.7 million Indians.

According to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, ten percent of the world's HIV-positive population is in India.

According to estimates by the UN Population Division, if trends continue, nearly 49.5 million Indians will die of the disease between 2015 and 2050.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070425/asp/frontpage/story_7694846.asp

Auntie, make way for Jaitley Voters tire of ‘moms’, want younger stars to campaign

TAPAS CHAKRABORTY

Celina Jaitley campaigns in Varanasi. (PTI)

Lucknow, April 24: Dream Girl? To Ankit Patel, star BJP campaigner Hema Malini sounded like “mom”. Jaya Bachchan touted herself — for the umpteenth time – as Allahabad’s “bahu” yesterday. The lukewarm reception suggested that the television-age voters saw her more as Aishwarya’s saas. From the BJP and the Congress to the Samajwadi Party, they have all realised that veteran stars are no longer rousing the young voter, so crucial to an Uttar Pradesh election strewn with marginal seats. So, they are looking to sign up the Bollywood young set. The Congress has already got Celina Jaitley to hit the road and its Varanasi candidate, Mohammed Sheikh Shamim, claims he has used Mumbai leader Sanjay Nirupam’s contacts to strike a deal with Kareena Kapoor. “She is likely to campaign for me in Varanasi on April 26,” Shamim said.

The BJP is believed to have sent an SOS to its Mumbai leaders to draft in a few younger stars after Hema left the crowds cold and Shatrughan Sinha’s hackneyed, deep-throated “khamosh” failed to evoke even a polite murmur yesterday.

It could be smart thinking, if Ankit is to be believed. “See, we belong to the Dhoom generation. Jaya Bachchan and Hema Malini play ornamental roles in films. So when they speak about a party, we feel our mom is talking to us,” the first-year BCom student said.

Ronit Sharma, first-year student of political science at Benares Hindu University, agreed. “When we see ageing stars campaign, we feel they are here because they don’t have work in the industry. Stars of this generation can at least draw our attention.”

Celina made the right noises at the Congress office in Lucknow on Sunday by praising Rahul Gandhi, the GeNext leader. “He’s a dedicated Congress worker and sensitive, too,” she said before rushing off to Varanasi.

As Celina criss-crossed the temple town in an open jeep at the head of a 20-car convoy, the BJP’s Smriti “Tulsi” Irani was turning her Lucknow news conference into a yawn, repeating herself and mouthing trite, rehearsed comments.
BJP sources said the party was trying to see if Yukta Mookhey, Urmila Matondkar, Upen Patel and Kunal Khemu were available.

“The reason is obvious. Voters aged between 18 and 25 will play a crucial role, and they are yet to be politically committed. So all parties are wooing them, especially the Congress,” said Ramesh Dixit, professor of political science in Lucknow University.

“An election campaign is difficult business these days, especially in the cities with their multiplexes, computer games and other distractions,” a Bahujan Samaj Party leader rued in Lucknow.

Even Congress functionaries admit that Rahul Gandhi has been able to draw large crowds only in the rural areas.

The Samajwadi Party hasn’t reached out for young Bollywood actors to back up its two Jayas -- Bachchan and Prada. It has hired local stars, dancers, “comedy kings” and an array of Bhojpuri singers, led by Manjor Tiwari and Ravi Kishen.
Is the party expecting Abhishek and Aishwarya at some of its meetings at some point in the campaign? “No,” a leader said, “they will be busy honeymooning”.

A news item dated May 3, 2007

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070503/asp/calcutta/story_7725443.asp

Tirade over upgrade - KERALA, BENGAL ECHO RESERVATIONS

A STAFF REPORTER

The West Bengal and Kerala governments have joined hands to retain control over two tech schools — Bengal Engineering and Science University (Besu) and Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) — which the Centre is considering for upgrade to Indian Institute of Engineering, Science and Technology (IIEST).

Reasonable representation of students from the states, participation of the state governments in the administrative council and recurring grants for these two institutions — the Left-ruled states are chorusing on their demands before handing over the control of the institutes to the ministry of human resources development (HRD).

“How can there be a handover without even a discussion on these issues?” asked state higher education minister Sudarshan Roy Chaudhuri, echoing the concerns raised by his Kerala counterpart, M.A. Baby. In a letter, written on April 24, Roy Chaudhuri has sought an appointment with Union HRD minister Arjun Singh to discuss the issues.

While the Centre wants complete freedom from state control for these two institutes, the Kerala government, along with the West Bengal government, will suggest an alternative model for IIEST.

In a letter to state chief secretary Amit Kiran Deb on April 4, the HRD ministry secretary clearly spelt out the Centre’s demand, which is in line with the central guideline.

But the missive from Delhi has miffed the Writers’ Buildings bosses. “I had written to Arjun Singh earlier, the chief minister had written to the Prime Minister regarding the upgrade, but there was no response. Instead, there is a secretary-level letter asking the government to hand over the institute,” said Roy Chaudhuri.

The higher education minister met the members of the teachers’ union last week and explained the position of the state government on the upgrade issue.
But the Besu teachers’ association (Besuta) is not in agreement with the minister.

“Besu has never had any reservations or quotas in all the years that it has been under the state government. Why is the government insisting on a reservation now?” asked Manas Hira, Besuta member.

On the issue of mode of governance for IIEST, the teachers prefer the model that the Centre wants to follow over the one suggested by the state government.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A news item dated May 14, 2007

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070514/asp/calcutta/story_7768663.asp#

Besu upgrade talks - Delhi to consider state proposals

A STAFF REPORTER

Bengal Engineering and Science University, in Shibpur. A Telegraph picture

The central and state governments will negotiate the upgrade of Bengal Engineering and Science University. At a meeting held in New Delhi on Friday, Union human resources development minister Arjun Singh told the state government representatives that their submission on the mode of admission and governance at the proposed Indian Institute of Engineering, Science and Technology (IIEST) would be considered. The Centre will “respond to the submissions adequately”, he said. The ministry had agreed on principle to the upgrade of the university (Besu) to an Institute of National Importance (INI) in a letter to the state government on May 5 this year.

The Delhi meeting was also attended by Kerala education minister M.A. Baby, representatives of the Andhra Pradesh government and Brinda Karat. Apart from Besu, institutes from the two states are among those recommended for upgrade by the Anandakrishnan Committee.

On being asked when the negotiations will take place, the joint secretary of the Union department, Ravi Mathur, stated: “We are awaiting submissions from the Andhra government. We will have to take a comprehensive approach.”

The draft NIT Bill is now in the Lok Sabha, after being passed by the Rajya Sabha.

The secretary of the Union department, Rameshwar Pal Agarwal, had written to state chief secretary Amit Kiran Deb: “In order to convert this institute into an INI to be called IIEST, Shibpur, legislation will have to be brought in Parliament. After passage of such a legislation, the management of the institute along with its assets and liabilities would be transferred to the central government. The state government will have to agree to such an arrangement.”

State higher education minister Sudarshan Roy Choudhury, who met Singh on Friday, said: “I told him that such a decision cannot be taken before our submission on admissions and governance has been considered.”

According to sources, Roy Choudhury is miffed at secretary-level correspondence from the central government over a policy decision.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
From the above news media articles, it appears that central govt. is ready to soften its stand about central control over IIESTs, and ready to re-negotiate the deal with respective state govts.

We do not know what the outcome of discussion will be. However, any move for joint (central and state govts.) control over IIESTs, admission quota for students within the state and admission through multiple entrance exam systems will certainly dilute the quality of IIESTs.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Here is a report prepared by HRD Ministry on the course of Science and Technology Education in India. This 23 page report is very informative, complete with facts and figures and govt. plan to achieve the goal.

http://pib.nic.in/archieve/others/2007/May07/2007050113.pdf

(Link provided by Bengal Engineering College Alumni Webmaster)

Page 4 (section 4.2.2) discusses upgradation of seven institutes to the level of IITs.

Excerpts:

4.2.2 Upgradation of seven Institutes roughly to the level of IITs: -

Pursuant to the announcement made by the then Prime Minister in his Independence Day speech in 2003 regarding upgradation of five promising institutions to IITs, the Ministry of Human Resource Development, in November, 2003, constituted a Committee under the Chairmanship of Prof. S.K. Joshi, former Director-General, CSIR, to identify prominent institutions having potential for such upgradation. The Committee identified seven academic institutions of repute to be upgraded to the level of IITs. These institutes are given below:-

1. Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.
2. University College of Engineering combined with the University College of Technology, both belonging to Osmania University, Hyderabad.
3. Bengal Engineering College, Howrah.
4. Jadavpur University’s Engineering and Technology Departments
5. Zakir Hussain College of Engineering and Technology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh
6. Andhra University College of Engineering, Visakhapatnam and,
7. Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin.

After the receipt of report of Prof. S. K. Joshi Committee, the Central Government constituted another Committee under Prof. Anandakrishnan to work out the details of the process of upgradation of the Institutes. However, both the Prof. Joshi Committee and Prof. Anandakrishnan Committee were of the view that the seven identified institutes can not measure upto the standards of the existing IITs in terms of various parameters used for evaluating Institutes. It was, therefore, recommended that it may not be correct to position these colleges straightaway alongside the IITs. Prof. Anandakrishnan Committee proposed that five of the seven identified Institutes, namely, Bengal Engineering & Science University; Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University; Cochin University of Science and Technology; Andhra University College of Engineering; and Osmania University College of Engineering and University College of Technology may be established as Indian Institutes of Engineering Science & Technology (IIEST) as Institutes of National Importance (INI’s) through an Act of Parliament.
Total de-linking of the remaining two Institutes from their parent universities, was found to be virtually impossible and, therefore, these were recommended for one time support only for their upgradation.

An amount of Rs.61 crores was released to these seven institutions during 2006-07 to start the process of upgradation. Letters have been written to the concerned State Governments in respect of those Institutes proposed to be established as IIESTs as Institutes of National Importance through an Act of Parliament, to convey their willingness for transferring their assets and liabilities to the Central Government. Replies of the State Governments of Kerala and Andhra Pradesh are awaited.

A plan outlay of Rs.75 crores has been proposed during the financial year 2007-08 for the scheme of upgradation of seven Institutes.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Orissa_to_have_an_IIT_Navin_Patnaik_/articleshow/2050768.cms

Orissa to have an IIT: Navin Patnaik
16 May, 2007 l 0127 hrs IST l PTI

NEW DELHI: Orissa Chief Minister Navin Patnaik on Wednesday asked the Centre to set up an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in the state as it did not have a single institution of national excellence.

"I met Union HRD Minister Arjun Singh and demanded setting up of an IIT in Orissa as it was a long standing demand of the people of the state," Patnaik said.

He said he had asked Singh to consider setting up an IIT in the coastal state during the 11th Plan period.

The HRD Minister has assured that the demand of the state would be considered while finalising the proposals of his ministry for the current Five Year Plan, he said.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
(Chronicle adds: After a public protest in Orissa over past several weeks, then central govt. has agreed for an IIT in Orissa. It is basically re-starting of original proposal by IIT-Kharagpur to open a satellite campus at Bhubaneswar, capital of Orissa. After few years, the campus will be converted into an independent IIT.)
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sandeep Pandey (Mechanical 1986) is one of the most illustrated alumni produced by our institute. He founded Asha organization; and he is involved in social services since then. He was presented with the most prestigious Ramon Magsaysay award (considered as equivalent to Asian Nobel Prize) in 2002 in the 'Emergent Leadership Category' for his work 'towards the upliftment of the poor and the underprivileged in India'. Chronicle takes an opportunity to talk to him. Here is the text of e-mail interview by Yogesh Upadhyaya with Sandeep Pandey:

Q-1 Sandeepji, it is nice to know about the great work done by you for the upliftment of the poor in our country. What made you to leave a promising career and go for social service work?

It was the inspiration of Mahatma Gandhi. After going through his autobiography 'my experiments with truth' completely while as a student at BHU, I took the decision that I would like to live my life in a manner similar to what he did. The aspect about his life which impressed me most was how he de-classed himself and was able to work with and for the common citizens. I’m doing what I’m doing today is because this is what makes me happy. I would not have been satisfied in an engineering career. I don’t look at leaving a middle class career option as a sacrifice. I moved from what was an uncomfortable situation for me to a more stable situation.

Q-2 Please tell us more about Asha organization.

It is a non-hierarchical, volunteer based organization with no office and no staff. Volunteers run this organization. Some of them work full time, most are part time. We raise resources from among the people rather than seek government or institutional funding for our work. Sometimes, villagers contribute in terms of food grains. We are increasingly becoming a people's organization. All decisions are taken in open meetings. Asha was formed with Deepak Gupta, now a faculty member at IIT-K, and V.J.P. Srivastava, a Ph.D. from TIFR, who is no more. The objective was to work for the education of underprivileged children of India initially.

Q-3 In what fields of social work are you actively involved with?

Now, in addition to education we work for communal harmony, RTI (Right To Information), right to food, employment guarantee scheme, right of common people over natural resources, fighting against privatization of our resources and lives, defending human rights, strengthening democracy at the grassroots, building peace and friendship at the people to people level between citizens of India and Pakistan, working towards a visa free and peaceful south Asia, for nuclear disarmament and global peace, etc.

Q-4 March 22nd is celebrated as United Nations’ World Water Day. What actions are needed to preserve the water source of the planet?

As you know, the world is facing a shortage of water - already the shortage has taken crisis proportions in some parts of the world. In India too, various parts face the crisis. And yet, in many parts the government continues to allow powerful interests to pollute water. In Varanasi, for example, Coca Cola is dumping toxic chemicals to pollute rivers and water tables. And the government takes no action. Similarly in Plachimada, in Kerala, water around the plant has become contaminated. These companies are also depleting the water table by excessive withdrawal of water. And now with the water contaminated, water and water supply is being privatized. Companies will be paid to get us clean water. That is ironic since companies polluted our water streams in the first place. These large companies are, in fact, bribing governments to privatize water and get contracts as RTI exposed in Delhi. Water is a public resource - all people around the world share water. We should have the right over water - it cannot be given to corporations. It cannot be made a good over which people can make profit. All privatization of water must end.

Q-5 What are your views on current education system in India? What must be needed to improve it?

The education system is creating more problems than solving. It is creating more selfish, corrupt, communal individuals who loose the sensitivity towards fellow human beings in the process of competition based education. Such individuals cannot form the basis for a just and humane society. We need an education which will instill the right kind of values so that we become more sensitive human beings and should impart us skills so that we may earn our livelihood by being part of the production economy. We must immediately do away with the system of competitive examination. It distorts human personality (there have been 4 suicides at IIT-K in the last 2 years). Quality of life can be ensured only in human relationships based on trust. No amount of material prosperity acquired by engaging in competition can ensure a quality of life, just like no amount of arms can ensure security.

Even in the very narrow definition of skill development, the education system is failing. It only serves to provide skills to a small fraction of the population. For most others, it provides no skills by which people may develop livelihoods and sustain themselves.

Q-6 You are also active in upliftment of Lalpur Village near Lucknow. What steps are being taken by your organization in this regard?

We are working for the empowerment of people at the grassroots. People are organizing themselves under the banner of Asha Parivar to solve their problems. More specifically they are demanding more transparency and accountability from the administrative and political system so that the benefits meant for them through various government schemes reach them. The ashram activities are not just limited to Lalpur village only. Our area of influence covers two blocks of Hardoi district extensively – Bharawan and Sandila. Now we have begun to reach out to 3 more blocks – Kothawan and Bhehender of Hardoi district and Miyaganj of neighbouring Unnao district. In addition two of our volunteers, Keshav Chand and Jaishankar, after being in Lalpur or 2-3 years have begun to develop two more areas of mass base – Deoria + Kushinagar and Chandauli, respectively. A volunteer from Deoria, Mahendra Yadav, would soon be moving to Patna to take charge of the RTI campaign there.

Q-7 A section of press is not happy with you and they find objection with your stand on naxalites, minorities, Indo-Pak disarmament, etc.

Problems like naxalism and terrorism can be eliminated only when there is justice in society. In our society human rights of a number of people are trampled upon which gives rise to anger and violence. I definitely don't support this violence but can understand why some people have to take up arms to defend their dignity. If you want naxalites or terrorists to integrate with the society you'll have to redress their grievances. As a peace activist I’m a staunch supporter of not just nuclear disarmament but all disarmament. Arms don't provide security. Human relationships based on trust do. The best way to eliminate your enemy is to make friends with him. Spreading hatred and animosity like the right wing groups (who abuse religion for their political gains) will not solve any problems. Such groups have done more damage to India than any naxalites or terrorist organization.

Naxalism and terrorism are in fact symptoms and yet the government attempts to address them as if they are the root cause - that is where it fails. In Orissa, for example (or in Bihar, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh), thousands of very poor people, mostly tribals, are being displaced from their lands and are losing their livelihoods owing to government policies. They live in a democracy (supposedly) have no voice in the policies of the government. When they present their concerns (and they usually do this non-violently), they are beaten up, fired upon, tortured, booked under false cases. When they are unable to express their concerns in human, democratic ways, and their existence is at threat, what options do they have?

In the north east, numerous groups are non-violently expressing their concerns. You must have heard of Sharmila Irom. Such groups are being beaten up and put in jail. The government only seems to engage with groups that have taken to violence. Our work has a theme - that communities, nations, regions must be based on trust. When it is based on violence, power factions emerge and numerous people are oppressed.

We oppose violence in all forms in all parts of society. Our demand for a nuclear free and peaceful south Asia is based on that. While our government spends 30-50% of our budget on arms, and on nuclear development, we have among the worst social indices in the world. Even sub-Saharan Africa is doing better than India - and we claim to be on the verge of becoming a superpower? Probably more people and children have died of hunger, malnutrition, farmers have committed suicides and citizens of India have been killed in fake encounters by our own security agencies than have been killed by our enemies in wars. The weapons and armies are there only to protect the interest of the ruling class, which is miniscule compared to the masses, who do not feel secure because of the government policies. I would like to make a relevant quote here provided to me by my friend Sanat Mohanty - ’I cannot hope to work towards equality and justice, towards non violence, till I stop dominating other opinions, other voices.’

Q-8 Please tell us about your days at IT-BHU.

I could never generate an interest in the subject. There were very few interesting professors. I can only recall prof. N. K.Das Talukdar who made an effort to make his subject interesting. I developed interest in engineering only at the masters' level at Syracuse University (New York state) because of which I went on to finish a Ph. D. but I did not want to do engineering all my life and hence quit 1.5 years after my Ph. D. BHU was an educational experience in life.

I learned more outside the classrooms than inside. Long hours of sipping tea outside De hotel at Bechu's or at Mochu's (he is still there - I saw him the other day when I had gone to Varanasi) and discussing all subjects under the sun was the most enlightening experience. There were very few good human beings among the professors. I can only remember S.K. Kak, who was my warden. I had contested the election of IT Councillor in my final year. I won but subsequently got disillusioned with politics and escaped to the US to gain some respite only to find that life there was worse than in India; hence decided to return as soon as I finished my Ph. D. from the University of California, Berkeley in 1992.

Q-9 What advice will you give to some one who wants to give up his promising career and plunge into the social service work?

Listen to your heart. Do what would make you happy, but as citizens, esp. educated ones, it is our duty to work for a better society. My definition of a better society is one which will be free of all artificial divisions created between human beings in the name of caste, race, religion, nation, gender, class, etc. We have to work for a society in which every human family can live and earn their livelihood with dignity. Actually, the best way to ensure that you're on the right track is to use Gandhi's talisman - find out if what you're doing is going to help the last person of society. If it is, then your decision is right.

Q-10 What is Magsaysay award about?

It is named after a former president of Philippines but entirely funded by Rockefeller and Ford foundations of the US. It has somehow become a prestigious award. I returned the cash component of it because the Magsaysay foundation was not very happy with my decision to protest outside the US embassy and the fact that I had called the US state as terrorist in the official press conference of the Magsaysay foundation.

A day after the award ceremony in an unrelated event, some activists had decided to protest against the impending US attack on Iraq. I participated in this protest. Next day, a newspaper challenged me to return the $50,000 if ‘I was the principled man that I wanted them to believe.’ I returned it. I did not return the award because Magsaysay is like Nehru of Philippines. It would have hurt the sentiments of ordinary citizens there. Besides, the award has earlier gone to some people whom I consider my ideals - Vinoba Bhave, Jaiprakash Narayan, and Baba Amte. It would have meant disrespect to them too. But I have told the Magsaysay foundation that if they ever feel too embarrassed because of my activities they can tell me and I’ll return their award too.

Sandeepji, it was nice talking to you. Thank you very much for taking the time to respond to our questions.

(Mr. Sanat Mohanty helped Sandeepji to prepare the interview draft.)

Chronicle adds: All views expressed, including political, are the personal views of Dr Sandeep Pandey. It is Chronicle’s policy not to take sides.

For further reading:

1. Asha for education
   
   http://www.ashanet.org/
2. Rediff. interview with Sandeep Pandey
   http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/jul/31inter1.htm
3. Home page of Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation
   
   http://www.rmaf.org.ph/
4. The Southasian,org-magazine
   
   http://www.thesouthasian.org/
5. Profile of Sandeep Pandey on the Southasian.org
   http://www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2005/sandeep_pandey_a_profile.html
6. Lucknow lessons in university reform-a column by Sandeep Pandey
   http://www.indianexpress.com/story/20022.html
7. Sharmila Irom, a Living Icon of Liberty Famished Indians
   http://www.boloji.com/women/085.htm
8. Delhi police arrest Irom Sharmila
   
   
   http://www.hindu.com/2006/10/07/stories/2006100721591600.htm
9. Wikipedia about Sandeep Pandey
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandeep_Pandey

An article in Telegraph India about selection of institute and subject by students

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070426/asp/careergraph/story_7696402.asp

Tough choice: institute or subject?

Picking a reputed institute is more important, if you’ve cracked the engineering entrance exam. Tessy Koshy explains why at a time when scores of students are busy preparing for engineering entrance exams, the quintessential dilemma they face is what’s more important –– the field of study or the reputation of the institute. How do they decide between textile engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and computer engineering at a state-level engineering college? Or, for that matter, between mechanical engineering and electrical engineering at IIT.

Ideally, the decision should depend on the student’s aptitude and interest but in reality, it is usually determined by peer pressure and market forces. “Unfortunately, in most cases, the choice of a subject stream is determined by the student’s rank in the entrance exam,” points out R.K. Thareja, dean, academic affairs, IIT Kanpur.

According to industry experts, the reputation of the institute should be the primary determinant. “Students should pick a good institute over a subject specialisation. So if you are getting admission in metallurgy engineering at one of the IITs and computer engineering at a state- level college, I would advise you to opt for one of the IITs,” says Praveen Tyagi, director, Quest Tutorials, a Delhi-based coaching institute. Tyagi himself is an alumnus of IIT, Roorkee.

But if you have the option of choosing between two subject streams at an IIT then it is advisable to pick the subject that interests you. The reason is evident. For each engineering aspirant, the final goal is a well-paying career at the end of those four years. And unlike a lesser known college, a reputed institute would guarantee good placements. “We always advise students to go by their aptitude and interest, but the reality is that your first job is crucial to jump-start your career,” says Praveen Sheikh, head psychologist at Young Buzz India Ltd, Mumbai.

At a reputed institute, the placement season sees top companies making a beeline to recruit students. In such cases, it does not matter if you are a student of computer engineering or textile engineering as students get a fair chance to prove themselves.

In fact, employers are flexible about specialisation areas if the candidate is from a good institute. Besides rewarding placement opportunities, a good institute also offers its students exposure to research activities and practical projects, along with the benefits of a well-versed faculty. Students can also take up projects in other subjects or do minor courses in related fields. This would help them gain an understanding of various subjects. Also, with a good score in the first year, the student gets a chance to change streams.

But if you don’t manage to get into a well-known institute, keep an eye on some crucial parameters before choosing a college. Says Dipan Ghosh, professor of physics at IIT, Mumbai, “You should take into consideration the location of the institute, its placement record and faculty profile. Also, speak with the alumni.” It makes sense to opt for a sought-after subject stream.

Unfortunately, most students decide on subject specialisations under societal pressure and are often ill-informed. For instance, students think that they need biology to study biotech engineering, or that aerospace engineering may lead to a life in space or that chemical engineering involves the study of chemistry. “The truth is that you don’t really need prior knowledge of biology to study biotech engineering. There is no study of inorganic chemistry in chemical engineering and aerospace engineering is the study of aerodynamics and aerospace structures and does not guarantee a career as an astronaut,” says Tyagi.

On the specialisation front, the current sought-after streams are computer engineering, electrical and electronic engineering. Mechanical and chemical engineering remain evergreen options. “The most popular option today is software engineering and electronic engineering as it is easier to get a job in these sectors. The best companies with the lucrative packages continue to chase students from these streams,” says Tanmaya Mathur, fourth year student of chemical engineering at IIT, Roorkee. At Roorkee this year, Microsoft offered a package of Rs 11.32 lakh to 12 students while Shell Technologies offered a salary package of Rs 12.6 lakh to 26 students.

In fact, so lucrative is the software industry that students from other subject streams also eventually land jobs in software companies. “Even students from mechanical, automation, electrical and telecommunications engineering end up working at software companies. The difference in salary is huge. While other companies offer annual salary packages of Rs 3-4 lakh, IT companies offer about Rs 12 lakh,” says R.P. Singh, director, Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology in Delhi.

Now that you are well-informed and equipped to make a choice, weigh your options and go for what suits you best.

An article in Telegraph India about Supreme Court banning ragging on campus

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070517/asp/frontpage/story_7790085.asp

Spare ragging rod, spoil flow of cash
OUR BUREAU

May 16: Colleges can no longer wash their hands of ragging — the campus rite of passage that has lost its innocence — and among the first beneficiaries could be a student in Bengal.

The Supreme Court today made it incumbent upon educational institutions to file a first information report with police if an incident of harassment is brought to their notice.

Other than imposing “personal liability” on institute heads, the court asked the government to consider withdrawing aid to those failing to check ragging.
Under normal circumstances, lodging an FIR is the responsibility of the victims or their representatives, such as parents.

Many institutes, wary of either a backlash from other students or a possible blot on their reputation, choose to sweep complaints of ragging under the carpet.
But the court today said the onus lies on the institutes to activate the process of law if the parents are not satisfied with the action taken internally.

Bengal could become the first state where the order will be put to test. Relatives of Sarojit Biswas, a polytechnic student who fled his institute in Birbhum because of ragging, said they would visit the college tomorrow to file a complaint against the six students who harassed him.

The college has been saying that an FIR would be lodged only if an internal probe panel found the suspects guilty. However, after today’s court ruling that kicks in immediately, the institute will have to file an FIR if the relatives insist.
The institutes’ FIR will be in addition to the disciplinary and other deterrent actions taken by the educational institutions and previous reports lodged by them.

Heads of institutions or wardens would not be absolved of their liabilities even if the victim or parents had already filed an FIR, the court clarified.

“Any failure or delay in lodging an FIR will be construed as culpable negligence on the part of institutional authorities,’’ a bench headed by Justice Arijit Pasayat said.

The directives were based on the recommendations of a government-appointed committee headed by former CBI chief R.K. Raghavan.

Calling for exemplary punishment, the court said institutes sho