NERD-Final-After-Proof-Orientation with Power
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
I NDIAN I NSTITUTE O F T ECHNOLOGY K ANPUR P A G E 1 & ngineering E INSIDE… esearch esearch on PoWER 2 evelopment evelopment R SnT Clubs round up 3-4 D CESE Building 5 (An IITK Students’ Publication) otes G-E3 5 N Eyes on the Skies 6 ICARUS ‘10 6 ‘Jugnu’ Dr. H.C.Verma – Naam To Suna Hi Hoga Dr H.C. Verma experiments for students. Can you forged by 15 years of school education. needs no please elaborate on your favorite Yet, we can try. When I take the first introduction. experiment? year B.Tech course on physics, I The idol for all Dr. Verma: (Smiles) I have devised perform small experiments in class to JEE aspirants, around 150 simple experiments and correlate theory with practical, and tell the favorite of have an emotional attachment with all them stories about the interrelation of all students of them, but the one that has clicked different aspects of education. Just who have ever the teachers the most is the ‘Dettol pumping in information is not the attended his Bottle Experiment’. It demonstrates the pedagogy to be followed with IIT PHY102 or internal reflection of light from a water Kanpur students.They probably need PHY103 class, surface in a dettol bottle. We take a no professor for it. But we give them the godfather of all kids from various dettol bottle, fill it partly with water too much of information and no underdeveloped localities close to IIT and make it turbid by adding dettol or education. The music masters teach IIT Kanpur is onto it’s Kanpur, the pedagogical Guru and a soap. Then a laser beam is introduced one ‘Raga’ to their disciples and rest is Nano Satellite Mission-Jugnu, with a left to their creativity. Such pedagogy st great social engineer. NERD team got through the sides, which gets internally team of students (from 1 year un- the pleasure of talking to him about reflected by the water surface. Due to needs to be implemented here too. dergraduates to final year postgradu- various facets of his personality. Here turbidity, the path traced by the beam NERD: No platform exists in IIT ates) under the guidance of faculty are some of the excerpts of his is clearly visible and the internal Kanpur where people working on members and scientists of ISRO to interview with us: reflection of light can be easily seen. various research areas can write for the launch India’s very own first Nano NERD: Sir, you have been in this Invariably, all the teachers who have general audience. NERD is such an Satellite. The mission hopes to pur- institute for almost two decades. What seen this experiment have given it a initiative. What plans would you suggest vey miniaturized space technology to trend have you witnessed in technical loud applause, and they have told me to sustain it? India and space systems experiences and research activities over the time that the reaction was similar when they Dr. Verma: NERD is an attractive performed this in their class in schools. idea. There are two aspects involved to the students. and students’ involvement in them? NERD: It has been felt that the very with people active in research- their The mission when realized Dr. Verma: The technical activities have gone up very significantly. When I instinct for gaining knowledge gets own personal careers and the will give India a less than 3 kg was a student here, the only such satisfaction of being heard by a larger “Target of cracking JEE is a (10*10*32 cm in size) machine, with activity I saw was through the Physics audience. If they are provided an functions similar to a normal satellite. Society- talks by professors and paper false target.” opportunity with not much time constraint, they will contribute to reading contests. Now, students are drastically low among students once getting more involved in research NERD and this would be beneficial for they clear JEE. Do you think that efforts the campus community in general. I activities as SURGE and going out for like Anveshika can regain their interest summer training at various research would personally love to contribute as in science? much, and with 300 faculty members in centers and universities all across the Dr. Verma: The roots for this world. IITK, you need not worry about its problem lie in the school education, NERD: Your book ‘Concepts of Physics’ sustainability. which is unable to set a nice goal for NERD: What do you think was the is nationally reputed and respected as the students. I receive mails from the Bible of Physics. What was your vision of setting IIT Kanpur? How far students of class 11 and 12 that the we have realized it in half a century? motivation and inspiration for goal of their life is to crack JEE. These Dr. Verma: IITs were set up to JUGNU– After authoring that book? are all false targets. Once the goal is develop a technological base which can deployment achieved, they have nothing to do. The Dr. Verma: (Laughs) I s t a r t e d drive India into a global competition. education in science has such a teaching Physics at the r e p u t e d P a t Yes, IIT Kanpur is an international beautiful path to follow, but science is n a Science College in 1979. I was asked brand name now. I have seen a The payload will consist of indige- taught in history fashion in schools. The to teach B.Sc and M.Sc students as well significant contribution of students nously designed camera for IR re- bigger joy of discovering nature is not as those in standards 11 and 12. I was a recently in managing the show, despite mote sensing, a GPS receiver and an experienced and put forth. Anveshika is big fan of the book by Resnick and the fact that they come after 15 years Inertial Measurement Unit. essentially an open ended laboratory Halliday, but Iwas unable to motivate of forging. where uncommon experiments are set Jugnu, when ready, will be students of standards 11 and 12 for NERD: Describe Dr. H.C. Verma in launched from Satish Dhawan Space up without constraints of any board understanding physics by teaching with syllabus or examination. New one line. Centre, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh that book. It was indeed a shock for Dr. Verma: (Thinks) I have by ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Ve- experiments are continuously evolved me. Over the years, I realized that I as and when any idea strikes the experienced that science is very hicle (PSLV). enjoyed that book because I studied it students or the teachers. Students in enjoyable. I try to integrate myself with The objective is, not making in my M.Sc., when I was mature enough classes 9, 10 and 11 need to work in education, science and society at large. a nano satellite alone, but also to to appreciate its beauty. I looked for such areas Dr. H. C. Verma NERD: What is your final message to develop potential human resource other physics books for my students NERD: Your home page states that the students? and infrastructure for space research but could not find one containing the the present education system in the Dr. Verma: My message is that there programs in the institute working same implicit beauty of physics. Finally, country lacks the basic elements of is much more to explore in nature. side by side with ISRO. So, come I decided to give a try at authoring one practical knowledge, ethical and Don’t focus just on the course content. forward and help us realize it. such book. I took 8 years to complete it. virtuous values. What pedagogical If you can appreciate the implicit beauty NERD: You have been taking various techniques or improvements would you of science and engineering, it will be initiatives for innovative physics suggest at IIT Kanpur? great. teaching at school level by devising Dr. Verma: Well, as you see, it is many simple demonstration too late for students as they are already -Attributed from NERD Volume 1 Issue 1 P AGE 2 Transocean India), Anil Patni (Head, Communi- Open Rubik’s Cube Competition (IORC) car- In a world that has witnessed a fairy cation and External Affair TATA BP Solar), ried the trend from last year and gave the world transformation, the role of science and Anand Kumar (Director, Research and Devel- ‘cubers’ a stage to show their fast and furious technology in altering human lives can never be opment Indian Oil Corporation), Rohit Bansal performance. ‘Endeavour’ – the open hardware overemphasized. Like Jonathan Livingston Sea- (COO, INDIA TV) shared their valuable competition, ‘Gearloose’ – the gadget design ‘takneek’ gull, the human intellect knows no barriers and thoughts in the Panel Discussion themed- competition, ‘Cosmos’ – the astronomy cor- Techkriti 2009 explored the power of the mind ‘Energy 2020’. ner, and ‘Eureka’ – the Research Paper presen- to the very limit. This year Techkriti also witnessed the tation competition where the best of the best The flavour of The central idea of Techkriti'09 is to launching of the yearbook named ‘Transforming were competing against each other. come up with ideas that change the course of Thoughts’ which contained a message by Dr. A. ‘RoboGames’, a point of central attraction, saw science and technology human history - "transforming thoughts" are P. J Abdul Kalam and interviews of Mr. Ratan teams fighting against each other in is tasted soon after you indeed the holy grail of innovations.