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The Quarterly BITSians: Dr. SP Kothari, Professor at MIT Sloan & Prithviraj Chavan, Minister of State
The BITSAA Edition
Sandpaper [2.0] Fall 2004 Issue II Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine
Mahatma Gandhi, the missing Nobel Laureate
Rebel with a cause: Tosh Sheshabalaya
The Rule of Three by Prof. Rajendra Sisodia
IT in China: How BITS Pilani you can benefit Admissions A conversation History, debates and a solution with Dr. Meera Bannerji
Bridle IT, BITS Pilani’s first incubated How they did it: company Rajesh Hukku & the i-flex Story ______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 0
Ads by BITSian ventures Wissen is seeking outstanding BITSians to join their team
Buy the world’s best cricketing gear or play fantasy cricket online
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Sandpaper [2.0] Fall 2004 Issue
CONTENTS
3 EDITORIAL RESEARCH & INNOVATION 53 The Rule of Three: Dr. Raj Sisodia (’74) FEATURES 4 Chitti aye hai – Letters & Opinions GENERAL INTEREST 6 Sandpaper Online 58 Mahatma Gandhi – the missing laureate 7 News 61 IT in China: From the Land of the Dragon 11 Masala & Spice 65 From Dilip’s Corner: Srinagar & Adoption 67 Making a difference COVER STORY 12 History of BITS Admissions EDUCATION & ACADEMICS 15 Admissions – Issues and Admissions 70 When Academicians become Entrepreneurs: Prof. Vijay Jog (’69) NOSTALGIC NOTES 72 Rebel with a cause: Tosh Sheshabalaya (‘76) 21 Reminiscences by Dr. Meera Bannerji 73 Excerpts from “The Rising Elephant” 24 The 74-79 Silver Jubilee 74 AP Mathur’s (’70) Sabbatical in the Sands
NOTES FROM PILANI THE QUARTERLY BITSIAN 32 Bridle IT: Made in Pilani Labs ! 76 Prof. SP Kothari (’74), MIT Sloan Professor 34 Dr. Meera Bannerji: A Woman of Substance 80 Prithviraj Chavan (’63), Minister of State & 36 SPICMACAY: The BITS Chapter Rajya Sabha Member, Government of India 38 BITS Pilani @ Goa opens for business MERA BHARAT MAHAAN CREATIVE & HUMOR 81 Coupling microindustry with rural schools 40 Cartoons 84 Dr. AKS Gopalan (’62): Director ISRO & SAC 42 Poetry 44 The battle of Bunker Hill ALUMNI CORNER & BITSAA Initiatives 46 The CGPA strategy 87 Partyin’ around the world 92 BITSian 2 BITSian – a more powerful idea LEADERS & ENTREPRENEURS 92 Getting into the world’s top MBA Schools 48 Rajesh Hukku (’74) & i-flex story 94 OLAB - Of Sand, Silicon and Oysters
96 SELECTED CLASSNOTES
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 2 Editorial Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee
If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there…
distance, hear sounds through the fog, and are It’s a statement I think about often. In my thrilled by the images of these destinations near life, I can count five times that I have been sure of and far. I want to spend time figuring out how I what I wanted to do, and took the roads to those can clear a path to these new possibilities. And destinations. In between, it has been largely a when my son leaves to follow his own path, just process of discovery. like I did at 17 years of age, I want to bid him farewell with the confidence that he will be safe; Five academic degrees, four companies, three but satisfied that I would have taught him well for continents, and one startup later, I find myself at the journey that lies before him. the crossroads again. I’ve learnt a few things to date. That most roads don’t lead anywhere, and This magazine was a journey of personal most of the time, we don’t think about where we discovery. It reminded me how much I enjoy to are going. Life is a series of journeys to different write, to work with like-minded BITSians. In past destinations, with different passengers and editions I spoke of the vast greatness, of purpose changing scenery. I know where I want to get to, or even a path paved with gold. I must admit that but I wonder how to begin the next one. for Sandpaper, some of these thoughts may never have crossed my mind. Yet it is an exciting time. I’m 35, and I’ve made a list of possible destinations, each with a different When we first started Sandpaper, there were a theme. Purpose, Entrepreneurship. Leadership. few stragglers. I look back and see so many Achievement, Mission. These thoughts swirl around following, stronger and fitter than I am. I have in my mind like snowflakes in Central Park in decided to hand over the wheel, to become a January. And somewhere in the snowdrift, hides a passenger. But I let others pass with mixed path that could show the way. feelings. I am saddened because I will miss our creative process that has made these two years For most of us, our journey did truly begin at Pilani. so much fun. BITS gave us the engine to power this trip. We bid our goodbyes in Vidya Vihar and went about our But I am also enthused, imagining the mornings I ways. Only recently we’ve chanced upon this global will wake up, check my email and find a new, BITS community. We’ve realized that this unread edition. When I pick up my coffee and community can give us with extra fuel and a new settle back with the smell of print still fresh from set of tires for our individual trips. Maybe even a my ageing HP printer, I will turn the pages and tune-up or new directions. remember the days that all this began. BITSAA’s mission is to inspire us to continue up the I am entrusting Sandp in very good hands. path. A number of initiatives shall help in the quest. Sandeep has the drive, the vision, the abilities The alumni directory (which is finally underway) will and the support of a very energetic and talented connect us to others in ways we did not even team to continue our mission. imagine. The bits2bschool initiative will ensure that I am off on my journey. But before I go, I’d like you raise the bar on your MBA dream. We want to thank my team for all their hard work, thank you to think of Harvard, INSEAD, IIM-Ahmedabad, those who emailed or called with words of of the world’s greatest schools. In research, dream encouragement, and thank especially all of you of the Nobel, the Fields Medal, of the Lemelson-MIT for reading what we Prize. In business, achieve the heights of Vivek, had to say. Rajesh and Mukesh. Desire no less than Padma Shri’s and Knighthoods for your work. Choose your Chalta hoon. I’ll be roads carefully. seeing you around. As we speed along the highways of life, or navigate Anupendra Sharma the treacherous turns, we may find other BITSians. (’87 Eco Instru) Walking; stuck; lacchaing; waiting. Stop and talk Chief Editor to them. Help them. Give them a ride. Your paths may cross again. Nov 26, 2004
In my personal journey through life, I am accompanied by my wife and son. Together as a Pic: With Rohan in Ithaca family we see the tops of gleaming minarets in the
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 3 Letters & Opinions Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine
Chitthi Aye Hai
ON THE SPRING 2004 EDITION OF WHAT’S DELHI COMING TO ? - A SANDPAPER 2.0 HANDICAPPED PERSON INCIDENT
It was good to learn about the activities of fellow BITSians I would like to share one incident which has become very through Sandpaper. We are having a reunion of our 69 common for handicaps in Delhi. Even employees of batch in Washington from Aug 27 - 29. The effort is being reputed companies like LG India behave improperly. I was led by a great BITSian by the name of Jasbir Saini. Please accompanying my brother, who cannot walk properly, for contact him at [email protected]. It may be too late to the office bus at District Center in West Delhi and crossed announce that in the Sandpaper but in the future he can a crowd of few people standing on the footpath and waiting keep you informed about our batch's upcoming activities. for bus. They insulted my brother for his disability. He Thanks for doing a great job, as a BITSian you have cried and could not say anything. It gave me shock that acquired the rights to visit us in Houston and even get a highly educated, well mannered guys, people from elite meal or too that includes a sweet dish also. group also behave in such a bad manner that it hurts very much to handicaps. I also could not say anything. Radhe Shyam Sharma, BITS ‘69 (Electrical) [email protected] Vikas Sarin I very much appreciate your efforts in bringing our Sandpaper in an excellent way. My interview has been ART BY BITSIANS reproduced quite correctly. Thanks for the reporting and I am happy that it has been received well. With best wishes I came across the bitsaa.org website, I am a BITSian (1994 to you and all others who have made this paper quite C5), thought I should share some of the stuff I do. I am an attractive, artist and I do paintings, sketches and also these days’ Dr. L.K. Maheshwari, Director – BITS Pilani electronic sketches (MS Paint). I am sending you a sketch to share with BITSians – an electronic sketch (MS Paint) of [email protected] Ganesha with geometric figures for Ganesh Chaturthi. (see Amazing write-up,....I am zapped with the dept.....you most below or go to “Art by BITSians” in Photo Galleries on the positively were high when you wrote it weren't you BITSAA Sandpaper website) ?...Exactly my thoughts about looking back at 50-60 and being able to say that life was fulfilling and I've had a good Praveen Rachakulla [email protected] run....Keep up the good work. Sumit Misra [email protected] I simply enjoy reading SandP - it gets me inspired, nostalgic and reconnects me with BITS a lot more than other things do. Keep up the great work! Pushpa (’91 Comp Sci) [email protected] Just managed to read the entire Sandpaper! It was wonderful reading and you guys have put in tremendous effort. I think it is a great job. I am now in the USA (Glen Rock, NJ) and can be reached on my cell phone 513-225- 2749. Dr. KRVS “Raja” Subramanian [email protected] ON THE THREAT OF SONIA Spectacular efforts. Kudos. BECOMING PM – AND INDIA Aravind Ramachandran [email protected] EMBRACING RAHUL’S GIRLFRIEND
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Wake up people. Or be ready for Rahul Gandhi's girl friend to get there. I think this will bring more visibility and to be the next PM!!!! quality to college admissions. I guess the problem should be not with her foreignness...I would not mind having any of these guys (as PM): Saurabh Kumar - Mark Tully (BBC's voice of India for over 30 years) A YAHOOGROUP FOR BITSIANS - David Frawley (aka Pandit Vamadeva Sastri, PREPARING FOR MBA pioneered Ayurveda and a way of living called Hinduism) ADMISSIONS
- Robert D. Blackwill (former US ambassador for We've started a new yahoo group India) ("bits2bschool") for BITSians who are aspiring - Kenneth Keniston (Director of MIT India program) for a professional management career and have set their sights on an MBA degree from - Geoffrey Boycott (May be he knows more than Sonia leading bschools in the world. The group about our cricket craziness) or welcomes all BITSians who would want to - Michael Witzell (who strongly supports Aryan master the bschool admissions process and get invasion theory) that coveted seat in their dream schools.
- Or even VS Naipaul (who called India a huge area of Here, we'll discuss the applications, the essays, darkness.) the options, the rankings, the financing; in Because they all embraced India because they chose to. Not short, everything that happens after your because they had to. (Embracing the son of PM of a GMAT and before your first day at bschool. country is all together different from embracing a country). Not just this, BITSians who have already gone through this process will be sharing their Kesava Mallela experiences with all of us. So if you are planning to do an MBA and have a dream of ADMISSIONS TO PILANI (Hundreds making it to Harvard/Stanford/Wharton, this is surely the place to be. I'll appreciate your co- of alums have written about this) operation in restricting this group to BITSians only. There should be a cut-throat hard examination to get into BITS. Let all students from all over India compete for Abhinav Gattani ¨ getting the best. Like they do for IIT's, preparing 1-2 years
The New Main Library Building at BITS Pilani
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SandpaperOnline www.bitsaa.org/sandpaper/sandpaper.html
FIND PAST STORIES YOU FORGOT TO READ This published version appears twice a year, accompanied by online newsletters. To access our archived stories, cartoons, humor, class notes stories, visit our website.
BITSAA Newsletter BITSians IN ACADEMICS Every month we bring you a newsletter At last count, there with stories about BITS and BITSAA were 208 BITSian through the Yahoogroups. In case you alums teaching as miss an edition, you can visit the professors at Newsletter archives online and go through universities and any issues and news that you may have research institutes missed out on. around the world. All details including Photo Galleries research, emails and phone Click on “Photo Galleries” on numbers are to be www.bitsaa.org and see photos of Pilani, found on the cartoons, artwork and books by BITSia ns, website. Contact as well as profiles of BITSians in business, these professors. academia and research. Start a dialogue!
TEAM SANDPAPER - 34 Pierce Road, East Windsor, NJ 09520
EDITORIAL BOARD Dilip D’Souza & Anuradha Gupta The Sandpaper team is a (Also includes *ed) global team in the United CHIEF EDITOR Anupendra Sharma* States, India, Canada and ASSOCIATE EDITORS Sandeep Mukherjee, Ashish Garg & China. Join us ! Pushkala Venkatraman NEWSLETTER Venu Palaparthi & BR Natarajan Send your nominations, letters, comments, NOSTALGIA & GENERAL Laxman Mohanty & Sandhya Krishnan suggestions, articles and BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY Tirumala Rao Talasila & Aanand Krishnan requests to join the team EDUCATION & ACADEMICS Vikas Chandra & Raghavan Damodaran by emailing CREATIVE & HUMOR Sagarika Jaganathan & Antara [email protected] Bhattacharya CARTOONS Rahul Chandra, Sabya Kar & Nikhil Adnani Visit our website at: CLASS NOTES Suraj Srinivasan www.bitsaa.org/ sandpaper/sandpaper.htm PILANI TEAM Divya Divakaran*, Chandy John Benjamin l and Himabindu Chitta
TECHNOLOGY TEAM Prasad Thammineni & Pirasanna BITSAA International has Venugopal (Alum team); Gaurav Verma, Ramya Satyam, Anuj Prateek and been granted 501(c)3 Imtiazuddin Ahmed (Pilani team) tax-exempt status by the THANKS Sunil Robert (i-flex), Shubha Sharma (Emerson), IRS, and is registered in Dr. G Raghurama, Dr. KRVS Subramanian, Dr. New Jersey, USA. AP Mathur, Som Dutt Dadeech, Garima Kocchar, KG Lakshminarayanan, K Meduri, Deepanjan © All copyrights for these Mitra , Santhana Satagopan, Arvind Singh, Mani articles belong solely to Sundaram, Srikanth Tummala, Bhavana Thudi, Seshadri Vasan, Ganesh Venkataraman, and the the authors unless stated. entire ‘74 batch
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BY THE SANDPAPER NEWS TEAM BITS & BITSAA NEWS
tenureship at UCLA’s Anderson this appointment, he was a senior October 2004: Pavan Kumar School of Management. Kumar analyst at Motilal Oswal Securities Hanumolu (’93 Eco EEE) has received his MA and PhD in and brings with him over 15 years been selected as a recipient of a Operations Management from The experience in tracking diverse sectors 2004-05 Intel Foundation PhD Wharton School, University of like pharmaceuticals, automobiles, Fellowship Award. Intel Pennsylvania. His current research FMCG, oil and gas, petrochemicals, interests include industrial process among others. A management management, retail operations graduate from BITS, Pilani, he was management, and operations ranked in AsiaMoney's brokers’ poll management in the theme parks & and in the overall best analyst entertainment industry. category for the pharmaceutical sector. October 2004: Prof PN. Chowdhury (former head of the September 3, 2004: Reena MMS Dept.) and Professor of Aggarwal (’79 MMS) has been Economics and management at appointed the interim Dean at BITS died this month of a heart Georgetown University's McDonough attack following complications of School of Business (MSB). Reena, Fellows, leaders of Intel diabetes at his home in Salt Lake who has an MMS from BITS and a research and technology, City, Kolkata. Prof. Chowdhury PhD. from Univ of Maryland, has personally recommend the retired from BITS a few years worked as a professor at the MSB candidates for this award. He ago. He had been the Director of a since 1986 and currently teaches can be reached on government-sponsored corporate [email protected] organization prior to BITS and finance and had been an active consultant to investment Pavan is one of the 35 people to the government sector (especially banking. receive this award that is given for promoting processed-leather She will out each year by Intel to exports from India) since his serve as students they deem "The Best of retirement. His son Prasun is a dean for the Best" from select US BITSian from the '84 batch. the 2004- universities. The $42,000 award BITSians may email their 05 school covers one year of full tuition, condolences to Prasun at year, while required fees, and a twelve- [email protected]. the search month stipend. The fellowship for a award includes the assignment October permanent MSB dean continues. Dr of an Intel mentor, who will be 2004: Aggarwal specializes in international available to offer Hanumolu Sanjay stock markets and initial public support and advice. Chawla offerings. As a Fulbright Scholar, she (MMS) visited Brazil and Chile to research October 2004: Kumar has their stock markets and privatization Rajaram (’86 Math EEE) was joined plans. She was a Visiting Research awarded SBI Scholar at the International Monetary Capital Fund in 2003, and has also worked on Markets major consulting projects sponsored Limited by the IMF. (SBI Caps) as Vice-President and Group Head, Research. Prior to
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subsidiary of Illinois Tool Works - US$ 100 mn fund, which is owned a $10 billion, Fortune 500 50:50 between Standard Chartered company. In India, the company is Private Equity (SCPE) and Temasek the leading industrial packaging Holdings of Singapore, a $500 solutions provider with a product million private equity firm. Merlion offering that includes strapping, is a high-profile private equity firm wrapping, protective packaging, investing in India, across sectors, in etc. strategic minority and buyout deals, in unlisted and listed comp anies. The September 2004: Shyam Vai firm invests US$20 million or more in (’91) released his CD titled any single deal. Merlion has invested "Chicago" on June 5th in Chicago. in Aurobindo Pharma. September 2004: Pratap G. "Chicago" is a Tamil album of Pawar (’67 BE) was profiled contemporary melodies. The CD, July 2004: G Ravindra Kumar (’77 recently in the media. He is the launched on his private label, has Phy Mech) (Munna) has been Managing Director and quickly become a big hit among awarded the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Managing Editor of Sakal BITSian and Tamil audiences Award for 2003. Ravi did his Physics Papers Ltd. and Chairman of worldwide. The number & Mech from BITS and went on to Ajay Metachem group of IIT Kanpur for a PhD and then joined Industries. He is also Director of TIFR. The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar various companies in India and (SSB) Prizes are awarded annually by overseas including Finolex the Council of Scientific & Industrial Cables Ltd., Kirloskar Oil Research (CSIR) to outstanding Engines Ltd, Lucknow and Pan Indian research workers in seven Gulf Group Ltd., UK Baramati disciplines of science and technology. Grapes Ltd., etc. Pratap Pawar's The SSB Prizes are awarded to Sakal Group owns a Marathi scientists for their outstanding daily and weekly which has a scientific contributions made readership of an astounding 4.5 primarily in India during last 5 years million readers across all preceding the year of the award. The corners of Maharashtra and Goa. 'Beethoven Issai' has already Advisory Committees selected 13 He is also former President of achieved cult status. Familiar to scientists for the Award. Ravi was The Mahratta Chamber of most BITSians as Studsu, Shyam one of two scientists awarded in the Commerce, Industries and was the Best Keyboardist during Physical Sciences category. Ravi’s Agriculture and was the Roctaves for three years in email is [email protected] Tel in president of The Indian succession! Mumbai is +91 22 2280 4545. Newspaper Society for the year 2001-2002. He is also a senate August 2004: Ashok Luhadia July 1, 2004: Suraj Srinivasan (’86 member of the University of (’68 Pharm) was presented with Math EEE) became the first ever Pune. His brother is the three the award, "Businessman of the BITSian time Maharashtra CM, Sharad Year" in New Delhi. Ashok did to Pawar. both his undergraduate and graduate graduate studies in Pharmacy with a September 2004: RVS from BITS. He has been an PhD from Ramakrishna (’78 Chemical), entrepreneur ever since he came to the Managing the US in the early 80's. Harvard Director of Business ITW August 2004: A. Arumugam School Signode (’88 Chemistry EEE) was (HBS). Ltd. was appointed as Associate Director at Suraj was appointed as an Associate named the Merlion India. Arumugan did his Professor in Accounting at U Chicago Manager MBA from IIM Ahmedabad. He Graduate School of Business. Suraj of the Year is one of two people in the team has an MBA from IIM Calcutta. He by the Hyderabad Management based in Mumbai. The firm has a was the BITS Student Union Association. ITW Signode is a President in his third year.
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June 2004: Raj Kumar (’91 June 2004: Paddy Sinha (’89 credited with doing some trail-blazing Engineering Technology) was Computer Science) left ICICI work on engineering analysis and part of the successful Indian Ventures and joined as an modeling of the shaken-baby Navy Expedition that scaled Mt. Associate Director at Temasek, syndrome, which causes over 1,400 looking at infant deaths in the US every year. By investments across developing advanced computational diverse industries techniques for modeling of injuries in India. Temasek caused by shaken baby syndrome, Holdings of Patra's team is contributing to the Singapore is a $50 development of better diagnoses of billion investing the syndrome that may one day lead powerhouse in to improved treatment for survivors. Singapore with About half of the survivors investments in experience significant lifelong airlines, banking, problems, including blindness, eye real estate, ports, damage, seizures, developmental power, media and delays and paralysis. hotels. Listed Everest. Raj, the first sailor to companies in the Temasek group April 3, 2004: Baba Kalyani (BE complete a BS in Engineering represent over 20% of Singapore’s Mech) led his company Bharat Forge Technology from BITS Pilani, is market cap. In India, Temasek has (BFL) to become the second largest a Technical sailor from the made significant investments in forging company in the world. Baba submarine arm (INS Shankul). Matrix Labs and ICICI Bank, and Kalyani has an MS degree from MIT He was part of the 14-member is considered the “big 3 in India and he is the Chairman and Managing team that successfully put a alongside Warburg Pincus and Director of Pune-based BFL, the submariner, Commander ChrysCap. flagship company of the Rs 3,000- Satyabrata Dam on the summit crore Kalyani group. On April 3, of Mt. Everest from the more May 2004: Abani Patra (’87 2004, Bharat Forge signed a MoU difficult North Face. The team, Mech) and his team have with BITS-Pilani for a synergistic which did not use developed a screw pump that can relationship in Human Resource supplementary oxygen - the first be used in a device to Development. BITS will conduct a Indian team to do so, is also the decontaminate and purify juices, program at BFL which will primarily world's first all-navy team to enable BITS to offer a degree course reach the summit. Raj did a equivalent to BE to Kalyani Group basic mountaineering course employees. from NIM, Uttarkashi and an advanced program from DMAS, Manali. He is the first submariner to qualify as a Sky Diver. He has taken part in all the Naval expeditions and climbed Sujtilla, Kamet and Saser Kangri IV. He enjoys collecting information on the water and other liquids. Abani diverse cultures of India. An Patra is currently an Associate ardent sportsman, he has Professor at the Mechanical and represented Southern Naval Aerospace Engineering Babasaheb Kalyani has set a goal of Command in boxing, athletics department at SUNY Buffalo. and cross-country. Abani wrapped up a MS in making BFL the world's largest Mechanical Engineering at forging company by 2008. According to him the MoU with BITS Pilani June 2004: Anu Hasan (’88 University of Missouri-Rolla in 1990 and then a PhD. in would help equip BFL with the Phy MMS) has won the Tamil necessary human resources to achieve Nadu State Award for the Best Computational & Applied this ambitious goal. ¨ Character Artist in 2002 for the Mathematics from the University movie "Run". of Texas at Austin. Patra is also
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Announcing Sandpaper’s New Chief Editor (2005-2007): Sandeep Mukherjee (’95 Phy Mech)
Dear BITSian: We are pleased to announce that Sandeep Mukherjee (’95 Phy Mech) has been unanimously selected to take over the post of Editor for the next two years. He has been closely associated with the magazine since its inception, and is passionate about building a vision for Sandpaper. Sandeep works at Nationwide Insurance & Financial Services in Columbus, Ohio, as their Manager for Business Process Solutions. As a volunteer with the Columbus Literacy Council he teaches English Language Skills to immigrants from South Vietnam. At BITS, Sandeep was Joint Secretary of the English Press Club and on the Editorial Teams of Cactus Flower and Sandpaper. He also worked in the Department of Publications and Correspondence for OASIS ’96-97. He holds an MS in Industrial and Systems Engineering from The Ohio State University and dual degrees in MSc (Hons) Physics and BE (Hons) Mechanical Engineering from BITS. He enjoys the occasional hiking or skiing trip. Sandeep grew up in Calcutta, but is not doing the Bong clan proud since he is yet to read Arundhati Roy, Bharathi Mukherjee or Jhumpa Lahiri. But he promised us he would get started this winter. He is planning on an MBA, believes his future lies in climbing the corporate ladder. On behalf of the entire Sandpaper 2.0 team, we wish him luck in his new role! Anuradha Gupta, Dilip D’Souza, Divya Divakaran & Anupendra Sharma Sandpaper 2.0 Editorial Board
Sandpaper's raison d'etre: Communicate. Collaborate. Succeed. “In order to build and sustain an active, effective global alumni network our goal is to increase communication in the BITSian community and encourage alumni to leverage the resulting exchange of information and ideas, develop collaborative relationships and spawn success stories. Over the last several months working with the team has helped me build close personal friendships, identify mentors who provide valuable career guidance and feedback and in the process we've created a magazine we can call our very own. Our writers span 4 continents, bring to light ex-BITSians' social, academic and business achievements and know a thing or two about prose, poetry and graphic design. Alumni from few schools in the world are capable of demonstrating diversity in its broadest sense as we do. As we hurtle through our busy lives, we don't often stop to think about BITS Pilani Pride. Yet reading about and working with current and ex-BITSians as part of the BITSAA- Sandpaper Team has, without a shadow of doubt, helped me better appreciate the value of a BITS Pilani education. I look forward to hearing from you.”
Sandeep Mukherjee [email protected]
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a consequence of his love for a ruffian’s sister ! Anu Hassan plays the role of Madhavan, the protagonist’s, sister. The TN government announced a backlog of film awards for the years 2001 through 2003 this year.
Mani Shankar (’78) does a tango!
Ajay Devgan plays a paramilitary trooper in Mani Shankar's (’78 Chemical) Tango Charlie. Arvind Shankar (’91) Accompanying him are Bobby Deol, Tanisha and scores again! Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen's daughter Nandana
Arvind Shankar (’91) who wrote the score for one song in Aye Nee Romba Azhaga Rukkey is back with the score for the Tamil movie Kadhal FM. The movie is about a young radio jockey who falls in love with a girl. But his family prohibits him from expressing his love for her. However, wouldn’t you guess, the couple finally ties the knot! The story, screenplay, dialogues and direction are by Jayaprakash and Arvind produced the score for the movie. The audio of Kadhal FM has been received well by movie buffs and music critics alike.
Masala & Spice
Sen.
Mani says the film generous dollops of comedy, romance and drama too.
"People think action is just people firing at each other," says Mani Shankar. "But it is more than that. I had to do a lot of research, learn the tactics of the Bodos (rebels in Assam) and the PWG (the Naxalite People's War Group). I had to know more about the people who constantly fight them. We think terrorism Anu Hasan (’88) wins best (in India) is restricted to Kashmir, but it is really not." character artiste for Run The movie will be completed in September and is Anu Hassan (’88 Phy MMS) won the Tamil Nadu scheduled for a December release. It is the second Government's Best Character Artiste (Female) award action film from Mani after an outstanding Hindi for year 2002 for her role in Run – a story of a bold action film, December 16 which was a hit last year.¨ young man who faces and deals with adversity that is
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 11 Cover Story Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine BY THE SANDPAPER 2.0 TEAM THE HISTORY OF BITS ADMISSIONS This article traces the history of normalization, a corruption-free, decades-old method of admitting students that has stirred a raging debate in the entire BITSian community about its relevance. The controversy has arisen largely due to the admission of very large number of students starting in 1985, from only one or two states in India. The last government wrongly interfered to change the system, but it resulted in intense discussion about the pros and cons of the alternatives. Since we have not verified the figures, any facts should be taken to be directional at best, rather than a completely accurate reflection of the reality. The article cites the opinions of alumni who volunteered to share their views on this theme. The Sandpaper Team did not pre-select people or endorse specific opinions in this regard. BITS, Pilani since its inception as a This method worked well over the reduced opportunities in Institutes Deemed University in 1964 has years. It was a new and unique present in these areas.” admitted students purely on merit. system which was highly Till 1972, merit was based on the appreciated.” Venu Palaparthi (’87 CBSE Board total marks obtained in the and Hyderabad resident) says “In qualifying examination; the subjects A COMMENT ON BITS DIVERSITY 1987, out of the 500-odd students, considered being Physics, approx. 150 were from AP, which Chemistry and Mathematics (PCM) Prior to 1970's, BITS predominantly was less than the 200-odd TN for engineering. This system was contingent. Barring a year or two, I also followed by Delhi College of had students from one state – Rajasthan. Then students began have seen a gradual increase in the Engineering and most Regional numbers of AP students, who Engineering Colleges. coming from places closer, Delhi, UP etc. There were a few persons equaled TN in numbers by the time from the South, and even then those I graduated.” He goes on to add From 1970 to 1980, several changes were the persons who were living in that “On a recent trip to Pilani, I were introduced including the Delhi, etc. By the mid-to-late 70s, was struck by the overwhelming integrated curriculum, Practice geographical distribution of students number of Andhra students I met. School and the Dual Degree does not appear to be an issue, The percentages are clearly much Programs. Indian schooling also although the majority of the higher now.” changed to the 10+2+4 system. students were from North India, BITS moved to four year degree since there was a good dispersion of Ganesh Venkatraman (Phy EEE programs instead of five years. students amongst all regions '95 and a Chennai resident) concurs: including excellent Southern “Through the '95-'99 batches at In 1972, BITS introduced a new representation. BITS the percentage of students admissions policy, admitting its from AP and TN were students on the basis of normalized Chandra Bhople (’74 Maharashtra- approximately 60-70%. While I percentage of marks. This was also resident) remembers his days. don't know this for a fact or have the time when the "Unassigned “Even though BITS was really verifiable numbers on it, I do System of Admissions" was popular in the South especially believe this is the general perception introduced. This was immensely Tamil Nadu and people would and is reasonably accurate.” Ganesh unpopular and was discontinued sometimes consider going to BITS adds that “At least until 2000, most partially in 1978 and completely in instead of IIT, still we used to have students from CBSE were from 1979. substantial people from other boards TN.” as well. The diversity was as good From 1979 onwards, programs were as it can get.” The geographic Over the last two decades, students classified as Groups A, B and C diversity of BITS probably peaked from TN and AP appear to have programs, which was significant during the early 80s. kept an even grip on Pilani seats. since it assured all group B Abhijit Pethe (‘97 EEE) agrees that programs a dual degree from one of during the time he was in Pilani, THE RISE OF THE SOUTH the programs of Group A. 80% of the seats used to go to students from the South with those Dr. Raghurama says “Starting in Dr. G Raghurama, Dean of percentages becoming higher and 1985, large numbers of students higher closer to 2001. Admissions at BITS Pilani, says from the southern parts of India “The Institute decided on the started applying to BITS. Many scheme of normalized percentages regions in South India had the The strong showing of AP students of marks in order to remove the concept of seat reservations for the has been responsible for much of disparity in the evaluation systems backward classes, following which these increases. Unverified of different boards in the country. the so-called 'forward classes' had numbers suggest that substantially
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 12 Cover Story Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine more than 50% students at BITS high marks in Class XII exams, generally coming from urban areas Pilani campus came from AP in such as Vignan, that (according to such as Hyderabad, and were 2003. In 2004, we understand that their own website), contributes 30- generally split between the CBSE this percentage on the Pilani campus 60 students to BITS every year. and AP Board.” He adds that “As fell due to some changes made by This is similar to the coaching awareness about BITS Pilani BITS with respect to AP Board institutes for JEE in Kota, a topic increased in other areas of AP, and results. But, in its first year of we will touch on in the next article. amongst AP Board students, with admissions, a very significant AP students do well at IITs, their advantage of being allowed to majority of the 560 students although the percentages are write improvement exams for the entering Goa in 2004 came from significantly lower. Nagendar 11th grades, the numbers just AP, according to a student at BITS Bandi (‘98 IIT Guwahati) says exploded, which reflects the current Pilani-Goa. “Approx. 16% of all IIT JEE seats population.” were filled by AP students in 1998”. A significant number come through As awareness increased about the THE BATTLE BEGINS: THANKS TO the Ramaiah, Nalanda and BITS Pilani policy of admitting MURALI MANOHAR JOSHI students on merit, and greater Gowtham IIT coaching institutes. numbers were admitted, it created a In a separate an unrelated action, in cycle of even greater applications Andhra students reportedly do October 2001, according to Dr. from the South. Today, 80% of the significantly better on the AIEEE. Raghurama “The Government of 10,000 applications received by One student reported that they have India passed a resolution stating that BITS Pilani every year are from the taken more than 50% of the all five Southern states. available AIEEE seats last year.
THE SUCCESS OF ANDHRA This clearly shows the outstanding PRADESH performance, ambition and determination of the AP student, Chandrababu Naidu was a big especially when it comes to AIEEE supporter of higher education, and and Board exams. his efforts have reaped rich dividends for the state’s aspiring However, the enormous percentages students. His government paid Rs of AP students in Pilani resulted in 20,000 per year to every AP student rumblings amongst the alumni when who got admitted into BITS or IIT, an alum visiting Pilani in 2003 effectively providing them with a observed in an email on a BITSAA engineering, architecture and free education. AP students have yahoogroup that he saw and heard pharmacy seats in the country will done well, thanks in part to the that over 70% of the students have to be filled only by IIT -JEE, incentives, and the popularity of admitted to BITS were from AP in AIEEE or State Level Entrance engineering as a career in the state. 2003. examinations. While the IITs were allowed to carry on with their exams, it was made compulsory for all other universities having other modes of admissions to join the AIEEE. The reason given by the government was that it would help reduce multiplicity of exams, ease the financial burden and tension on students. The AIEEE exams would be based on the common minimum syllabus, which students, irrespective of the board they come from would be able to attempt uniformly. “
Dr. Raghurama says “It is important to note that the normalization method was not being challenged by anyone, including the government. The issues involved were much bigger, including the autonomy of a university, the role of government AP has several schools that are Venu explains the popularity of and UGC on university affairs etc.” “factories” fine tuned to producing BITS. “In 1987, students were
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 13 Cover Story Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine On this basis the Admissions Office admissions using their original Dr. Raghurama indicates that BITS went ahead with the advertisement criteria. immediately expressed its for the admissions process. unwillingness to join the AIEEE MM JOSHI DEPARTS! citing three reasons. Firstly, the But the Government moved the government resolution violates division bench of the Rajasthan With the change in government, on Article 19 of the constitution of High Court against BITS, and the India, which says that the admission Oct 1st, 2004 the new ministry case was heard all over again. The passed a notification stating that procedure is the prerogative of the division bench reversed the earlier Institute. Secondly, the current autonomy would be given back to decision, and ruled that BITS should all universities and that it was no method is a fair, transparent purely join AIEEE. By that time, AIEEE merit-based system with no quota or longer necessary for deemed exam had already been conducted universities to join the AIEEE. This reservations. Lastly, the planned for 2004 and there was no way system was discriminatory - JEE for supports the stand taken by BITS all BITS aspirants could take it if they along. IITs, AIEEE for everyone else. had not done so already.
IN CONCLUSION BITS offered alternatives to its BITS had already received more current system that should be than 10,000 applications based on followed for all schools in India. its advertisement. It was a trying Although the court case had nothing The government ignored its wishes, time; the court was on vacation till to do with the normalization process and BITS went to court. July, which meant BITS was in or the rise in AP students at BITS, danger of not being able to conduct the timing of the case resulted in BITS GOES TO COURT an admissions process at all that significant discussions and year. The HRD Ministry was not deliberations at BITS to start sympathetic. working towards a new admissions BITS filed a case in the Rajasthan process. The case should never have High Court regarding the gone to court, but it had an enforcement of this Central BITS management notified the unexpected outcome generating Government policy to dictate the applicants of the switch to AIEEE, healthy debate and a proposal for a admission procedure. which enraged many students who unique new examination by BITS were sure of getting into BITS. Pilani. ¨ An interim order was passed by the Some of these affected students Rajasthan High court allowing BITS moved the Supreme Court. The to carry on admissions in its own Supreme Court then ‘stayed’ the way. Later in April 2004, BITS got Rajasthan High Court order and a permanent judgment in the case. decided to allow BITS to conduct
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 14 Cover Story Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine BY THE SANDPAPER 2.0 TEAM ADMISSIONS – THE ISSUES & THE ALTERNATIVES Much has been discussed about the modality of admission to BITS, Pilani – a top choice for many of India’s brightest engineers. Though the current system clearly has problems, we commend the genuine efforts, constant soul searching and sense of urgency amongst BITS management to find a better alternative. This article also tries to clear up many misconceptions which are circula ting on the Internet. The BITS proposal under review internally is to conduct a GRE-type exam which will likely help the system. We thank many current and former students, faculty and alumni for their valuable input. Since we are unable to verify the figures, any facts should be taken to be directional at best, rather than 100% accurate reflection of the reality. The article cites the opinions of alumni who volunteered to share their views on this theme. The Sandpaper Team did not pre-select people or endorse specific opinions in this regard. BITS has a significant are so many times I have seen A NOTE ON NORMALIZATION branding issue in many states guys with huge percentages in India. According to the just apply for EEE, CS and We’d like to make a point Vice Chancellor (at a meeting Mech, (or a select few about the normalization in the Silicon Valley disciplines) and crossing out system before we examine recently) he observed that all other options. Based on the issues. It is a purely merit students from certain the competition, if he does based, transparent system that southern states are willing to not get the above 3, he has has been appreciated by come to BITS irrespective of kicked himself out of many, including the what degree is offered to reckoning from all others.” honorable Supreme Court. them, because the value of He adds that a significant Dr. Raghurama says “Many the BITS brand is so high. proportion of students do institutions wanted to follow Ashish Garg (’97 Instru), an this. the normalization procedure alum from UP mentioned that abandoning their existing in his hometown, Dehradun, KRVS then goes on to entrance tests since they BITS is not well known. compare the pattern of filling found many problems with Students from his class applications from AP, TN the tests. In fact, some preferred to go to lesser- and Maharashtra, “In this institutions have started ranked schools if they did not category, the number of following the normalization obtain the degrees of choice persons crossing out options procedure”. at BITS (which generally are at all is very insignificant. EEE and Computer Science). These guys appear to be The system clearly aims at ready to go to BITS and do fairness. This means that all Dr KRVS “Raja” anything” he says. Board toppers in India, Subramanian, KRVS) irrespective of their actual former Former Head of We risk making a “chicken marks, are admitted to Pilani Computer Science and the egg” argument if we every year. It is quite look at only a snapshot of this interesting that BITS gets 16- data. We believe there is a 17 Board toppers every year, lack of role models in many clearly to its advantage in Indian states which reduces attracting the best student the brand awareness of BITS from every state in India. so significantly. If admissions began creeping up in these However, the problem is that regions, the awareness would the system works in theory, Department & Dean of result in more champions for but no longer in practice. Distance Learning, adds “If BITS Pilani, and may Here’s why. an applicant needs to improve gradually drive up his/her chances of getting applications in under- THE ISSUE OF BRAND admitted, he/she must not represented states. "cross out" any option. There
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 15 Cover Story Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine W HAT’S WRONG WITH THE One issue is the BITS Normalization works if all BOARDS ? decision to have a broader Boards allot scores on a focus – Language plus PCM similar, say bell curve. If What about the actual instead of PCM alone. This there is a major skew near the numbers coming from is good for Boards where it is top, with concentration of a various Boards? According to easy to get high marks in the number of people in the same KRVS, approx. 35% students Language. For city dwellers, area, it would result in very came from the CBSE Board who generally take the CBSE high normalization results. (till 2001), followed by Board and choose English, it The skew is the reason why Boards of two primary states means that there is very little normalization fails in the AP in India. This changed when chance of them getting into case. the AP Board students BITS. CBSE Board students became the largest group in entering BITS generally Bhavana Thudi (’97 EEE) the last two years, causing the choose Hindi, French or from the AP Board says, “In current uproar. some regional language addition to the hard working, where one can get 95-100% seat-deserving AP student, PROBLEM #1: TIMING OF in the exams. Those who took there are many students who DECLARING EXAM RESULTS English will know how hard take advantage of the easy it is to get more than 70%- scoring exams.” Another KRVS admits that the 80% in these exams. With the student noted that the AP application date presents a normalization cutoff hovering system is not controversy- problem for key Northern around 98%, CBSE students free. We agree with states. He says “The last date who take English or a Bhavana’s view about the AP for receiving applications at difficult-to-score regional Board that “Currently, the Pilani is 30 June 2003. There language are always at a remarkable concentration of are a number of boards which disadvantage. Ganesh says high percentages” requires a have almost never released “In the TN board it is not careful review of their (AP the results of Class XII uncommon to get close to Board’s) system. exams before this date. 100% in French and Examples of these are UP, Sanskrit.” WHAT’S THE FALLOUT OF Rajasthan, Punjab (and oh, ALL THIS ? there are others too). During According to an ISC Board those few occasions when student “The same is true for There are two problems both these results were released on the ISC board where it is of which may have a long- time, we found that the tough to score good marks in term detrimental impact on number of applicants from English. A lot of students the BITS brand. these boards were relatively who have high PCM marks smaller.” but low marks in English lose PROBLEM #1: THE out due to the normalization IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSITY This is likely due to the lack based on EPCM.” of role models; although we have seen that a significant Santhana Satagopan (’90, percentage of second TN Board) says “Language semester admits seem to should not be part of any come from the Northern admission criteria. Look at all States, although these total the Chinese/Taiwanese numbers are quite small, students in Grad schools here since only a few seats are [in US]. Not great in spoken offered in the second and/or written English, but semester. fairly intelligent and hard working students.” Diversity can be defined in PROBLEM #2: THE many ways – religion, LANGUAGE ISSUE. OR THE PROBLEM #3: SKEWED geography, gender, income “SCOURGE OF ENGLISH” IN MARKING levels etc. We don’t want to THE CBSE BOARD be drawn into an academic debate on diversity, so we’ll
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 16 Cover Story Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine quote from The Office of Complex Equations to BITS philosophy of being Diversity at the Rensselaer figuring out how to land a transparent, distort the well Polytechnic Institute. The chopper on stage. This understood, albeit Office says “Students experience was invaluable. controversial current system, graduating today will live and Almost every BITSian CEO, and be subject to legal work in a global community entrepreneur and corporate challenges. of myriad geographies and leader, in fact every BITSian cultures. We should provide who has experienced Dr. Raghurama adds “So in them the opportunity to learn diversity will tell you this. 2004, BITS made a few in one as well.” tweaks to its normalization Gender diversity makes BITS method to imp rove it. We agree with this emphasis unique too, and we’ll discuss Though the procedure on creating diversity at this later. adopted was still universities based on normalization of marks, the geography and cultures, and BITS does not have diversity provision the AP Board had add a third – gender, since we as a stated goal, but it is of writing improvement believe it is important. important enough to merit exams for class 11 was not consideration in designing an considered for admissions to Our conclusion – Only by admissions process. the Institute. This resulted in living and learning in a a significant reduction in AP diverse environment PROBLEM #2: THE students on the Pilani campus representative of the outside QUESTION OF STUDENT in 2004”. world will we be trained to QUALITY work and live in it. We believe the seats went to We cannot run IQ tests on TN. Sandeep Mukherjee (’95 every BITSian applicant. So ISC Board) says “In the it is difficult to know whether The Central Board of Indian context there's a the student quality is going Secondary Education (CBSE) definite relationship between down academically. BITS operationally has five regions the region an applicant is has gained in prestige in the throughout India. The toppers from and his/her style of last two decades, as the of these five zones were thinking, working, goals so a demand for brand-name considered separately and predominantly single, dual- engineering degrees has their marks normalized state applicant pool is grown substantially. So it is separately. State Boards like certainly not diverse.” BITS difficult to say whether there the Maharashtra State Board, Pilani has gender diversity, is a marked deterioration of J&K Board which had more but lacks geographic and quality when we accept the than one division in the state cultural diversity found in the top 400 students from AP and were also considered for Indian workplace. The say, the top 40 from separate normalization.” current system of admissions Maharashtra. But does not address it. fundamentally it is difficult to But although the same accept that so many students numbers of AP Board If you speak to successful from one state are better than students could not make it to BITSians, they will say that a fraction of students from Pilani campus, which BITS created well-rounded another state. typically was the first choice, students, which was due to a large numbers fell into the combination of the BITS MAKES CHANGES TO bottom half of the cutoff, and curriculum and the peer THE CURRENT SYSTEM they ended up getting group that consisted of admitted to the Goa campus, Marwaris, Oriyas, Mallus, Dr Raghurama says that is which has 560 seats this year. Gults and Illar men and not possible for BITS to According to a comment women, working side by side grade different boards made by a BITS Goa student, with Punjabis, Bhaiyas and differently for the purpose of a significant majority Choms to solve problems admissions or try and percentage of the Goa ranging from a difficult establish create quotas. Any students are from AP. integration exercise in such attempts go against the Approx. 35 students are from
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 17 Cover Story Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine Maharashtra and Goa and suffers from a lack of class The IIT preparation is approx. 75 are from the rest and gender diversity. “The grueling, expensive and has of India. The struggle to find typical IIT student is male, barriers to entry. The top JEE a solution continues. hails from an urban middle coaching institutes in India class family” says Frontline have entrance exams to enter KRVS emphatically states Magazine in an article in the coaching classes ! that “The only system that 2003, and then points out that can be designed to provide [a “The IITs have an even more Coaching for Board exams, desired] uniformity of dismal record in admitting on the other hand, is clearly geographical distribution women.” not as expensive, nor does would be some form of a one need to physically "quota system". In my Let us discuss the IIT JEE relocate oneself. This makes opinion, BITS has rightly Exam preparation. the BITS system equitable rejected the quota system!” Preparation for IIT JEE from a cost standpoint. begins as early as the 9th So what other options are standard, and a very high We do not argue that the IIT available to BITS ? percentage of entrants are JEE system, (if we could taking the exam for the join), would give BITSians OPTION 1: SHOULD BITS second or the third time. access to a similar pool of JOIN THE IIT JEE SYSTEM ? Typical IIT entrants come hard-working, intelligent, from urban cities where the male, mostly urban, students BITS suggested that it be coaching standards are quite that IITs have today. It will allowed to join the IIT-JEE high. The one exception is leave out the poor, those from system. However, this was the small town of Kota, semi -urban and rural areas not approved by the Rajasthan which accounts for and almost all women. government. The IITs, being a startling one third entrants an autonomous body to the IITs. (2002 figures, OPTION 2: SHOULD BITS themselves, possibly wanted Indian Express). JOIN AIEEE? their system to be independent of others. There are 90 institutes in BITS fought so hard to avoid Kota, of which Bansal stands being put into the AIEEE Even if BITS were allowed to head and shoulders above the system, which is used to join the IIT-JEE system, it rest (484 IITans in 2002!). admit students to 42 colleges would be no reason to The centers are huge money- in India. (Source: AIEEE celebrate. spinners, with annual fees of website) Why is this not in Rs 40,000 per student, and BITS’ interest ? salaries of Rs 10 to 15 lakh to faculty members, 40 per cent Before we undertake an of whom are ex-IITians. analysis there are two interesting bits of Kota students focus on information. Firstly, 50% of preparations for the IITs, and all AIEEE seats are filled by their attendance to coaching Andhra students, due to their classes is accepted in lieu of strong showing in these classroom study for 11th and exams. Secondly, if BITS th 12 standard Board exams in were to go to the AIEEE the city. Board exams are an exam, simulations have unwanted distraction for IIT shown that the geographic aspirants. This is an distribution will look no An ad for an IIT JEE important reason why people different than it does today – preparation school in Kota, who get into IITs typically with a tremendous skew to Rajasthan don’t get into BITS Pilani one or at most two states. either. You either study for These are not the reasons There are a number of the Boards or the IITs. why BITS does not want to weaknesses with the IIT JEE join AIEEE, but it is system. Firstly, the system
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 18 Cover Story Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine important to know this. We We believe that BITS is not system does not favor them can only speculate. wedded to the normalization to attend coaching classes process. But having which are critical to getting Firstly, most of these colleges examined the existing in. Classes are held early are second and third tier alternatives, there are three morning or late at night, schools. Secondly, under pressing problems that would which is a disadvantage for AIEEE, the students are occur if BITS implemented girls. Ganesh agrees. “In the allotted their engineering any entrance system, be it most popular coaching seats centrally. Thirdly, as JEE, AIEEE or something classes in Madras, you might some members of the similar. just find about 5-10 girls in a BITSAA Delhi chapter class of 100-150 !” he says. pointed out, the AIEEE exam PROBLEM #1: WOMEN WILL is only for Engineering and DISAPPEAR AT BITS Many parents with scarce not for Science and other resources would also choose subjects. This would One of the reasons for to invest the coaching class complicate admissions to continuing with the money on boys rather than dual degree programs at normalized system of girls. BITS, which uses the same admission was the increasing exam for all admissions. number of the girl students We have also heard the Fourthly, the examinations that are admitted to BITS comment often that many are administered by the every year (in the year 2003, girls don’t think about government, and there are a student said 42 percent of applying to engineering bound to be potential delays, the students admitted were schools, so they do not and even the possibility of girls). Girls are rare at other prepare for the JEE/AIEEE the system being manipulated engineering schools, exams in large numbers. But or cheated. For these reasons, especially IITs where when they obtain high marks AIEEE is considered students are required to take in the Board exams, it unacceptable to BITS. an entrance examination, requires little additional although they do better on the effort to send in an OPTION 3: SHOULD BITS board exams. It is quite well application to colleges like CONDUCT ITS OWN EXAM? documented that girls do BITS that accepts these results. KRVS says “Let me tell PROBLEM #2: BITS you that there WILL LOSE ITS 22-ODD is no emotional BOARD TOPPERS attachment to the existing Another issue was that system at BITS attracts more than BITS. There is 15 board toppers every a constant year and it is sad that debate such bright students are regarding denied education in good nearly all Institutes simply because aspects of they concentrated on education. Too 12th exams rather than many things change at BITS, exceedingly well in the entrance tests. As a fact, in but admission seem to have boards, but don’t’ fare as well the year 2004, 23 board fewer changes. That does not in entrance exams. toppers have joined BITS (22 mean there is a lack of debate at Pilani and the Goa topper on that. Far from it, I have The reasons are easily for very obvious reasons participated in some many explained. According to Prof. joined Goa campus!). Any such discussions that have Raghurama, girl students option which totally ignored gone for such long hours that have a disadvantage in the performance of the I have hardly spent any time competing for entrance students at the 12th boards with my daughter at home.” exams since the societal
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 19 Cover Story Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine therefore did not seem to be a do for IIT JEE, since it will exam – it will mean that less satisfactory solution. be an extension of their women will get in, but not Board-exam preparations. drastically so, and the PROBLEM #3: STUDENTS students will be burdened WILL BE BURDENED WITH We believe that BITS should with some additional MORE EXAMS AND COSTS continue to place importance coaching costs. on the XIth and XIIth We discussed the tremendous standard education. The all- We also propose that BITS cost of IIT coaching. Another round development of the give automatic admission to entrance exam will add to the child is provided by being in the 20-odd Board toppers that already existing multitude of a collegial high-school we get every year. But their exams and will be considered environment with a diverse disciplines could be as additional burden. While range of activities rather than determined by their BITS management always a residential coaching performance on the GRE- believed in critical analysis of institute. It is a pity that type entrance exam. existing systems and open to school education is becoming procedures for improvement, irrelevant to students in India, It must be noted that it did not favor the idea of especially for entrance exam changing the current system abandoning the normalization takers. BITS could will not guarantee diversity. scheme in a hurry and taking implement a system that may But it will certainly be a bold up admissions purely on the give students another chance attempt to regain it, and basis of entrance to return to the classrooms at potentially create the “gold examinations. school. BITS could also standard” for entrance to require students to score at engineering schools in India, least 80% in the Boards to similar to the much-respected qualify for the BITS GRE- exams in the US. type exam. Dr. Raghurama says “BITS GRE-TYPE EXAM: A Dr. Raghurama says “The management will announce SERIOUSLY UNIQUE Institute has suggested this the admission procedure for PROPOSAL FROM BITS exam to the UGC and the the next academic year soon government as a model for all and announce it to BITS BITS has proposed to universities. This would be aspirants well in time. “ conduct a computer-based technically a ‘first of its kind’ entrance examination in India and BITS could take We are confident that BITS (something along the lines of leadership in making it a management will proactively GRE but with a focus on reality. The admissions office make the changes that will Physics, Chemistry and and core teams are preparing continue to shoulder BITS to Mathematics). Although this details “ new heights. If you have any would mean another new suggestions about this GRE- exam, it has many inherent IN CONCLUSION type, BITS and especially advantages. It is really a test Prof. Raghurama welcomes of aptitude, so it is not We believe the end of the them. ¨ something that students have debate on the BITS to prepare for 3-4 years (like admission procedure is near, JEE) although there will be since we are confident that advantages in being coached. BITS will replace its current It will be affordable, since system shortly. It is willing students can study at home; to foot the entire bill for and even if they take creating the infrastructure coaching classes, it would not around this exam. be as expensive and could be done in the neighborhood. The GRE-type exam is the Girls will appear for this only solution that will reduce, exam in greater numbers than but not eliminate the inherent problems with an entrance
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 20 Nostalgia Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine W ITH MADHURJA BANERJEE (’01 INSTRU) REMINISCENCES BY DR. MEERA BANNERJI Edited and published with permission from Cactus Flower 2003 Dr. Meera Bannerji, a native of UP has worked at Pilani for 23 years. She holds an MA from Agra University , B.Ed from Rajasthan University and a PhD from BITS Pilani. She taught M.Phil level courses, CDCs for Science and Technology, Communications and Technical Report Writing. She was a Member of the Senate, as well as Scholarships, Fellowships and Library committees, and most famously, the Warden of Meera Bhavan. She wrote the book, "Developing Communication Skills" with Professor K. Mohan in 1990.
could actually taste the fruits of air QT of FD II. Days when the I almost didn’t come to our labor. movies were to be screened Pilani were neither fixed nor Gossip sessions and the announced. But everyone used More than 35 years, ago, after Akhand Paath to come to know about it going through a harrowing set of through word of mouth. No seating arrangements were physical endurance tests and With few telephones in those made. We had to sit on the grass other examinations for the post days, information exchanges of the NCC officer of the were exciting. Need I say, the or take a seat on the stone steps. Incidentally, only one set of Women’s Wing of NCC cadets juiciest pieces, nay, the choicest steps exis ted at the time. It was at the University, I finally tasted items of information were the bitter-sweet fruit of success. obtained at weekly meetings of much later that the three other sets of symmetrical steps were Bitter because the experience the Womens Club, or in the added. was physically challenging Chit-Chat sessions of the especially for a person leading a housewives after their husbands quiet, sedate life. And sweet had left for the Institute. The Color films did not arrive till the because I was selected as the weekly Akhanda Paath sessions mid-70s, and the movies that only candidate out of 200 were also lively for catching up were screened were neither new aspirants. I was faced with a on the Pilani stories. Vidhya nor the stories always difficult choice. Go to Gwalior Vihar campus residents had to interesting. Nonetheless, all of for the NCC training and plunge create their own entertainment us enjoyed watching the into new profession. Or to go to and this made us quite creative memorable black and white Pilani to join my husband!! individuals. films from those days. It used to be a special occasion to I finally decided on Pilani. I had complete all routine jobs at simply, irrevocably fallen in There were only 30- home quickly and be there at the love with the place, with its big 35 girls and they did Q.T. at 7.30 pm. It was later in and small inconveniences and the 1970s and 1980s such movie inaccessibility, a new way of lead a very sheltered shows became a regular feature life, new surroundings, the of BITS campus life. Two velvety, lush green lawns and and protected hostel separate shows were arranged in the bountiful earth. It is difficult life with high the Central auditorium. The to believe that in this Oasis, one students got the top priority and needed to plant any vegetable boundary walls all the staff the next. Seats were and just water the patch around reserved for the MB girls on the regularly. And lo and behold ! balcony with a watchman It turned out the largest radishes guarding the seats as and onions, the biggest sizes I Movies & the MB curfew assiduously and meticulously as had ever seen. Of course, the a cat ferociously looks over her menace of peacocks was not so I think it was in the late 1960s newborn kittens! No one dared pronounced at that time so we that we had the opportunity to to occupy the so-called reserved witness Hindi films in the open- seats.
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 21 Nostalgia Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine Often one noticed lines of had implicit faith in the integrity materials and quietly left for giggling, talking girls walking to of the students. He also their respective hostels without and from the auditorium on believed that students were completing the play. Many of us Sundays when movies were mature adults who would were shocked and sat there screened. The girls were undertake all aspects of the dumbfounded. Only two scenes guarded by one matron in front staging the play – including had been enacted. An exquisite and another one at the rear! The direction, stage setting, costume portrayal of an age gone by was girls hostel comprised just one designing and acoustics with lost forever. block of eighty rooms or so. great responsibility. He decided There were only 30-35 girls and to make them wholly in-charge Thankfully, the hooters attitude they did lead a very sheltered of the job. And how correct he improved over time and and protected hostel life with proved to be ! eventually they disappeared. I high boundary walls all around; don’t know what made the one main gate in front and a It is sad that the untiring efforts hooting fade away, but the small gate at the back. Every girl of these dedicated students were Pilani crowd turned into avid was expected to be in the hostel often marred in the old days by and sincere play-watchers. We by 7 pm. Both these gates had a miscreants or professional had a gala time putting up plays watchman; each on guard round hooters. Their sole job was to with a mixed cast consisting of the clock. hoot and jeer throughout any teachers and students. Several play being put up. It was very Hindi and English plays were Theater meant hooters, boys difficult to hear the dialogues staged in this manner. playing women and Professors properly unless one sat in the in-charge first or the second row in the auditorium. No one understood Every girl was Back in those days, enterprising why they acted in this obnoxious expected to be in male students put up English manner. and Hindi plays with an all-male the hostel by 7 pm cast, a feature not too different Once Prof. Madhusudan Singh then. Both these from the Ramayan plays put up of the Languages Group, a real by the locals in our towns today theatre lover, had put in a lot of gates had a ! The boys enacted the female efforts to produce a Greek roles quite superbly. Each club Classic Antigone by Sophocles. watchman; each on had a Professor-in-charge who A decis ion was taken to stage guard round the was a theatre-enthusiast himself. this play for exclusively theatre Only in the early seventies did enthusiasts in the Engineering clock. girls venture to act in these Theatre instead of the plays. The duties of the Prof-in- auditorium. Invitations were Once the Staff Association charge included supervision of issued selectively to both staff decided to put up a Hindi play, all rehearsals, especially during and students. The iron-grill with as many members of the late nights and the responsibility shutter for entry into FD II was staff participating as possible. of escorting the girls back to the locked. The play began and we There were a number of one-line hostel after practice. were all engrossed as the play dialogues too in the play. The started. But this was not to be! Director of the play (a very In 1973, the English Drama Hooters gathered in large senior faculty member) was very Club was staging an American numbers near the closed shutter strict, and he demanded one-act play called Cancer in and started shouting slogans. perfection in every sense. Some which my elder daughter was They demanded to be let in. staff members had agreed to be one of two girls playing an Since the capacity for seating on the stage for the very first important role. My daughter was students in the ET was limited, it time, and were naturally very the only day-scholar; the other meant that if the miscreants stage-conscious and very shy. girl lived in the hostel. After a were let in, there would be The rehearsals were great fun, few days, my husband who was complete chaos. Prof. Singh but I had a lot of trouble the Professor-in-charge of EDC was naturally very upset and so controlling my giggling during decided to do away with were the actors and actresses. the rehearsals. The Director supervisory duty of the girls. He They all wound up their stage even seriously threatened to tape
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 22 Nostalgia Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine my mouth ! I found a way to changed from the 1960s to many more would take place in stop it only on the final day. today, although we have some future too I believe, that will Instead of making eye contact pleasant constants that make this continue to make Pilani a fun with the characters, I looked place so unique. Most change place to spend a lifetime. somewhere else when delivering has been for the good. The all my dialogues. No eye proliferation of options – be it One constant ! One interesting contact, no shyness, no giggles. the many transportation options topic among the male students The play was a hit ! to take you out of Pilani at any through the years has been the time (versus the 2-bus option constant desire to scale the high The one constant – to climb that was available to us), the boundary walls of Meera the MB wall innumerable brands of toilet Bhavan. No one has ever tried to items, food and beverages, meet to this challenge, let alone clothing shops keeping pace I’ve talked already of many succeed, of course (I think!), but changes. Movies, theater, with the latest fashion trends – doesn’t stop them from talking and even the tailors and their curfew for girls, even the sheer about it. I am no longer significantly lower charges. numbers of women in Pilani. Warden, but I will be watching Life in Pilani has gradually These changes are welcome and to see if anyone ever will. ¨
BITS Pilani screensaver by KM Vivek (87‘Eco MMS)
For more art by BITSians, visit photogalleries on www.bitsaa.org or send us your art
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Satish Bansal, Ramkaran Goel, CK Agarwal – could anything go wrong? Even Murphy decided, it was vacation- time.
For weeks, we searched each other out, on email, on telephones. Spouses watched helplessly as we hurled expletives across the planet, re-connecting. “Batchwalon” (fashioned from the sholayesque “gaonwalon”) we called each other. Roop (E. Roop Bhaskar Raj), Rajiva Agarwal, Deepak Marwah, Sudipto Dasgupta, R.K. Vaish, Nagendra SILVER JUBILEE Venkaswami and so many, many others, alternately cajoled and threatened, till a hundred of us agreed, and willingly REUNION OF THE 1974 BATCH BY K JOSEPH ANTONY (’74) IN CHENNAI AND MANY MORE
O Batchwalon Three Days from now You will be more disappointed By the things that you did not do Than by the ones you did do So throw off the bow lines Sail away from your safe harbour Catch the desert winds in your sails Explore, Dream, Discover, Get Together Meet for the Silver Jubilee Celebs During Oct 1to 3, 2004 at Pilani
Thus spake Nattu, now Dean Sir, B.R. Natarajan, as he Delhi Junta - The Organisers gave a last and final call.It began almost three years ago, with a Yahoogroups called BITS7475, which drew our batchmates now dispersed all over the world, together, over the Internet. Its objective - the Silver Jubilee Get-Together submitted to Chawla’s extortionist methods, and paid up in 2004!! That set the stage and over these three years, it for the trip. (It is believed that he charged extra to some, built up our appetite for a long-awaited reunion. promising an item number on the bus.
CSG (Chandrashekhar Goel) for whom ‘organizing’ breeds Even the aftermath has been delightful. We have a humungous collection of quality photographs, and some wonderful writing. Winston Churchill might have said – Never before has so much been said by so many ... about so little!
So the compilation has been agonizing - what to include, what to leave out – varying styles, diverse views, the Bresson’s, Kafka’s and the Ghalib’s of our batch - and in the end (back to GB Thomas!) have a “piece-wise continuous polynomial”. Read on...
kuch beete hue lamho se mulakat hogi kuch adhoori rah gayi baton ki shuruat hogi yaad aeinege ve kisse ve fasane phir sab jab pacchis saal bad hamari aur tumhari mulakat hogi
Our batch mate Dean Dr B Natrajan kuch to badal gaye hain hum bhi tum bhi rago main vo furti khoon main vo ubal to na hoga lekin is baat ka yakin hai ai dost genetically moved a motley Delhi crowd into the ki hamari dosti main itne saalo ke baad challenging task of mobilizing. It was easy. Along came purani sharab ka khumar to hoga Chaw (Chawla), Mukesh Asija, Ujjesh Sinha, Atul Jain, Poet - Aniruddh Srivastava
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Article I. A log of the Silver Jubilee We began to assemble at Sri Aurobindo Place from 9.30am onward. Many batch-mates, who could not come on the Reunion of the 1974-79 batch previous day, arrived in New Delhi by planes and trains that morning. More handshakes, hugs and backslapping BY SOUMITRA CHAKRAVORTY (’74) IN NEW followed. ZEALAND Each of us wore a collarless T-shirt designed by our 30th September – The Beginning illustrious Tapan Desai (Tubby) and it was a sight to behold. Almost all of us have grown physically over the The reunion began in New Delhi with a fabulous dinner, last quarter of a century and in some cases the growth has hosted by our Delhi batch-mates, on the eve of our Pilani been quite substantial. We now have the bodies that can departure. indeed bring out the full potential of a well-designed T- shirt! We were welcomed at the venue on Janpath by our dear friend, Chander Shekhar Goel, one of the main organisers. It was rather useful net practice for him. He has a son-in- law and a baraat to welcome, for his daughter’s forthcoming marriage in December 2004!
Seeing so many mates after 25- 26 years, handshakes, hugs and backslaps, was the most contenting hors- d’oeuvre anyone could have desired and this Getting ready to go was followed by a decent supply of drinks and a Our caravan finally left Sri Aurobindo Place at around mouth-watering, 11.30am resembling a north Indian baraat minus the sumptuous meal. bridegroom, comprising two air-conditioned buses and several cars. Bus no.1 had a few die-hard bridge players The absentees Razdan and Mishra (Sudipto Dasgupta, K Joseph (Jose) Antony, E Roop would be Bhaskar Raj and a few others) who promptly occupied the rear seats and started to play without delay.
We had with us, a cassette of old gems sung by Dinesh Sharma, Azhar Kazmi, Shanti Vaidyanathan, Soumitro Ghosh and a few others at Saigal Nite 1977 during which the singers were most ably accompanied on accordion by our very own Moif (SN Mahapatra). We enjoyed listening
30th Dinner hosted by Delhi junta envious of the convivial company, the refreshing and encouraging liquids, the delicious food, a few PJs and the lachchhas we have had on that delightful evening. Everything flowed like a finely matured wine until the last group among us left the venue at 1 am.
1st October - A Nostalgic Journey Begins
The gabbing in the bus never stopped ______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 25 Nostalgia Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee to this tape on our nostalgic journey. shutters, a lot more vehicles around and a much bigger bus stand.
We picked up a few more mates in Gurgaon and continued It felt great as we entered the campus main gate beneath the on to Rewari where we stopped for lunch. Lunch was no welcoming banner and our onward journey came to an end mean feast at all. at VFAST hostel some 100-150 m to the left from the main gate.
As we alighted from the bus, we were greeted first by our very own good mate Dean Nattu or Professor BR Natarajan (who was perhaps awaiting our arrival as eagerly as we waited to see him), Prof. RK Mittal and Dr KC Chandoke (the then Gandhi Bhawan warden). More handshakes, hugs and backslaps followed as we met our other mates who had arrived earlier from Jaipur and other places.
Then it was time for welcome by a girls’ band of the nearby Padia Lunch Break at Mahendragarh School. The girls were at their best and we were indeed Compared to the bus no.1, the entertainment in bus no.2 privileged to be was a lot more boisterous. Everyone (including the spouses welcomed like this. and children) was enthusiastically participating first in the Dean Nattu thanked Dumb Charades and later in Antakshari. Among the chief them on our behalf entertainers were Anirudh Shrivastava and Sunil Marda and then it was the who really stole the show although the rest were not too far time for a 2-minute behind. silence to The Padia School Band remember our welcoming us mates who had There was a short stop between Mahendragarh and Satnali moved on before to enable emptying of the gradually weakening bladders this reunion. and to fill in some empty lungs with carcinogen. There was another long wait at the Haryana - Rajasthan border to pay As the girls played the first two notes of the Beating taxes but we soon reached Loharu, and were on to the home Retreat, we fell silent. This was a poignant moment for us stretch - the last 25 km nostalgic Loharu-Pilani road. and a few tears were shed as we remembered our good mates who moved on before the reunion. The silence ended We with the girls playing the last two notes and then we made our way to enter VFAST Hostel and register.
A break for air and carcinogens Welcoming us with a tilak arrived in Pilani in no time and were treated to a running commentary on the bus’ PA system by Sunil Marda who had studied in Birla Public School prior to entering BITS. Next, came the welcoming tilak on forehead by the Nutan market has changed with modas replaced by volunteer students of present generation, registration, filling moulded plastic chairs, a greater number of shops with of a few forms, receiving our welcome packs and room keys. A quick trip to the room to offload the bags and we
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 26 Nostalgia Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee were in the VFAST quadrangle for refreshments of Pilani delicacies and entertainment by local artists.
Playing of the ektara and other instruments, folk dancing and singing of the old Rajasthani folk songs such as, ‘Gori ko pallo latke…’ reminded us of the good old times we had 25-30 years ago. Hemant Daga had carted loads of raj-bhog all the way from Bikaner for the occasion. It was then time to
The same old rooms !
The breakfast was at RPA mess. From there, the BITSAA Secretary Shivali and her team of volunteers led us for an The local balladeers at High Tea Institute visit. Some of us borrowed bicycles from the inmates of Ashok Bhawan and made good use of them on campus roads. clean up and make our way to Shiv Ganga for rest of the evening. Needless to say, the evening was rather agreeable We went from RPA mess to the UCO Bank, PO and and upon completion of the proceedings, we staggered back stopped at the Workshop. It appears that not much has to VFAST via Connaught at around 11-11.30 pm. changed from the days of Prof Raghunath, the Workshop Superintendent of our times. Then on to the Faculty During this time, a few absentees were contacted on mobile Division No. 1 which used (and even now continues) to phones and subjected to collective earful at various times as accommodate the Arts, Computer Science (Information the evening wore on. The sensible ones relented and Processing Centre), Civil and Chemical Engineering promised to show up the following day whilst others who departments of our times. still could not make it were missed.
2nd October - A Magic Day
Many of us got up early and went for a walk around the campus – generally visiting the places we wished to, particularly Saraswati Temple and our old hostels.
We also watched school children celebrating Gandhi Jayanti at the Gandhi Statue. Prof Raghunath's domain - unchanged
The most noticeable change was the absence of those The hostel Early morning at Saraswati monstrous card punching machines, the gross IBM 1130 rooms and Temple processor, IBM 2501 reader, the IBM 1403 printer and the furnishings associated paraphernalia that used to occupy so much do not seem to have changed much except for the addition space. Whilst the glass windows appeared to be the same of a high speed communication link, a personal computer from our times, the Centre has been remodelled to and steel doors for the wardrobe. The bogs have tiled walls accommodate a large number of computer terminals. and hot water supply from a solar heater mounted on the roof.
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Next, was a visit to the spanking new library whose Gupta arrived. More handshakes, hugs and dhaps on the architecture seems to have resulted in many accolades for back, and we finally got on with the photos. BITS. From there, it was to the new lecture complex where everyone piled in to a lecture hall and listened to Dean It was now time for the legendary Saturday lunch at RPA Nattu delivering an impromptu lecture to the lot of mess and then a few hours’ quiet time for some whilst Munnabhai MBBS (Mian, Bibi aur Bacche Samet) who had gyan-daan (career counselling) sessions for others such as, descended to Pilani that weekend!
We then made our way to the steps of the Audi where a few
Dining at RP Mess The central foyer in the library SP Kothari, Raja, Debashish Ghosh, Deepak Marwah, informal photos were shot before proceeding to the Central Sanjay Dharwadker (Dharu) and a few other learned batch- Lawn to plant saplings in memory of our mates who moved mates. on before this reunion. It rained a little that afternoon bringing in a cooling respite Whilst the holes were being dug for the saplings, few of our from the heat. The day marched on and soon it was time to batchmates joined in a BITS style cricket game with the present generation of students and showed to the youngsters that ‘samay ka deemak hamare hatho ko major nahin kar paya’!
Nevertheless, it is a pity that the present lot, use proper stumps instead of the room chairs we used as wickets. Some might see this as a sign of progress!
Smarajit (Toy) Dey delivered a short impromptu speech before a few chosen go to the Audi for an evening we ought to remember for the from amongst us planted rest of our lives. the saplings. As Toy said in his speech, this Shivali, the BITSAA Secretary, welcomed us and then was not a time to be sad handed over the proceedings to our own Dharu who took since we were over as the Master of Ceremony for rest of the evening. celebrating the lives and Planting saplings in achievements of those Needless to say, good humour, wit and albeit a few PJs, memory of those who mates by planting flowed from thereon. Dean Nattu projected and read out have passed on. something permanent messages received from some of our illustrious batchmates that we hope will grow who could not make it to the reunion. The director Dr L K tall with the passage of time. Maheshwari addressed us. The General Secretary of the Student Union and Raja (representing us) proposed a vote It was then to the Museum steps for the formal photo of thanks. sessions. Around this time, Nitin Pandit (Pondy) and Vinay
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A highlight of the evening farewelled some of our mates in the first bus who needed to was the honouring of 26 return to Delhi early to catch their flights and trains. teachers of our times by various batch-mates, which A few of us who remained went to the Museum and was the least we could do established that it had not changed significantly since our for those who had taught times. The lunch was a Sunday Special at the RPA mess. us then. We then bought a few souvenirs from BITSAA, ordered The cultural part of the few photos of the reunion, bade our farewells to the evening was a smashing hardworking and wonderful team of volunteers of the hit. The present BITS present generation students, Dr Chandoke and Dean Nattu Music Club has a depth before boarding our bus. We were farewelled with a and width of talent, which BITSAA souvenir and a boxful of delicious Pilani pedas. The very talented youngsters was certainly lacking in our times. They put up a We left BITS Pilani at around 2 pm. A truly remarkable very entertaining evening, event had come to an end! which was a hard act to follow. Nevertheless, Moif, Mrs Surabhi Mishra, Miss Milind, Hemant Daga, Miss Pooja Natarajan (8 years old and the star of the evening), plus Mr Article II. Some of the things I observed and Mrs Sunil Marda made us look good. that are symbolic
When the cultural programme ended, it was time to go to the cafeteria for dinner with the faculty. We returned to BY C.M. RAMESH (’74) (UNCLE TOM) IN GOA
VFAST at around 11.30 pm, carried on with lachchhas among various groups of mates and at various locations. The junior Bhawans (Vyas, Shankar, Krishna , Gandhi, Budh, Ram) are now all grilled, and the E-shape is now Some of us returned to closed up to form internal quads. (The VFAST around 1.30-2.00 am Bhawans now have a squarish 8 shape). but were re-directed to the The entrance and exit from these All Night Canteen (ANC) for Bhawans are through central doors that more chais where Dean Nattu are also grilled and the gates shut at was presiding over the some time during the nights. No proceedings. At that time of exit/entrance from any part of the the night, the NC had some Bhawan's downstairs wings, as used to 30-40 batch-mates and be the case during our sojourn there!. spouses. When it finally Thankfully this is still to apply to the closed around 2.30 am, we "senior" bhawans (RP, Ashok, et al. returned to VFAST carried Malviya of course is now a fortress due on with lachchhas until 3 am to it having become an MB for girls.) when most of us called it a The Sharada idol in the temple used to day! Honouring our teachers be visible from the Audi entrance looking out. This is now obscured by 3rd October - All Good the tall statue of GD Birla erected right Things Come to an End in front of the temple, so what one sees from the Audi entrance is the back of GDB's head! Once again many batch-mates got up early and went for a walk around the campus to enjoy the beautiful morning one The library building is an 'aalishaan' modern structure (quite incongruent with the architecture of the rest of the last time. After having the last breakfast at RPA mess, we campus), but two things struck me as quaint. It is pretty far from the main academic buildings, and the murals on the ceilings at the entrance are all paintings of Krishna freaking out with gopis! Strange I thought for the entrance of a library. But that is what is shown in movies like 'Main hoon na' I suppose.
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 29 The grilled hostels ! Nostalgia Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee
One sees a lot more sentries around and the main gates to the institute appear guarded and half shut. Since now the Institute has a big supermarket within, the need for students to go elsewhere (esp. Nutan) for anything has reduced and I am given to understand by locals at Nutan (we had jalebis, kachoris, and chai there on the morn of the 2nd), some of whom remember the Sardar Gujral as Student Union Pres days, that it is rare for a student to be seen there now.
As Parakram says, there is the ubiquitous Undy visible in the front of most rooms in most wings of most Bhawans when one winds one's way through the roads beside each Bhawan.(Can't see them at the MB's as the wings are shielded from outsiders, and as a consequence the world outside is shielded from insiders looking out!)
Arz karna chahata hun, lekin alwafz nahi The ever compere-ing author Teri dosti aur purani yadon mein kho jane ko jee chahta hai. Door baithe ho pass fir bhi ho tum kitne Phir Pilani tere paas aa jane ko jee chahta hai coming, maybe I omit the details. I try to discover - What is it about Pilani and us? Poet: Harish Khullar in New York For months we waited in anticipation for the reunion. We traveled, across the globe, by airplanes, trains, buses and Article III. Reminiscences deep… cars and, past Nutan reach the portals of our most cherished memories. As the evening fell, we set out on the streets we knew, looking for the familiar sights – bhawans, bank, PO, BY SANJAY DHARWADKER (’74) (DHARU) IN NEW workshop, insti… DELHI So much looks the same. But like elsewhere in the world, Thanks, we already have wonderful descriptions of our grills and walls have come up, somehow taking away the reunion – the write-ups and the pix. After the return, openness that was our Pilani. It is now boys ‘and’ girls all anticipated total silence for a few days if not weeks, but over the streets, together at the rehris, bhawan gates and here we were clamoring for the story to be told, almost elsewhere. In the hostel rooms, you are not an existential immediately. For Nattu and the Organizers – a sigh of relief castaway any more, cut off from the rest of the big world, that it was over? No…a loud lament of emptiness. A Single but are connected now. The Internet feeds you, I am told, write-up? Impossible. One hundred souls …500 man-years your assignments, your knowledge and of course, whatever of Pilani, 2500 man-years of memories…and 300 man-days after-hours stuff that you want. The student is now more of reunion (not counting families). Would have to be James business-like – cycling to lectures, cycling to Connaught Joyce and Ved Vyas in one… (for ‘pesarattu’ not ‘samosa’), and the endless lachha session seems to be rare now. But I try. Since the event narrations are done and still We ate at the messes, and could swear that it was the same where we left it 25 years ago, even the coolers and washbasins outside. Perhaps, what has remained most unchanged of all - the dimly lit corridors and the dimly lit streets. The evening and the night has the same basic feel. Many of you might remember a souvenir that Tubby sketched, Jose pixed and we wrote a few poetic lines, which ended with “…and the pavement stretch dissolves in the dark” – it still does. Only that time, we wandered on foot, in our little groups, like lost souls in our own purgatory. Now the more singular souls flit about on cycles.
One evening, during the reunion, it came back to me. For 5 years, we walked the little grid of our Pilani streets, taking turns that led us to our friendships, knowledge, romance, rejuvenation and retribution. I remembered reading the Marquez’ classic ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ and writing a letter to a beautiful Meera Bhawan girl, of how
______The spanking new library FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 30 Nostalgia Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazinee we live our life in cycles – in one instant, in an evening, in Article IV. The Angst of the Absentees a day. Our 5 years in Pilani were as though we lived our entire life, end-to-end. The letter had two objectives – to impress the girl and perhaps enlighten her a bit. Still don’t BY ANUPAM BOSE (’74) (BABUJI) know, if either happened. Received a call from revellers at Reunion a little while And now 25 years later, it seemed as though we did another ago. Salle log ka vocabulary sudrega nahin ! To try ginger full cycle. We took the turns and walked the streets again. a support group for absentees - sure, we deserve some Ironically, the ‘chaurahas’ now have sign-posts, to where vigorous investigation - but they are in Pilani, and we are the roads would lead – the post-modernists would be not - rubbing salt and mirchi hamara parampara kabhi raha delighted that their metaphor is now a physical reality. For kya ? Jor se bolo, nahi chalega, nahi chalega. a moment it seemed eternal, and I dare to say, we seek and almost find, our little version of immortality. Dharu, devoted some unnecessary time discussing my
sexual proclivites with close relatives ... but what of the In the darkness, round the corner, I hear Salve’s inimitable others ? Are these our representatives to instruct the laughter, punctuated by his asthma thing. When the e-mails brightest and finest of our youth in the desert, on the start flowing, I dream there was one from Mundkur, wanting to know about a bridge game in the night… values which carry you through life? I was expecting Roop to be reeling from seeing his descendant in
Budh actually studying Econometrics, instead of I stand in the audi and say my pj’s one last time. You all composing creative make-ups. And Toy, since Class 3 a laugh, perhaps out of charity, and the young ones, under voice of conscience turned harami, to check out a room in duress from Nattu’s supari (yeh mota kuch bhi bole to hans dalna kya, sochne ka nahi), my happiest moments, then and RP and advise them in masterful fashion how to take a double finesse. Or Sudipto's Rajesh Khanna swagger - can now, I must admit. these kids' namby pamby hero Saif Ali Khan even come
close. No. NO. Absentees join me in a resounding No. At breakfast and lunch in the mess, we stand in line for our French toast, Dosa and Aloo Parantha. We drink the tea (or But ... but ... always thought drinking to avoid sadness was too filmi ... this Friday night its not.
Article V. Wonderful it was... A trip down memory lane.
BY PARAKRAM MISHRA (’74) IN CHANDIGARH
Its going to be a week since we gathered at the Free Mason Lodge and the emotional hangover persists. I had tears in my eyes… The journey back started in silence but Jacob had this great idea of Beer…
The morning walks in Pilani were great. Bazmi, surprisingly was up early with his camera and I found him lurking dangerously near Malviya Bhawan (part of the 4MB cache!). Some of us visited the bhawan rooms we stayed in, and almost ragged the inmates. I woke up the Malviya now a fortress within Meera !! inhabitant of 274 Ram where I landed up as a fresher and was tempted to ask him “what the hell are you doing in my room?” ¨ was it coffee) from the steel tumblers, as though it was theertham and prasadam. As the pix show, we were a solemn lot - pilgrims, (among the sambar chawal – there was even a somber Chawla!), believe me.
We did our Maha Kumbh, took our dips, drink a few drops of the elixir of life, and move on. But the magic is in the telling of the stories, and each of us must tell it our own way, a la salim javed – kabhi comedy, kabhi tragedy, kabhi action, kabhi halka sa romance.
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THE BRIDLE TEAM WITH ANUPENDRA SHARMA (’87 ECO INSTRU) BRIDLE IT: MADE IN PILANI LABS! BITS PILANI’S FIRST INCUBATED COMPANY TAKES AIM AT INDIA’S GROWING MOBILE MARKET
has become marked a strategic Bridle is a software company the cost- 2004 efficient and milestone for the mobile industry. focused on creating mobile applications for the Indian market. very effective The number of mobile subscribers alternative to surpassed the total cable and Their ambitious mission is “To touch every mobile subscriber email. satellite television subscribers in India, which number 40 million in India, at least once a day” by offering software applications The SchoolMATE system is user- today. With 46 million mobile initially in education, and later in friendly and very easy to use. It users, a number that is expected to healthcare and home appliances allows parents to send messages double next year, the phenomenal through the mobile phone. to the school server, pulling down mobile revolution in India has given rise to Bridle’s idea. all the information about the child. Bridle’s target segments touch Parents can request absence everyone’s lives, and its reports, fee payment reports, A PURE BITS START-UP! management team has been busy grades, illness, and truancy reports developing and launching a from the school. The number of Bridle management is pure Pilani. product for the education students playing truant in movie Rama Krishna (“Ramki, right”) segment. The first product, theaters during school time gives (’02 MMS, ’05 ME Software SchoolMATE (School Mobile parents a tempting reason to try Systems), a 10-pointer from BITS Assisted TEacher), enables and keep an eye on them. has won many international schools to communicate with programming contests and parents through a communication SchoolMATE is an instant hit in national software development suite that integrates into a full- the early stages, with excellent competitions. Suneel Blewett fledged school management reviews from pilot test customers. (left) (’00 BE (Hons) Comp Sci), system. In urban India, it is very The system has a high level of and has worked in mobile common these days for both security built into the software to networks, mobile handset parents to be working. Both ensure the software is not stolen. designing and integration at parents typically have cell phones, Piracy concerns remain the Hughes Software Systems and and most likely don’t use the biggest threat to innovation in the Skyworks Inc. Hari Krishnan internet at home. SMS via mobile Indian software industry. (center) (’02 MMS) has gained phones is a well understood domain expertise at Hughes method of communicating in SchoolMATE has focused its Software and Patni. He is a India. In a country where initial efforts on 6 states – AP, winner of several awards. answering phones are not Maharashtra, MP, TN, Delhi and common and the home internet Karnataka at the moment, which connection is rare, the cell phone offers a target market of 430,000 has become the most important schools. AP is leading the market communication tool. Messaging
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 32 Notes from Pilani Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine with a plan to have computerized as marketing. Bridle is confident on which SchoolMATE is running systems in 30,000 schools. The that it is ahead of the market. using the standard data-cable for literacy rates and growth in IT International companies targeting that mobile (A data cable costs usage in these states are the same space are EduTxt, just Rs. 400-800 ($10-20), outstanding. Since FastSMS and CSoft. However, depending on the model). Bridle's computerization in schools is a none of these companies have SchoolMATE automatically detects the phone on restart (just the app/service), and uses it for sending messages. The partnership with cell phone companies such as Airltel allows these messages to be sent out for less than 1 cent to each mobile user. So Bridle's SchoolMATE needs no internet and no extra hardware. There are no integration problems either since schools don’t have full-fledged systems yet, except for simple billing systems at the moment which are easy to integrate.
Bridle is working on a number of other exciting products PilPal, Air2Blog and Voggi, which will new concept, take-up will be focused on India, and don’t have be announced in the coming slow. Bridle management is the resources to enter India at the months. forecasting revenues of Rs. 20 mo ment. If they don’t move now, crores ($4 million) in two years. they will not pose a threat since Bridle has already partnered with moving first is critical in this The BITS Technology Business Incubator which is supporting India’s largest mobile service space. provider, branded ‘AirTel’, where Bridle’s activities is proving to be Bridle beat out a Middle Eastern an excellent foundation for Bridle. One problem the competition has But it is not going to be sufficient. international competitor. It is in is that their solutions need Internet conversations with other partners Money and expert management connectivity, which is a big are both critical to taking Bridle to in India. drawback at getting traction due the next level. To accelerate the to the low penetration rates of marketing efforts and to reach the Internet in Indian schools. target markets faster, Bridle is Bridle’s solution uses the mobile looking for an investment of phone attached to the PC for approx. $400,000. The money will connectivity. In India, where be used to create entry barriers mobile is well penetrated in the and widen the first mover cities, no other medium gives advantages in the school instant connectivity and instant management software segment reach like the wireless n etwork. through marketing and product This makes SchoolMATE a There are a few competitors in development. Bridle is also clearly superior product because it looking for an able mentor with both spaces, and Bridle’s is does not dependent on the management has spent expertise in technology marketing, unavailable internet, or an retailing and telecommunications considerable time analyzing their expensive, dedicated network. strategies and sizing up these who can guide them through the these companies. Competitors early phases. such as Globals Inc., Mobile Plus the market loves the ease of Mantra and IMIMobile are installation and usage. The For more information visit mimicking what some software can be used by clicking www.bridleit.com or email the international companies have setup from the CD, on any team at [email protected] . You done. However, the competition Windows NT, XP or 2000 can also call Ramki on his cell at has problems both in terms of machine. The school can connect +91 98 499 22200 ¨ their fundamental offering, as well a mobile phone to the PC/Server
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 33 Notes from Pilani Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine
BY HIMABINDU CHITTA (’02) A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE DR. MEERA BANNERJI – MB WARDEN
medium Arts students. “It’s a challenge,” she admits, “I’ve managed to convince my students that they can understand English in English, without translating everything to Hindi. And the motivation to take up this challenge came from the girls themselves. Some of them travel more than fifteen kilometers from their distant villages to attend college. Their urge to educate themselves is inspiring.”
Her evenings are occupied by the primary school kids. (Even getting an appointment for this interview was difficult.) Is it a bigger challenge to teach little kids? “It takes more patience, come to her modest home on but the results are immediately Capturing the Loharu Road to learn the basics visible. And anyway, I’ve faced essence of a conversation with of spoken and written English. bigger challenges,” she adds Meera Banerji in mere words is We suspect, however, that they with a wink. an arduous task. She is a master learn a lot more than that. storyteller and the “interviewer” “Some [girls] travel is usually lost in a maze of “This one is a brat,” she says, anecdotes. Here we’ve tried our looking at skinny six-year old more than fifteen best to sum it up without leaving Saurav seated strategically close out any interesting tidbits. to her. “His mother cannot kilometers from control him at all. But as long as their distant villages “Saurav, Neha – aa gaye tum he is here, he’s a mouse.” We’re log? Apni copy nikalo… not surprised. The three kids to attend college. Badmaash Saurav – page around her quietly complete the Their urge to phadna nahin! Aaj tum tasks assigned to each of them. handwriting practice karoge. educate themselves Apni pencil sharpen karo aur We ask her if she is enjoying is inspiring.” shuru ho jao. Neha yeh page retirement. “Life is cool!” she yaad karna. Aur Deepak tum exclaims happily. “I keep myself bhi.” busy.” What might they be? “I was a student from a pure arts background. When I first came Dr. Mrs. Meera Banerji is back Busy is an understatement. On to Pilani and enrolled for a PhD in form. Having ended her alternate days, she travels to thirty-eight year long career in Mandelia Home Science College at BITS, they made me do a basic undergraduate level BITS, she has now begun to on the outskirts of Pilani to science course called “Impact of teach primary school children at teach English literature to Hindi- home. Kids of various ages Science and Technology” along
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 34 Notes from Pilani Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine with the same kids whom I was convince them that I could Does she miss all the action? teaching General English 3. My understand the psychology of “Of course. Getting over a “fellow students” were always younger people and that I was routine that is thirty-eight years much more interested in my approachable and fair. At that old is certainly not easy. I still marks than their own! That kept time I was the only warden and I sleep at eleven, although my me on my toes and I did well in insisted on moving into the daughter reminds me that I no the course.” house next to Meera Bhavan. longer have to stay up that late. My idea of being a good warden But I don’t believe in was to always be accessible.” lamentations and I think that “When I saw women are genetically couples sitting What of her no-nonsense image? adaptable. The only thing I miss “That is truly how I am. For is the noise of the MB girls. It’s outside the MB gate example, when I saw couples too quiet out here.” in the shadows, I sitting outside the Meera Bhavan gate in the shadows, I She has enjoyed the academic would tell them “I always went out and spoke to freedom available in BITS to the them. “We’ve done nothing fullest and engaged in a wide am merely telling wrong,” they would say, and I range of activities including you to sit in the would retort back, “When did I taking an active part in English say you’ve done anything Drama productions and being a light!” The guy wrong? I am merely telling you member of the BITSAA often claims he is to sit in the teaching the girl. light!” I have Sometimes they say heard the they are looking at strangest of stories photographs. How from can anyone do these these couples. things in the dark? The guy often It beats me!” claims he is We ask her about her most high- teaching profile role in BITS – that of the girl. MB warden. She laughs. “Life Sometim must be easier for you girls, now es they that I’m gone!” Most BITSians say they executive committee. But all – both male and female – are are looking at photographs. How that is in the past and she is now much too familiar with the can anyone do these things in beginning to enjoy her new, legend of M Bans, as she was the dark? It beats me!” relatively relaxed lifestyle. And affectionately called. Although so we bid goodbye to a legend she is no longer on campus, Have the MB girls ever tried to who has, in her own words, stories are still told in hushed play a prank on her? “Once or always lived life on her own tones about how strict she used twice, yes… but I was such a terms, shocking quite a few to be and how terrifying it was mischievous child myself that I along the way (“I don’t care!”) to try and take special could always see it coming. The but never compromising on her permissions from her. How did look in the girls’ eyes usually values. it all start? gave them away. And I mu ch prefer to think of all the times BITS Pilani and Meera Bhavan “To begin with, the that the girls have shown their in particula r will miss you administration never thought of love for me.” dearly. ¨ me as a warden. I had to
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 35 Notes from Pilani Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine
BY THE SPICMACAY TEAM SPICMACAY: THE BITS CHAPTER One of BITS’ most popular clubs, SPICMACAY has 8 shows a year which are attended by anywhere from 500 to 3,000 students. These spectacular shows are aimed at introducing BITSians to the Indian arts, and helps in a small way to sustain India’s rich heritage. The team talks about the history of the club, its past and planned activities, and makes an appeal to alumni to assist in supporting 8 annual events. With an annual budget of Rs 240,000 (US$5,000), which works out to approx. Rs 30,000 ($600) per show for 8 memorable performances, it is a fairly inexpensive way to support declining arts and teach BITSians to appreciate India’s rich heritage. The team is contemplating a fund, since lack of available funds means a constant scramble, and a fragile existence dependent on SPICMACAY Delhi for financial support.
About SPICMACAY grown to nearly 40 registered The BITS-Pilani Chapter volunteers, and a track record of SPICMACAY or the Society having organized nearly 40 for Promotion of Indian The BITS chapter of SPIC programs till date. The noble spirit of SPICMACAY has been Classical Music and Culture MACAY has been an active inculcated among the local Amongst Youth is a non-profit, member of this family as early voluntary, apolitical and as the 1980’s under the guidance schools of Pilani- namely Birla Balika Vidyapeeth, Birla Higher participatory student movement. of Dr.G Sundar . Many eminent Secondary School and Birla Founded in 1977, it has grown artists like Pt. Hariprasad from strength to strength and has Chaurasia, Pt. Jasraj, Pt. Shiv Public School. It has also released a magazine of its own caught the very imagination of Kumar Sharma, Smt. Sonal called ‘Jyotsna’ with thought- the youth across the length and Mansingh, Vidwan Chitti breadth of the country. The provoking and insightful articles fundamental aim of SPICMACAY is to create an awareness of and an appreciation for the many facets of our rich cultural heritage. The educational system of our country has zero inputs when it comes to making our students aware of their rich heritage. This is where SPICMACAY steps in. Through concerts, lecture- demonstrations, informal Baithaks in classical music, dance, folk arts, literature, theater, cinema, painting, Yoga Babu, Smt. Sanjukta on matters of art and culture. In its new avatar, the chapter and spirituality by eminent Panigrahi and others had organized concerts and lecture- artists and thinkers—it exposes graced the campus during the the students to the cultural early years of the chapter. After demonstrations by such eminent people as Pt Vishwa Mohan tapestry of this land that they a brief interlude of inaction the Bhatt, Smt. Shubha Mudgal, seem to be slowly, yet steadily, chapter was revived by a group losing touch of. SPICMACAY of motivated students in 1999, Shri T.N. Krishnan, Shri T.V. Sankaranarayanan, Smt has nearly 200 chapters in with Dr. Suresh Ramaswamy Bombay Jayashri Ramnath, schools and colleges across (also the Chief Warden) and India and some 70 chapters Prof. Geetha Raghurama Shri Raja and Smt. Radha Reddy, Smt. Uma Sharma, abroad. (Languages Faculty) at the helm. Smt. Shovana Narayan, Smt.
Within a span of Anjolie Ela Menon, Aman and Ayan Ali Bangash to name a 5 years, the few. The programs have chapter has
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 36 Notes from Pilani Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine received overwhelming response and support from the student community and the faculty members. On an average 450- 500 students attend these programs; with a record high of nearly 3000 students who planned to be released during Pt acknowledged in the invites and thronged the Auditorium during Chaurasia’s concert. souvenir for the event, as also in Smt. Shubha Mudgal’s concert! the chapter website that we plan How can you help? to host very soon. The publicity pamphlets that the chapter Events as high profile as the distributes before each event would also gratefully ones mentioned above obviously acknowledge the contributions entail financial burdens on the chapter. Hitherto, it has been made by the sponsors.
dependent on the grants issued Help us in bequeathing to the by the SPICMACAY center at younger generation, the glorious Delhi and alumni of the traditions of this famed land— institute. To become a more which are unfortunately getting self-sufficient chapter with depleted at an alarming rate! greater autonomy and freedom to conduct its programs in a CONTACT SPICMACAY regular manner, the chapter The road ahead needs a funds corpus for its Dr. Suresh Ramaswamy, Chief Warden, President of the BITS upkeep. Typically each concert Chapter of SPICMACAY at The Chapter wishes to continue costs the chapter around [email protected] , with the good work that it has Rs.30,000 taking into account the airfare for the artists up to Geetha Raghurama been doing in this direction and Faculty, [email protected] , has chalked out a number of Delhi, the road travel to Pilani, a programs for the future. The token honorarium, local Lakshmi Raj, Student Coordinator, coming semester (January-May hospitality, boarding and [email protected] lodging facilities. The chapter 2005) promises to be an exciting Guruprasad A, Student coordinator, one as the Chapter has planned a organizes an average of 8 [email protected] series of events under the banner programs in a year. Hence the cost incurred on the chapter is of the FEST 2005 series. Photos above (in order) are: Eminent artists like Pt roughly Rs. 240,000 a year. Folk performance by Langas Hariprasad Chaurasia, and Mandaniyaars (attendance The Chapter would be extremely Shashank, Mysore Brothers, 1,500), Hindustan Vocal Recital Yakshagana folk art of grateful to alumni of the by Smt. Shuba Mudgal Karnataka, Rama Institute if they could help in (attendance 3,000), Sarod Vaidyanathan and a Yoga creating a Corpus fund for the recital by Amaan and Ayaan Shibir are in the offing. A chapter to ensure a regular and Ali Bangash (attendance 1,000) second edition of the Chapter steady flow of funds for its and Kuchipudi maestros Raja magazine titled ‘Drishti’ is varied programs. All help rendered would be duly and Radha Reddy ¨
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BY DIVYA DIVAKARAN (’01 INSTRU), SANDEEP MUKHERJEE (’95 PHY MECH) & AKASH NATH (’04 GOA) BITS, PILANI-GOA! You’ve all heard about the new BITS-Pilani, at Goa. Sandpaper profiles the new campus with information about campus life, academic quality and infrastructure. For those of you who have family and friends considering applying to engineering schools, this article gives insights into the “student life” aspects of BITS, Pilani-Goa. administrative offices, classrooms, office, medical and recreational The spanking new state-of-the-art and laboratories and is nearing facilities for students and staff is campus at Goa is being built on 180 completion. Separate hostels for also in the works. acres of land and overlooks the boys, girls and faculty residences Zuari River located on the National are ready for occupation. Two boys’ hostels and two girls’ Highway NH17B connecting hostels are in place and are without Marmugao Port to the National any identity of their own with highway NH17. The campus is THE SCOOP names like BH1 BH2 etc. A hostel easily accessible being only 5.5 km naming contest was recently from the airport, 22 km from conducted so we speculate that this Madgaon Railway station and 9.5 nomenclature nightmare will soon km from Vasco Railway station. be over for the Bhavans!
The new campus is being positioned No more dhobis as they’ve been as BITS, Pilani-Goa, to leverage replaced by a laundry system, akin the “Pilani” brand value to western laundromats, is in place. proposition. In the following ‘Messes’ are efficiently run and sections, we attempt to Both guys and girls are there are separate messes for girls communicate the various expected to be within the hostel and boys. Pilani-Goa lore has it that infrastructure and campus life premises by 10:30p.m! Each originally they had a common mess, aspects of the Institute to help you hostel has a gate with a but it was located far from the girls’ better understand the state of the watchman who will close gates hostel and since it rains a lot in Goa, affairs. at 10:30p.m and stands with the this policy was done away with to prevent the girls from being register outside! inconvenienced. FACILITIES The main building, much like the Other infrastructure including a Pilani campus, comprises of shopping complex, a bank, a post
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 38 Notes from Pilani Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine
campus has. Given the rich history of BITS Pilani activities, this is going to be very temporary. Goa is likely to be no different than Pilani.
Sports activities are currently limited to table tennis, carrom, chess and cricket, but both the faculty and student communities are active participants and competitions are frequently organized between the two groups. Plans of starting an official Sports Club are also in the offing; however the sports facilities are still under construction. As of now, there is also no Student's Union!
As for those of you who are professors’. Thus the non-academic environment wondering about RAF movies – an is clearly in need of improvement auditorium is under construction Goa students face three test series, for the students to enjoy broad and movies are screened at the so life is all about studying all the based development that the parent Lecture theatre instead. We did not time, especially with the minimal campus offers. discover any evidence of laser opportunities to get involved in pointers being used at these movie extra-curricular activities (Akash, They do, however, have a hangout screenings! one of the students there we spoke spot, a la C'not., again 'nameless' to, thinks the “standard of papers yet. It’s the place they spend their set” there is marginally higher than evenings at. With little to no ACADEMIC that at Pilani. They had looked up infrastructure for extra-curricular Attendance is compulsory – that previous papers from Pilani, which activities - life isn’t quite as exciting alone must have a lot of the alumni are pretty tough themselves, and as Pilani – hard as that may be to gasping for breath! Also, at this finds ones set there to be tougher! believer! However, the nearest year’s registration students did not Given that their first Physics test town, Vasco, about 5km from the have the opportunity to make their average was 7/60, we are inclined campus allows more off-campus own timetables as the appropriate not to disagree! entertainment than downtown systems and facilities were not in Pilani. place. Thus they were given 6 ready-made timetables and had to CAMPUS LIFE A beach trip on weekends is a choose one of them – certainly As of now they have no fests – i.e. regular feature and a source of lots inconsistent, and far easier, than No OASIS, no BOSM, no APOGEE of fun for all on campus! ¨ registration rioting in Pilani! – which, in turn, means no clubs or Ordinarily it wouldn’t matter in departments. Akash and a classmate your first year, but the rules make it recently started a Dramatics Club – mandatory to attend your ‘registered the first extra-curricular association FACT, NOT the FICTION!
· Every student has his own room with furnishings and even mirrors ! · Attendance is compulsory! · No dhobis. But there is a state-of-the-art laundry system. · Girls & Guys need to back in
to their hostels by 10:30 pm. · No Students Union. · The first Physics test average was 7/60!
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 39 Creative & Humor Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine
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______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 40 Creative & Humor Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine
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Poetry by Anuradha (’86 MMS) & Sagarika (’93 Bio) Blood coursing madly She needs to find a way.
The Hawker Fueling every living cell Is it really beyond us, BY ANU GUPTA With the breath of desire... Can we just walk away? Ask yourself what you would do- Raw heat If it was one of your children up there Burning passions Facing that despair? ¨ Stifled sensations Muffled heartbeats Stretched moments Who needs words...?? Of abject nothingness BY SAGARIKA JAGANATHAN An infinite extension... The talking eyes Time... Darting It chafes the heart Spewing volumes A painful erosion. Of love-lore They came in a jeep, Bittersweet In one fleeting glance Demolished the little shop, Lingering Leaflets inscribed At the corner of the road – Cruel In quill They didn’t even stop, Separation...¨ Ancient pens To see the havoc they wrecked; Old as renaissance It didn’t affect The age of romance Them in anyway- Da Vinci, Michelangelo Justice is here to stay! Older… But is this justice really? Predating evolution I loved the shop dearly; Even the big bang Tiny and homely, When the entire universe It was her life’s earnings, Was just a pair Invested in the shop. Of darting That is why I stop, Talking eyes To ponder, Spewing love... ¨ Should it be done, Doesn’t the road belong to everyone? The Little Vendor (I understand the ‘law’) BY ANU GUPTA So if it does not, Is there a better way - The little girl in tattered clothes, Than people left bereft? Was a tiny vendor- Left to rot? She was the municipal’s What alternative did we provide? Little offender! What else did we help them decide? But if we snatch her livelihood, Is it worth it? Have we even understood, Where is it writ, We will push her to beggary- That this is justice; We definitely would! Life goes on Replace it Whose justice is it? ¨ BY ANU GUPTA Provide her with an alternative- Separation education, vocation Her child lies dead. Teach her to be assertive, Outside her hut BY SAGARIKA JAGANATHAN About her rights; A blot on the resplendent landscape. So that she doesn’t get into Just yesterday, The pain and sting of it Beggary, prostitution and fights. Like a thousand needles He was playing and laughing. She yells loudly, ”Rs. 4 per pao” A high fever, Piercing the heart Her salesmanship, All at once No medicine- Leaves me saying, ”Wow!” Was a potent combination. The fangs of a viper I buy vegetables from her In an icy grip Inviting Yama* It is a small gesture, Her heart aches- Spewing sweet poison... (To provide her just her next meal) For her dead son, In return for her overture. Every vein There are others to be fed. But it will not help her, So today she must work, A candle-wick It is only my whim, There is work to be done. ¨ Lit brightly She needs a long term solution, By love's undying flame A resolution- *Yama – God of death
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From a poem read at the 74 batch Silver Jubilee Reunion; BITS Pilani, Oct 2004
Yaad ne Jaye BY SRINIVAS KULKARNI (’74)
Yaad na jaye, beete dino ki Nutan connaught mein ja kar, masti kari thi Ja kar na aye jo din, dil kyon bulaye unhe. jamaakar Compre jo sir par aye, ghote lagaye raat bhar Din jo pakheru hote, pinjarey me main rakh leta Phir bhi na CGPA aaye. Palta unko jatan se, moti key daney deta Seene se rehta lagaye. Class-en bhi bunk ki humne, make-up bhi mil na paye Aye thé ghar se nikal kar, dil mein sanjoye sapne Phir bhi tha kuch is jagah mein, kuch to sikhaya Hum bhi baney engineer, shayad banenge triple in-hone E Hum bhi kuch ban kar aye, kaise samajh na Lekin bun gaye triple X. paye.
Mess mein jo khana khaya, humko kabhi na Kuch yaar aise mere, jo aaj aa na paye bhaya Maan mein basi jo moorat, lekin mite na mitaye, Bahar jo ja kar dekha, bahar jo kha kar dekha Na thhe kabhi woh paraye. Yaad parathe aaye, humne jo mess mein khaye. Yaad na jaye, beete dino ki Ja kar na aye jo din, dil kyon bulaye unhe. ¨
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BY ANUPENDRA SHARMA (’87 ECO INSTRU) THE BATTLE OF THE PILANI MASTERS AT BUNKER HILL
Battle scarred legends from With adrenaline pumping after The aroma of fresh warm years past quietly gathered tough negotiations with the idlis mingled with the smell of around the coffee and tea bins in vendor for extra chutney, newly cut grass in Princeton, preparation for another battle to Sandeep Arora and Rahoul New Jersey and added an exotic come. Armed with weapons of Mehra shared honors for the excitement to the famed Bunker graphite, nerves of steel and a best score on the front 9. Hill golf course. Over two single-mindedness of purpose, Renchy Thomas, taking tips hundred years ago, the they made their way to the hot from Sandeep who rode in the battleground of the same name vadas and chilled beers that same chariot, routed the enemy had witnessed a bloody battle awaited. The Bagarias, on the back 9, sharing honors that the British won. But it was a Gokhrus, Mynenis, with Rahul Banerjee. historic battle. For at Bunker Nalgundwars, Padmanabhans Hill, the American soldiers and Paladugus stood shoulder Satish Paul came with weapons discovered their own prowess, to shoulder, weapons by their of mass destruction but dud courage and almost beat back side, their broad chests and huge scuds they the regulars. Bunker Hill biceps foretelling a grim tale of were ! With a became a rallying cry of the the bloodshed to come. score of 176, patriots throughout the war. he won the Today, on a warm, grey day, the The last fleck of sambar wiped trophy for tone was set for the third year of away, the last gulp of Corona having the acclaimed Pilani Masters light and Gatorade swallowed fought the Golf Tournament. and it was time. Bob the Ranger longest, the raised his conch and beckoned divots at the giants to battle. A Princeton grizzled three-time bleeding warrior, KC, the oldest from the and most active massacre that BITSian, put his ammo he wreaked to the tee, took careful on the tall blades (of grass) that aim and let loose with stood in his way. a might roar into the winds. In the end we raised $1,000 thanks to three great NJ It was another companies. Radiant Systems outstanding day. The (thanks to CEO - Venu cloudy haze and Myneni), Wissen (thanks to intermittent showers CEO - Satish Paul), and ensured that the closest DreamCricket’s to pin didn’t come PavilionShop.com contributed to close. A 25.5 feet the BITS cause by sponsoring effort by the runner-up the arms race at Princeton. was narrowly pipped by Rahul Banerjee In the villages of India, the with a 24-footer. The saying went “Jitney haath, utni greens held their lathi”. Venk brought Chetan, ground. Kailash brought Ashish and Ravi brought Rahoul. Young, handsome, fearless warriors,
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they stood by their fathers like witness of heavy fighting on the happy survivors with gleaming Arjun’s Abhimanyu, to chide, 5th, 17th and 18th holes year gold and crystal trophies for ride, goad and support each after year, this time was no everyone, all winners for having other to victory. And victorious different. The passage of time come to stand their ground. they were. Ravi won. Venk has not lowered his sights, but Sharma came 3rd. Ashish came the victories are becoming As the participants swung out of 2nd. Blood they say is thicker narrower and the runners-up are the lot, their low slung red than water…that stood in their getting younger. With an Ferraris, Maseratis and Jaguars way. outstanding 83, he staved off a jostling with the Hondas, challenge from Ashish Sharma, Toyotas and Fords to get out of Ah water ! Across the swollen a Pilani son (of Kailash the car park, the raft of trophies rivers and on the sandy dunes, Sharma) who came in second in the back windows added the battle raged for hours. The with a best-ever 85. Ashish’s some more glitter to a sparkling rivers rose to overwhelm the two memorable birdies on the parking lot and an already riders, the waves crashing into front nine were replaced by the memorable day. the bridges. But the steeds rode two lost balls on the back 9. Ashish, the early leader, fell a fast and steady, the wheels of And suddenly it was over. As the chariots notch and Ravi rode back the sun set on the Battle for victorious. clattering Bunker Hill, the only reminder like the of those famed warriors was the rolling War is about teamwork. The gentle whiff of Cuban cigars, the thunder in Mehra-Sharma battalion (Ravi, lingering aroma of the afternoon the hills. Rahoul, Venk & Chetan) with samosas and alu tikkis, and a an average of 96 were way half empty bottle of Gatorade, Ravi Mehra ahead of the Sharma -Myneni swaying in the wind. came for a (KC, Ashish, Anupendra and Venu) battalion that came third time to But they’ll be back next year. In second with an average of 106. meet his even larger numbers. For challengers. though the Battle is over, the Two time In the end there were no War of the Masters will last a champion, a casualties, just battle scarred, lifetime. ¨
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BY ANURADHA GUPTA (’86 MMS) THE CGPA STRATEGY
I rue my lack of sincerity that My strategy was religion to me, They say never ask a caused me to sidestep the and it was critical that I did not woman her age and a BITSian opportunity of plunging myself stray from my carefully crafted her/his CGPA. The first adage into “a sea of learning”, and plan. It wasn’t all smooth has changed ever so slightly - It instead began scheming on a sailing. One time I was very is just as true for men nowadays. strategy to “get by” instead. My embarrassed when I entered the And some women (at least yours goals were razor focused. I compre for an exam where I had faithfully) proudly talk of their would enjoy BITS thoroughly already made my targeted ‘B’ mid-life crisis. and focus my learning only on grade. I didn’t spend any time my D-courses. I would get a studying for the compre (boo Back in the younger days when I great CGPA in those courses, hoo!), and instead had decided joined BITS, more due to and showcase it to employers to to focus on the ‘A’ I needed to societal expectations (gotta be land a fantastic job. get on the exam the next day. doctor or an engineer; didn’t matter what I really wanted), the What about the noble quest for My plan of action was first issue that confronted me on knowledge? That certainly straightforward. I would just day 2 in Pilani was: “Ok, I’m wasn’t for me! write my name and depart. The here. What’s next?” Professor, who really liked me, The funny part is I have been and thought I very was good at Now I have friends who knew asked by a school in India to his subject (which I was) that this was their chosen develop a course as a visiting unfortunately came to invigilate vocation from Day 1 and I envy faculty on Corporate Strategy. his exam. Now there was no their focus and their choices. As you will see, it is a subject way I could leave without him Things were a little different for after my own heart. For Strategy noticing! me, so I had to devise a strategy was a critical component of my for survival. Sure, I was very CGPA plan. What could I do? Well, I wrote happy with MMS. But what my name, peered at him and about the first two crucial years I made a decision that touching then fiddled with my pen. I where we all did the same a CGPA of 8.5 sounded good to decorated my name. What now? courses and competed with one me. I carefully analyzed the How much can I decorate my another for academic acclaim? shortest possible route to get name - I was no calligraphy For all of us high achievers, the there at the beginning of each expert. About twenty minutes proof of the pudding was in the semester. I worked out how into the 3-hour exam, I turned in eating and nothing other than much I needed for an A, a B or an answer sheet with hardly our CGPA was expected to even that dreaded C towards the anything in it, except for my reveal our intellect to our peers, end of the semester and rather well-decorated name. He our parents, prospective calculated accordingly for the looked puzzled as I gathered my employers and potentially last test or compre. I extended things and walked up to him and directors of admissions at far- that model to the entire semester stuck out my answer sheet. He flung universities. and all the courses. I worked out grabbed the paper, and his face the not-so-complex math (even fell as he flipped through the Most students sincerely attended for MMS graduates), blank pages. “You should classes. Some had a quest for multiplying x A’s, y B’s and z reconsider” he said firmly. I knowledge. A few had a desire C’s with the various weightings gave him a sheepish smile, for fun. A minority did to arrive at a final CGPA. With apologized and crept out of the extremely well, the majority was a rudimentary idea about the classroom feeling like a worm, average, and a few messed up, I content and level of difficult of one of the lower strata worms at suspect, for a multiplicity of the courses, I allocated the that. The look of deep reasons. grades! I was in business. disappointment in his eyes seared a hole forever into my
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 46 Creative & Humor Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine mortal soul that day. Even So, I would just study through During my ruminations about though I was the young and the night before the exam with what I learnt (or didn’t) in the carefree type, who could easily extreme concentration, take the four years at BITS, my sister shrug off these things, I was test, and then come back and often comforts me. She teaches affected. On some grey, sleep. And when I would wake Math, and is one of those depressing mornings, I think up, bingo! I would have brighter ones who actually learnt about that day. forgotten a great deal of what I something. She says that some had learnt the night before. For part of education is not meant to And now even more what remained, it was like the be retained but rather is required deviousness creeps in… decline on a bell shaped curve, to modify our brain patterns, almost like sliding down to skills and some such hogwash! How do you combine all these nothing. I may have hardly She says, “Maybe, you learnt to attended a class but the night be street smart!” Or she puts grades with extreme fun? I rely before, I would enjoy every bit forward the other great on a learning technique called short-term memory or working of the course. Till the day after! argument – you go to school to And my fresh, empty mind was learn the ability to learn. memory – an active system for ready like a dry sponge to take temporarily storing and on the next exam, the next all- manipulating information But I know that my deviousness nighter. needed in the execution of came at a cost. When I talk to complex cognitive tasks (e.g., my daughter now about the quizzes, tests, comprees, Of course some glimmerings of importance of gaining learning, reasoning, and knowledge remain. If somebody knowledge over grades, I feel comprehension where the first says Electronics Lab, I will that I am talking out of the lack and last three were, to me, immediately say, “And”, “Or”, of experience of this noble mutually exclusive). “Nand”, “Nor”. I might even say feeling. When I faced my class “Gates”. I will look bright at SP Jain (where I taught It is generally considered that behind my spectacles and try to briefly) and held forth on the hide my grin. same, my insincerity was some or all memories pass from reflected in their blank stares. If a short-term to a long-term store after a small period of time. Aging and amnesia is supposed I had my BITSian life to live again, I would be more sincere This is referred to as the "modal to destroy short term memory in about learning something – and model" detailed coincidentally, any case. And I can prove that in 1968, the year of my birth, by theory. I am a living, breathing more importantly, retaining it. BITS was a great experience Atkinson and Shiffrin. Little did example. I don’t even remember that I enjoyed tremendously. I they know that it would become how many things I have the cornerstone of learning for forgotten. just know that I could have made the classroom portion of it millions of students around the more meaningful. world. The exact mechanism by Except for my MMS D-courses which this transfer takes place and other relevant subjects. from short term to permanent is There I was like any other Disclaimer: When criminals a controversial study in fiercely committed individual, write novels, they allegedly give cognitive psychology. inclined to fraudulent activity – ideas to people. I don’t mean to but never with D-courses. And and the analogy may be But for me, it was a simple my strategy sure reflects that I reasonably apt but the intention is merely to share my extensive solution – no transfers! I would was fit for MMS (!) experience in the field. And by retain nothing. Unless it happened unwittingly. Or in the Friends, BITSians and fellow the grace of the Lord Almighty, no profound Professor of mine rather rare instance when the countrypeople, I am happy to will ever set eyes on this article. subject matter was fascinating. say that I met my CGPA goal. It Gulp! ¨ Like – good grief, Optimization amazes me today that these Techniques! naïve techniques actually worked.
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BY ASHISH GARG (’97 INSTRU) AND ANUPENDRA SHARMA (’87 INSTRU) HOW THEY DID IT: RAJESH HUKKU (’74 EEE) & I-FLEX THE FIRST IN A SERIES The company had all the elements of a startup story. An idea for a product, $400,000 in venture financing, zero revenues, one client, a threadbare office, and three passionate founders. The $400,000 in VC money is now worth over $400 million, and the entire company is valued at a billion dollars. Much has been written about i-flex’s success as the world’s #1 selling core banking software company. But this article talks about the lesser known Rajesh Hukku, the person and the early beginnings of i-flex Solutions.
create India’s most visible Japan, Russia and the US. Even IT is 8am on a winter morning technology brand, a company the IMF is a client. in Manhattan. i-flex’s team is with an almost cult-ish loyalty, making a decision on whether to high retention rate in a industry accept a key negotiating point where two years is a long time, His Pilani Days from a high profile client. It has and a brand that gets visibility taken the marketing team a lot far and above its size would Rajesh credits much of his success to the drive instilled by of work to get the client to dictate. It comes down to his parents. His parents were negotiate. At the head of the Rajesh’s uncanny abilities to table in the Park Avenue office connect to and care for each and Professors from Kashmir lived in Jaipur where Rajesh was of i-flex is Rajesh Hukku, the every rank and file employee in born, before raising him in Chairman and Managing the organization, and the outside director. Rajesh listens to the world connected to it. Jodhpur. His father inspired him to rise to the top. animated discussion for a while i-flex’s flagship product, and then asks a lot of questions. After graduating from high FLEXCUBE has been ranked Finally he says firmly that he is the top-selling core banking- school in 1974, he left for BITS not going to concede the point, Pilani. A few weeks later, he software package by the British even if he loses the contract. He got a call from his father in International Banking System argues persuasively that it would for the past two years in a row. Jodhpur. “You’ve gotten into send the wrong message to the IIT Kanpur,” he said. “Come In FY2004, its revenues were market. The meeting breaks, home right away”. Rajesh $185 million and profits were and the sales person, a junior $40 million. Its market share is a thought about it for a while. But he was already settled into rich $1 billion. Pilani, he loved the place, he had made new friends. Much to his father’s surprise, he refused i-flex: The truly global to come back to join IIT. company Rajesh loves the rivalry and A look at Rajesh’s calendar will constantly takes joking pot-shots boggle the mind. He logs at the IITs. “The engineers from 150,000 airmiles a year, lesser known institutes like IITs tirelessly crisscrossing the world are all over the place” he joked from his home in New Jersey at the BITS Mumbai reunion. where he has lived for the past “Its time we BITSians show eight years with his wife Smriti them what we are made of”. employee, is visibly and two daughters, Manisha and disappointed. Rajesh takes him Manasi. He is a gold or platinum A EEE graduate from BITS, he out for a smoke, and member on almost every airline. was the bronze medalist of his encouragingly talks to him, This isn’t surprising. i-flex has batch at Pilani. His name is still smoothening his frayed nerves. 512 customers in 105 countries, painted on the S-Block winner The sales person leaves happy. which include little islands such board. as Wanuatu, Malta and Cyprus, This is pure-Rajesh. His Rajesh believes that his to nations such as Ireland, incredibly people-oriented formative years in Pilani Iceland, Poland, UK, Germany management style has led him to
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shop, and had no interest in investing or selling Microbanker to other customers. Rajesh, along with co-founder R Ravisankar (also called Shanx) decided they would attempt to separate the company by spinning-off the product. After a number of discussions within COSL, the firm agreed. Citibank saw a lot of promise in this young group of professionals and clearly was impressed by the passion of Rajesh Hukku. As part of the deal, all employees of COSL were offered the opportunity to go to the new firm, CITIL. 150 employees accepted the offer. equipped him with the people Rajesh negotiated $400,000 (Rs. skills that guide him today. i-flex gets started 1 crore at the time) in seed funding from Citicorp Venture Rajesh was getting dissatisfied Capital (CVC), and named the The Road to Entrepreneurship with his TCS experience. He startup CITIL. Rajesh was worked on projects in different After graduating from BITS, named CEO. Today the fields and verticals, which did Rajesh joined TCS in their employees own a 20% stake in not allow him to build domain Bombay office in 1979. TCS the company. knowledge, a critical step was a small company writing towards a building a product. CITIL focused on selling code for US companies long He decided to move to Citicorp Microbanker to banks in before IT outsourcing became Overseas Software Ltd. (COSL) emerging market countries and fashionable. Rajesh observed in 1989 to focus on the financial did not get any business from that the code TCS was writing market vertical. Citicorp in the initial years to for American firms were being bootstrap itself, as COSL was sold for substantially large At the time, COSL was a 500- doing all the work. But after a profits. He realized that though employee Citibank subsidiary few years as CITIL started Indians were excellent software containing one product, winning Citicorp business, the developers, they were weak in Microbanker. But most of its stage was set for a rivalry with two areas i.e. understanding the revenues were from providing the larger, better established customer’s businesses and IT services to Citibank. COSL. COSL was eventually managing large turnkey projects. Microbanker was mo stly sold to Polaris. ignored by COSL. Rajesh’s moment of truth came It fascinated Rajesh, in late 1980s. Rajesh wrote because it was a software that integrated the core system with work done by multiple capabilities to run workstations at the US stock the guts of the bank. exchange into a single box. This It wasn’t very good, system was an instant hit and the but he thought it company was sold to Reuters for held tremendous $150 million. TCS, which had potential. built the product, collected a few thousand dollars. That is when In 1992, Rajesh Rajesh decided that someday he discovered that would build a product instead of COSL was selling his innovative skills to converting itself others for much less. into an internal IT
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CITIL built a product that had company's system was so global applications yet it didn’t complicated, only God could have the resources to brand figure it out. Rajesh, in his itself. Rajesh solved this inimitable style, made a deft problem by focusing his energy save. "Sir, we are Indians," he at the less expensive Middle said. "We are very religious, and Eastern and African markets. He very close to God." Hukku won made an interesting realization the deal. that even though the economies in Africa were in shambles, the banks in Africa had money. He The Branding challenge leveraged the Citibank name to Jim Collins. Photo credit: Businessweek By leveraging the Citibank open doors, and the small, His Management Style relatively unknown banks sat up name and by giving outstanding products and services to and listened. As the product Rajesh is a "Level 5 manager," a customers ignored by the larger generated revenues, it was reference to management guru gradually introduced all around Jim Collins' depiction. He has a competitors, i-flex built its the world and is firmly very democratic style of marketshare. When it became big enough, it leveraged its size established today. In 2000, the working and he relies heavily of into building the brand. It wasn’t company changed its name to i- building consensus in the flex, giving up the Citi prefix. boardroom. He also has a easy. When i-flex started in 1992, there was not a single disarming sense of humor and What is little known is that globally recognized Indian an uncanny ability to crack a Citibank wasn’t the first joke and connect with people. brand in any industry, and i-flex customer for i-flex’s products, went through some tough times This style of functioning has although Citibank did buy its convincing its clients about its given him an almost cult services. It was actually the 47th, following in i-flex and given rise Made-in-India products. Rajesh client, the culmination of a still reminisces, "On many to many stories about him. three-year sales effort occasions, the CIO of a bank spearheaded by Rajesh. Five years ago, a newly minted would tell me ours was the ideal Eventually Citibank was to give MBA had just joined i-flex. The product. But the CEO would not the company a contract to first day, he bumped into Rajesh agree to buy it because he didn’t replace their legacy system in in the elevator leaving the want to take a risk." 100 countries. This system will office. Rajesh promptly All that is standardize 59 systems owned extended his hand and said,” Hi! history. i- by Citibank into a single I am Rajesh. What is your FLEXCUBE system. The name?” The startled rookie said, flex is one of the most savings for Citibank will far “Sir my name is ----. I recently widely outweigh the investment. joined i-flex and it’s great to work for your company”. dispersed The venture capitalists benefited Indian Rajesh smiled, “i-flex is not hugely from this deal. The brands. only my company. It’s your $400,000 investment by CVC is company as well. We are all Only now worth more than $400 recently building this company together”. million. It is certainly the largest that have The employee remembers that return for any VC in India, and day vividly, and is currently part the likes of probably the largest ever for Vijay of i-flex’s Singapore operations. CVC. CVC currently owns Mallaya of Kingfisher, Titan and 43.5% of i-flex. Rajesh’s wit and deft handling Indian pharmaceutical of situations has many legendary companies begun to follow in stories. One story told often is his footsteps, giving their brands when he was trying to convince a global face. a large European bank to replace The next challenge for i-flex is its crazy quilt of back-office to crack the US market, a nation computer software with i-flex’s product. An executive gave him with more banks than fast food restaurants. (We’re only joking, the brush-off, telling him their
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 50 Leaders & Entrepreneurs Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine but the US has over 8,000 the product champions. But the different banks). The market company refutes this. “On the i-flex: An amazing work place potential is staggering. Rajesh base of more than 3,000 wants to utilize brand equity as Rajesh lives and breathes i-flex. employees, a handful of people the single most effective tool for It is his mission to make i-flex leaving was noted and a straw market penetration. the role model for innovation case was made out of that coming out of India. His incident”, says Sunil Robert. personal mission means he is on Employees return often, after the road 15 days in a month. The Awards they realize the culture at i-flex ‘When he is not traveling, he is is unique, they see the lack of Rajesh says that the awards were applying for visas “says Head of empowerment at other firms, missing when they needed it the Media Relations, Sunil Robert in and most importantly, they don’t most, but as they have been London. Employee turnover till find employees at other firms successful, the awards have recently had been minimal, in with the same passion and flown fast. Rajesh has been part due to personal interactions missionary zeal as their awarded India’s highest award of employees with Rajesh. He counterparts at the firm they left. for Innovation, the Dewang has an amazing memory and can Rajesh always welcomes them Mehta Award in 2003. Rajesh recollect little details about his back. donated the entire sum of Rs. 5 workers many years later. lakhs to the “i-flex for child” charity program. But of late it has been hard to hold onto i-flex employees. Rajesh, BITSAA and He was named Star of Asia by Known for their technical relaxation BusinessWeek. i-flex was one of abilities and knowledge of Rajesh has spoken in Mumbai the 15 survivors of the dotcom building products, they are and New Jersey, and is happy to crash profiled by the Time targets for companies willing to show up at BITSAA events pay
Magazine. Rajesh has been named one of India’s top 10 movers and shakers in the IT Industry, received the Entrepreneur of the Year for the ICE category, and won the Emerging Company of the Year award from ET, amongst many others in India. And in October 2004, Forbes ranked i-flex amongst the best 100 companies significantly higher wages. ‘under a billion’ in Asia Pacific around the globe. When he’s adding to the long list of It has been reported recently that not selling software, getting accolades received by the firm. SAP and Infosys, amongst visas or inspiring students and others have been trying to poach alums, he entertains friends and
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 51 Leaders & Entrepreneurs Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine family. Rajesh is a great mimic if I become good at golf, the CEOs I work with will feel threatened. So long as I am bad at golf, they will thrash me at it but still give me their business.” he jokes, half seriously. and fan of Raj Kapoor. Miles to go into a diversified provider of Employees say that the early i-flex shares have risen 107% banking and financial solutions days of NASSCOM were since their IPO in June 2002. for the long term. memorable evenings, with But of late, while the coding Dewang Mehta, a close friend of giants are on a tear, i-flex is i-flex is growing rapidly. And Rajesh, an who had the same down 35% from its peak in will hire about 1,000 sense of humor and idea of fun January this year. professionals in the next 5 as Rajesh did, laughing, joking months by March 2005. In his Rajesh dismisses this as short- and partying with other leaders view, this is only the beginning. of India’s IT industry. . term myopia, and is seldom distracted by the share price. We believe him and are assured Rajesh tries to spend every free He’s building i-flex in the US that Rajesh will be collecting his moment with his family. He is and Europe, spending money on 150,000 miles next year as well. not too concerned about acquisitions, and broadening his ¨ improving his golf game, “I product offerings and company don’t have to learn golf because
SECRETS OF FLEXCUBE’S SUCCESS: WHY HAS IT BEEN SO POPULAR ?
Instead of first designing a product and then trying to peddle it, Rajesh and his team spent an enormous amount of time researching the banks in their target group to understand the problems that confronted them on a day-to-day basis. As a result of that research, three fundamental design principles emerged for the FLEXCUBE suite emerged.
Customer-centric software: In contrast to the general ledger based software, FLEXCUBE was the first software which had a customer view at its core. This customer-centric approach allowed banks to view customers as entities.
No requirement to change source code: Customers were used to changing volumes of code to launch new banking products. Now without doing any such laborious changes, FLEXCUBE allows them to define new banking products on the fly by changing business rule sets.
Scalability: FLEXCUBE was designed to grow as the banks size and volumes grew. No other product allowed such growth and flexibility.
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BY RAJENDRA SISODIA (WITH JAGDISH SHETH) THE RULE OF THREE IN INDIA Prof. Rajendra Sisodia (’74 EEE) of Bentley College, and Prof. Jagdish Sheth of Emory University came up with a startling theory that may shape the future of how business leaders evaluate future strategy and visions for their companies, and also how governments look at anti-trust policy. Their view – that there can be no more than three major players in any market – has borne true in the US. Here they examine the impact of the fascinating rule of three in India. CNBC carried a mini-series based on their book. across a range of products and between 70% and 90% of the OVER the past several markets, and are volume -driven market. To be viable as volume- years, the world economy has players for whom financial driven players, companies must witnessed a unique combination performance improves with have a critical-mass market of economic phenomena: gains in market share. share of at least 10%. As the mergers as well as demergers at illustration shows, the financial record levels. As a result, the Specialists tend to be margin - performance of full-line landscape of just about every driven players, who actually generalists gradually improves major industry has changed in a suffer deterioration in financial with greater market share, while significant way. Industries are performance by increasing their the performance of specialists in the midst of rationalization share of the broad market. drops off rapidly as their market and consolidation, moving Contrary to traditional economic share increases. inexorably toward what we call theory, then, evolved markets the Rule of Three. tend to be simultaneously SOME OBSERVATIONS IN oligopolistic as well as THE MARKET Through competitive market monopolistic. EVOLUTION forces, markets that are largely free of regulatory constraints The graph shows financial By analyzing the evolution of and major entry barriers (such as performance versus market about 200 sectors, we have very restrictive patent rights or share, illustrating the central arrived at the following government-controlled capacity paradigm of the Rule of Three: generalizations: licenses) eventually get In competitive mature markets 1. A typical competitive organized into two kinds of there is only room for three full- market starts out in an competitors: full-line line generalists, along with unorganized way, with only generalists and several, in some markets, small players serving it. As product/market specialists. numerous, product or market markets expand, they get specialists. Together, the three organized through a process of Full line generalists compete competitors typically control, consolidation and standardization. This process eventually results in the emergence of a small handful of “full-line generalists” surrounded by a number of “product specialists“and “market specialists.” Contrary to popular belief, such shakeouts often take place during market expansion (witness the cellular telephony industry in recent years). 2. With uncanny regularity, the number of full- line generalists that survive this transition is three. In the typical market, the market shares of the three eventually hover around
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40%, 20% and 10%, 5. If the top player beer (Schlitz), aircraft respectively. Together, they commands 70% or more of the manufacturing (Lockheed first, generally serve between 70% market (usually because of a then McDonnell Douglas), and and 90% of the market, with the proprietary technology or strong automobiles (previous battles balance going to product/market patent rights), there is often no between GM and Ford drove specialists. The extent of room for even a second full-line Chrysler perilously close to market share concentration generalist. When IBM extinction). among the big three depends on dominated the mainframe 8. Nevertheless, in the the extent to which fixed costs business many years ago, all of long run, a new No. 3 full-line dominate the cost structure. its competitors had to become player always emerges. In the niche players to survive. When 3. The financial globalized soft drink market the market leader has a share performance of the three large currently, the combination of between 50 and 70%, there is players improves with increased Cadbury-Schweppes, Dr. Pepper often only room for two full-line market share – up to a point and 7-Up has resulted in the generalists. Similarly, if the (typically 40%). Beyond that market leader point, diseconomies of scale set enjoys considerably in, along with regulatory less than 40%, there problems related to heightened may (temporarily) anti-monopoly scrutiny. be room for a fourth generalist player. 6. A market share of 10% is the minimum level necessary for a player to be viable as a full-line generalist. Companies that dip below this level are not viable as full-line players, creation of a viable new No. 3 and must make the transition to player behind Coke and Pepsi, specialist status to survive; with approximately 17% market alternatively, they must consider share. a merger with another company
to regain a market share above 10%. In the US airline industry, 9. The number one US Airways, Northwest and company is usually the least America West are all in the innovative, though it may have Credit: Bentley College ditch; each will eventually have the largest R&D budget. Such 4. The big three to shrink into specialty status or companies tend to adopt a “fast companies are valued at a merge with one of the Big Three follower” strategic posture when premium (price-earnings ratio) (American, United and Delta) in it comes to innovation. compared with smaller order to survive. Previous ditch players, such as Eastern, Braniff, 10. The number three companies, especially those in company is usually the most PanAm and TWA, have already the ditch. The oil industry is a innovative. However, its perished. recent example; the “Big Three” innovations are usually “stolen” (Exxon-Mobil, BP and Royal 7. In a market suffering by the number one company Dutch) have P/E ratios of 15, 18 through a downturn in growth, unless it can protect them. Such and 13 respectively, while mid - the fight for market share protection is becoming more sized players Texaco, Chevron, between Nos. 1 and 2 often difficult to attain over time. Philips and Conoco have P/E sends the No. 3 company into 11. The extent to which the ratios of 12, 9, 6 and 7 the ditch. For example , this respectively. happened in soft drinks (RC third ranked player enjoys a comfortable or precarious Cola wound up in the ditch),
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 54 Showcasing BITSian Research & Innovation Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine existence depends on how far factors will gradually wane in approximately 15 million tonnes away that player is from the coming years (as they have per year each, followed by “ditch.” elsewhere in the world), they Grasim with approximately 12. The performance of specialist companies deteriorates as they grow market share within the overall market, but improves as they grow their share of a specialty niche. 13. Successful niche players (product-market specialists) are, in essence, monopolists in their niches, commanding 80-90% market share. 14. Successful market growth (finding new markets for continue to be significant for 10.5 million tonnes. The total existing products) requires now. Below, we highlight a few capacity in the market is product strength, and successful sectors in which the Rule of approximately 110 million product growth (developing new Three is imminent or already tonnes; the current Big Three products for existing markets) here. thus control only 37%. The requires market strength. industry remains fragmented, 15. Ditch players can and many more mergers and emerge as big players by Cement acquisitions lie ahead. merging with one another, but only if there is no viable third The Indian cement market, the Those domestic players that ranked player to block them. A fourth largest in the world, has have not been selling to the better strategy is to seek a become a key battleground for global Big Three have been merger with a successful full the world’s leading cement making rapid-fire acquisitions; line generalist. The ditch can be makers: Lafarge of France, Gujarat Ambuja (with plant a very attractive source of Holderbank of Switzerland and capacity of about 8 million bargains for full line generalists Cemex of Mexico. Of the three, tonnes per year) has bought DLF looking to rapidly boost market Lafarge has been especially Cement and Tata’s stake in share. aggressive in India, acquiring ACC. the cement businesses of EVIDENCE FOR THE RULE Raymond and Tata Steel, and is Likely market specialists, OF THREE IN INDIA in the running (along with focusing on regional markets, Holderbank and Cemex) to include India Cements, which is The application of the Rule of acquire a stake in L&T’s cement the largest producer of cement in Three to the Indian market is business as well. Already the South India, with a production moderated by two significant largest player in the eastern part capacity of 3.5 million tonnes and persistent factors: the of the country, Lafarge is clearly per year. presence of a large unorganized not done with acquisitions in and unbranded sector in many India. industries, and the presence of Aluminum many regional players. While L&T and ACC lead the Indian we believe that both of these market with a capacity of
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with international currently control the copper chains, many of industry: Hindustan Copper, which are actively Birla Copper, and Sterlite looking to acquire Industries. There are a large properties in number of small manufacturers India. Join as well. Recently, Sterlite ventures are Industries Ltd. acquired two sprouting as those mines in Australia, which makes with global ties it easy to source the raw seem likelier to materials. become one of three in this competitive field. Tea
The Indian hotel The Indian tea industry is facing industry is an a crisis in terms of consumption. oligopoly with This struggle is expected to end few key players up weeding out many of the 125 grappling for small and medium-sized tea The aluminum and copper control. They include The companies that exist. industries have seen the Indian Hotels Company, Ltd. emergence of a handful of (IHCL or Taj Group), the There are several main dominant players following a largest hotel operator in India companies in the industry, many remarkable phase of national with a 20% market share and of which have recently and global consolidation and almost twice as many properties participated in mergers on both expansion within the industry. under management as its closest national and global levels. Aluminum manufacturing is rival, the India Tourism largely an oligopolistic market Development Corporation Tata Tea is the leading tea with Bharat Aluminum (ITDC or the Ashok Group) plantation company in India and Company Limited (BALCO), with a 15% market share; and the largest integrated tea NALCO and Hindalco EIH (East India Hotels) with a producer in the world. During accounting for 88% of 12% market share. Other players 2000, the company acquired production. Sterlite Industries include ITC hotels (linked with entire shareholding of world’s Ltd. - also a major player in the Sheraton chain), followed by second largest branded tea copper - recently bought 51% of smaller entities such as Hotel company, Tetley Group Limited BALCO from the Government Leelaventure, Asian Hotels of the United Kingdom. The of India and a 55% piece of and Jaypee Hotels. Recent Tata Tea/Tetley combination India Foils, the largest acquisitions include IHCL’s now ranks as the world’s manufacturer of aluminum foils. purchase of the Blue Diamond number two tea company in the Additionally, Hindalco acquired Hotel and its signing of a joint world, with about 5% of sales. Alcan's 54.6% stake Indian venture with GVK Hotels for The purchase of the Tetley Aluminum Company (IAC) in three hotels in March 2000. Hyderabad. Hospitality Copper
Even though the hotel industry Aluminum’s sister in India is struggling, industry, copper, is construction is booming, quickly boiling down to consolidation is looming and the Rule of Three, global players are looking for following a spate of room in the struggle for control consolidations. Three of the market. For survival, major players in the hotels in India are linking up organized sector
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 56 Showcasing BITSian Research & Innovation Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine business, which is twice the size Godfrey Philips, while BAT has barriers to trade and foreign of Tata Tea, represents the 33% of ITC. ownership of assets have been largest cross-border takeover of erected. an international brand by an Indian firm. Tata Tea faces Luggage Ultimately, the Rule of Three is competition from Hindustan about the search for the highest Lever's Brooke Bond and Industry level of operating efficiency in a Lipton brands, which command competitive market. Industries a 34% market share to Tata The Indian total luggage market with four or more major players, Tea's 20%. The Goodricke is approximately Rs 1,200 crore as well as those with two or Group and the Assam annually, of which Rs 700 crore fewer, tend to be less efficient Company are the other major comes from the unbranded than those with three major players. unorganized sector. Within the players. The role of the Rs 500 crore branded luggage government is to ensure that free market, VIP has a lion’s share of market conditions do indeed 64.7%, Aristocrat (a corporate prevail, to allow industry sibling of VIPs) has 16%, Safari rationalization and consolidation has 12.7% and Samsonite has to occur naturally, and to step in 6.6%. Samsonite has positioned when an industry seeks to itself as a specialist targeting the consolidate too far, i.e., to a premium end of the market. level where fewer than three Samsonite arrived in India in players control the lion’s 1997 (CEO & Promoter with share.¨ 40% market share–Dr Ramesh Tainwala is a BITSian) and has since captured 60% of the Tobacco premium segment, with sales growing at 40% per year. India’s cigarette market of 105 billion sticks a year is relatively IN CONCLUSION small compared to China; 82% of India’s tobacco is consumed The Rule of Three applies in the form of beedis. However, wherever competitive market the market is still attractive to forces are allowed to determine multinationals, given its size market structure with only (200 million smokers) and minor regulatory and growth potential. The Big Three technological impediments. It in India are ITC (65% of the would, therefore, not apply in market), Vizir Sultan Tobacco markets where Regulation, and Godfrey Philips . Philip Exclusive rights (where patents Morris already owns 36% of and trademarks reign); Licensed economy and where major
ABOUT RAJ SISODIA Dr. Sisodia is one of the first of three teacher-scholars at Bentley College. Dr. Sisodia joined Bentley from George Mason University, where he served as associate professor of marketing and director of executive programs at the School of Management. His teaching, curriculum development and scholarly activities focus on digital commerce; technology management; technology as a change agent; the telecommunications and information industries; services; marketing productivity; and the impact of information technology on marketing strategy. His work has been featured in professional journals such as the Harvard Business Review, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post and American Public Radio's Marketplace. He co-hosted a monthly talk show on business and management issues broadcast on National Public Radio. Dr. Sisodia received a BE (Hons) Engineering degree from BITS Pilani (1979), MMS from Bajaj Institute of Management (1981) and MPhil PhD in Marketing from Columbia University (1988).
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BY ANUPENDRA SHARMA (’87 ECO INSTRU) MAHATMA GANDHI, THE MISSING NOBEL LAUREATE & 5-TIME NOMINEE Much credit for the research goes to Øyvind Tønnesson and Thomas Weber for this article.
Most people don’t know that Gandhiji was nominated for the Nobel five times. This article explains the history, examines the reasons why he never won, writes about the deliberations after his assassination to overturn the principle of awarding the Prize only to the living, and the honors showered by the Committee and many of the winners of the Prize. homage to Mahatma Gandhi and The 1937-39 Nominations Indians have won five credited him for teaching them. Nobel Prizes to date. It should This august list includes Albert Ole Colbjørnsen, a well known have been six. Yet the most Einstein, Aung San Suu Kyi, and influential Labour Party MP, famous Indian, Mohandas George Marshall, The current nominated Gandhi for the first Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948) Dalai Lama, Martin Luther time in 1937. The Norwegian never received a Nobel Prize, King Jr. and Nelson Mandela. branch of "Friends of India" wrote though he was nominated five the note supporting the candidacy. times from 1937-1939 and 1947- The Christian Century, a US The Committee's adviser, 1948. magazine suggested nominating Professor Jacob Worm-Müller Gandhiji for the Nobel Peace Prize praised Gandhiji, saying he was Alfred Nobel, in his will dated 27 in a 1934 editorial, when he was noble, ascetic, prominent, and November 1895, left the bulk of already well known in the United much loved man. However he his considerable fortune to the States for the Salt March of 1930. criticized him for not being Nobel Foundation. The peace prize The editorial read: “Why not consistently pacifist in his political was to go to the person "who had award the Nobel peace prize to actions. He argued that Gandhiji worked the most or the best for the Gandhi? It would be no personal should have known that some of fraternity among peoples and the favor to him and he probably does his non-violent campaigns towards abolition or reduction of not want it. The honor would not the British would degenerate into permanent armies, as well as the greatly impress him and he would violence and terror. He also establishment and promotion of not know what to do with so much labeled Gandhiji as an “Indian peace congresses." The Peace money except give it away. These nationalist”, criticizing him for Prize is given by a small are all high qualifications for such helping Indians and not the worse Norwegian Nobel Committee in a prize.” off Blacks in South Africa. At this consultation with an appointed time no Nobel had been given for a advisor. The editorial went on to criticize nationalistic freedom struggle. the 1933 Committee Mahatma Gandhi was a known for finding no figure in Europe due to his deserving recipients. struggles in South Africa, even It lamented that “of before he returned to India in the twenty-five 1915, due to the twenty years he awards, too many spent in the apartheid struggle. went to presidents, Gandhiji invented the use of non- ministers and other violent struggle, a method so high officials and too successful it was exported around few to working the world and used time and again. friends of peace or to The non-violence he preached was really radical a deeply rooted belief. Many proponents of peace Nobel Prize winners have given and disarmament.”
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The Prizes had been awarded for support India's participation in the second strong argument against international actions, or actions Second World War; and, finally, Gandhiji was his statement made taken outside ones’ own country his efforts to resolve the conflict in September 1947, that although for the betterment of the masses. between Hindu and Moslem he had always opposed warfare, he Gandhiji’s focus on the plight of communities. In all these matters, would support it if it was the only the Indians in South Africa and Jens said, Gandhiji had way to secure justice from India did not fit well. The Prize consistently followed his own Pakistan. The Committee took a instead went to Lord Cecil of principles of non-violence. negative view of this stance, and Chelwood, UK. Unfortunately, Jens was not decided to give the award to the explicitly supportive of the Nobel Quakers.
The 1948 Nomination
Two days before he was assassinated, six nominations were received by the Nobel Committee. The Quakers who pipped Mahatma Gandhi in the previous year, nominated him, and he was included in the final short list of three names. Alas, when Gandhiji died, so did his chances for a Nobel. The award only went to the living.
Till 1948, no one had ever been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize posthumously. But the Nobel Foundation could make this award under certain exceptional circumstances. Unfortunately, the organization chose to focus on some rather irrelevant details regarding the practical Ole Colbjørnsen renominated going to Gandhiji. Jens also hinted consequences of the money Mahatma Gandhi again in 1938 that the partition of India and the distribution if the Prize were and in 1939, but the arguments resulting violence had reduced the awarded posthumously. Although made by Prof Worm in 1937 impact of Gandhiji to some extent. Gandhiji had no will or succession ensured that Gandhiji did not get plan, this was a weak excuse; his on the shortlist in either year. At the time of the Nobel sons were living, and Navjivan discussions, there was Publishing House publishing The 1947 Nomination considerable unrest due to the Gandhiji’s writings could have violence and war between India inherited the award. The Swedish In 1947, shortly after India’s and Pakistan. When the Committees that award all other independence, Gandhiji was deliberations began on October 30, Nobels were consulted. They did nominated again, and ended up as 1947, two Committee members not support a posthumous award, one of six names on the Nobel spoke in favor of Gandhiji’s stating that it could only have been Committee's short list. nomination. However they were made if the laureate died after the not able to convince the three other Committee's decision had been The Nobel Committee's adviser members. Øyvind Tønnesson made. Jens Arup Seip was a historian. speculates that Committee Jens was full of praise for Gandhiji members must have had to After much deliberation, the for his efforts in three different, consider the political fallout and Committee opposed 4-1 to make a but mutually related conflicts: the signals that would be sent if they posthumous award to Mahatma struggle for Independence against had awarded the Peace Prize to Gandhi. The announcement was the British; the stance taken to India’s leader in a time of war. A made on November 18, 1948, that
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"there was no suitable living surprise, while regarding this backgrounds. He was a candidate" and therefore the prize year's award of the prize as in part “nationalist” seeking to free would remain unawarded that year. a tribute to the memory of Indians from the British in India This gesture certainly was Mahatma Gandhi.” The Secretary and South Africa, thus unable to fit intended as a show of respect for of the Norwegian Nobel into the narrow definitions that Mahatma Gandhi. Committee, Geir Lundestad said made the Nobel Committees that no prize could establish a comfortable assessing for such It is unfortunate that the perfect record, indicating their awards. Committee lacked the courage to omission of Mahatma Gandhi. create a precedent. What we do Thankfully in today’s times, such know is that this is a decision that At Chicagopex 2001, the Chicago nationalistic struggles would the Nobel Foundation regrets to Philately Association recognized surely be rewarded by the Nobel, this day, as evidenced quite openly this omission as well. The as is evidenced in their awards to in their actions. organization celebrated the 100th Martin Luther King Jr., the anniversary of the Nobel Prize by Dalai Lama and Aung San Suu Nobel Organization regrets releasing a number of first day Kyui . In fact, some argue that the The Nobel Foundation website covers. All covers bore the title principles of Alfred Nobel of “the talks about the Mahatma’s life and “One Nobel prize was not awarded abolition or reduction of work at great length in an aptly – Mohandas Karamchand permanent armies, as well as the titled write-up, “The Missing Gandhi”, and had stamps honoring establishment and promotion of Nobel”. When the Dalai Lama Mahatma Gandhi, Albert Einstein, peace congresses" have not been received the Peace Prize in 1989, Desmond Tutu, Martin Luther considered in some awards to the chairman of the Nobel King Jr., Aung San Suu Kyi, controversial supporters of war Committee said “It would be Desmond Tutu, George Marshall and violence, including natural to compare him with and Nelson Mandela, figures who Menachem Begin, Henry Mahatma Gandhi, one of this always supported and honored this Kissinger, Yasser Arafat and century's greatest protagonists of man. Yitzhak Rabin. peace, and the Dalai Lama likes to consider himself one of Gandhi's Why? successors. People have Were the Nobel Committees in the occasionally wondered why 1930s and 1940s too short sighted? Gandhi himself was never Politically motivated? Did it fly in awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the face of the imperial designs of and the present Nobel Committee Europe, and send wrong signals to can with the struggling non-Europeans who impunity were trying to overcome European share tyranny around the world. Or was this it due to Norway’s connections to Britain. Little is recorded of those Committee’s debates, and no evidence suggests that Britain tried No wonder the Nobel Organization to block the awards. has tried to make amends for its omission of Mahatma Gandhi. We can only speculate that They’ve done less to honor Leo Mahatma Gandhi did not Tolstoy, another historical figure fit the stereotype of an that was never awarded the Nobel, international political but that’s another story. and humanitarian figure. Neither was he It is believed that Gandhiji would European or have been invited to Oslo to American, in a receive the Nobel Peace Prize in time when the 1948, had he not died tragically Nobel typically that year. He would certainly have went to been the brightest light in six Westerners with instead of our five winners¨ such
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BY TIRUMALA RAO TALASILA (’84 COMP SCI) IT SERVICES IN CHINA – OPPORTUNITIES & CHALLENGES. BRIEFINGS FROM THE LAND OF THE DRAGON: THE SECOND IN THE SERIES In this article the author presents some excellent opportunities and challenges in the Chinese Information Technology (IT) market. The information is intended to help BITSians develop an understanding of the key issues as well as an appreciation of the associated risks and rewards, so that you can plan a forward looking China strategy. market share, profit from local mimicking Indian firms’ models China. China. China. We can’t ventures, and acquire skills for success in IT offshoring. As seem to go through a single day required to face the expected an inducement to promote IT, without hearing about the new onslaught of competition in the local and central governments in economic frontier in the East. global marketplace from China- From giant multi-billion dollar bred firms. corporations to entrepreneurial outfits in Silicon Valley, they all INDIA’S OPPORTUNITY: want a slice of the profit pie. LAY IN HE ORLD S China’s put the “C” back in the P T W ’ big proverbial Cheese! SECOND LARGEST IT MARKET IS THE BACKGROUND OPPORTUNITY The world’s greatest industrial The size of the domestic IT revolution is taking place in the market in China in 2001 was shortest possible time in our US$30 billion. The hardware lifetimes, and will never be sector takes the lion share of repeated. McKinsey & Co.’s 80% and the rest 20% is made worldwide managing director up of software and services. According to the Tenth Five- Ian Davis, in a conversation with Fortune Magazine, says Year plan, the Chinese China provide preferential that for Fortune 500 CEOs Government will invest Rmb China is “Absolutely center 500 billion (US$60 billion) in IT policies that provide office stage.” Goldman Sachs sector. It is hoped that the space, facilities, tax incentives and reduced paperwork predicts that China’s economy contribution of IT sector to GDP will overtake the US by 2039. will reach 7% in 2005. This is in specifically for overseas Chinese A staggering amount of wealth line with government forecasts who can bring technology to China. is being created in every sphere, that China will become the and it is key for Indian second largest IT market after entrepreneurs to recognize this the United States in 5 years. gold rush and try to exploit it. WHY IT WILL The Chinese appear to be first EXPLODE IN CHINA targeting local markets, gaining IT companies should ignore this at their own peril. the experience and confidence in The Chinese IT market is developing and servicing growing by leaps and bounds markets, and then using this as a prodded on by market forces China is however a very springboard to compete in the combined with active different marketplace, and plays world market. It is to be noted encouragement and inducements by different sets of rules that that there is already some by central and local require keen understanding and groundswell of activity wherein governments. appreciation of local business Chinese returnees from United and cultural issues. The next States and Europe are getting five years will provide into the act of bringing offshore tremendous opportunities for With its dominance in work to China. Their attempts manufacturing assured China committed firms to build the are aimed explicitly at
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 61 General Interest Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine now realizes that expertise in IT The Japanese IT Services to China since 1997, I noticed a is critical in order to sustain the market is estimated to grow to gradual improvement in the current growth levels. Without US$15 billion by 2005. Even English speaking and self-sufficiency in IT markets, though the Japanese are understanding level in Chinese China realizes it is going to be latecomers to the Offshoring people. far more difficult to compete or bandwagon, they are determined be taken seriously in world to make up for lost time. Many The other thing that Indian markets. This appears to be the of the Japanese IT firms such as companies say is that Chinese unstated driver of Beijing’s NEC and Hitachi already have companies don’t have the same technocrats. significant presence in China. adherence to international The CIO of a prestigious There are of course barriers to Japanese Consumer Electronics imple menting this vision. and IT company opined that in Western companies don’t think five years time China is going to China has proven its mettle in narrow the software process software development. It is maturity gap with India. The primitive compared to the West Japanese clients have already and India. There is also a lack made up their mind that their of world-class level mid-to-high offshoring destination is going level IT professionals, a fear to be China. about IP being stolen, and the software standards. The Chinese regular linguistic / cultural SHOULD INDIA WORRY? are excellent students, and have barriers. The Chinese India continues to believe that demonstrated the ability to take government recognizes that the language barrier will make it complex processes in these issues exist, and if the past harder for China to work with manufacturing, copy them, is any indication, they will English-speaking customers. refine them and then to improve effectively address this quickly. The biggest barrier is language on them, in a very short span of which is being effectively time. The Chinese will quickly addressed. English has become master software development mandatory learning in Chinese processes such as CMM, and schools. Students in high provide leadership and schools and universities are innovation in that space. In my being told to put their energies role of managing the subsidiary to learn English skills rather of a major IT multinational in than Chinese. Even while China, I have experienced first- traveling in the interior hand an all-Chinese workforce provinces, this commitment can in China. A Fortune 50 Client be seen in action. Most places recently confided to me that my now boast both Chinese and Chinese Team has outdone the There is also substantial English billboards. In four visits equivalent Indian Team with spending in IT for the Beijing Olympics in 2008, as well as significant development in the financial services industry. The Chinese government is also focused on a major initiative to promote Linux and other open source technologies.
The rich and vast manufacturing sector of China has realized that IT is going to become a competitive advantage in the years to come.
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 62 General Interest Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine their dedication, hard work and give access to its local markets of the way business operates in promptness in spite of the for Indian IT firms, but it also China. Due to the first mover language weakness in English. wants to learn from Indian advantage, firms with world- Chinese are fast learners with firms. A few years from now it class capabilities will win a regard to processes and is quite conceivable that the greater share of the contracts, technologies. India should be Indian IT firms will have to and be able to pick and choose worried. compete with the same the local firms to enter into JVs/ firms/people they trained. It is to partnerships with. Clearly there China may end up leading the be noted that with or without the is a risk too. Doing business in charge in creation of real help of Indian IT firms, China is China means being patient with products as well. If the certain to develop a robust IT the returns on investment. The innovations coming out of the industry that can challenge the choice of a local partner is Chinese-run Microsoft R&D built-in cost advantages and critical to success in China as Center in Beijing are any service efficiencies that Indian well, especially when bidding indication, China will rapidly IT firms currently enjoy. To for the large government or surpass India in being learn to compete against these state-owned enterprise contracts. recognized as world-leading, players inside and outside innovative software research China, Indian companies need to Set up a development center center. be in China now. in China for attracting Japanese & Southeast Asian business By it sheer size, China is going STRATEGIES FOR INDIAN Japan is going to be a $15 to be a breeding ground for COMPANIES billion IT offshoring next year. The question is Setting up a center focused on – should one the better-understood Japanese set up in China customer base presents a less today to focus risky option. By setting up in on the domestic business, or China, it allows Indian should one set companies to take advantage of up a center to the cost advantage with Chinese focus on Japan. software developers. The It’s going to be Japanese are certainly going to difficult to do be easier to do business with, both at least and understand and appreciate initially. We the Indian brand name. They examine both are also not likely to require options. difficult-to-run JVs with Establish a Chinese companies. The threat full-scale of knowledge transfers and the some world-class local players. solutions delivery center in creation of domestic Chinese It is therefore very critical for an China for competing for companies diminish as a result. aspiring global player to play in domestic business in Greater Due to the heavy investments in this competitive market. An China (China / Hong Kong / China by Japan and the resulting Indian company who hasn’t Taiwan) business flows, having a learnt to live and thrive in this There are tremendous amount of Chinese center will be seen cut-throat environment will soon business opportunities in Greater favorably. Japan and China see its core-advantages vanish China region in the next few have a shared, albeit difficult pretty quickly amidst the years, which can only be history, and a more similar onslaught of the Dragons. exploited through a full-scale cultural heritage than India. delivery center in China. Make Currently, the local and central acquisitions or meaningful This strategy is not without governments are throwing a alliances as needed to fill gaps risks. The Indian companies welcome mat for foreign IT in solutions delivery or market could get blindsided by the local firms, especially for Indian IT expertise. This clearly will put competitors. Secondly, it is a firms. It is quid-pro-quo the firm in the “thick of things”, case of risk versus return. The arrangement. China wants to giving a greater understanding Chinese market is going to be
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 63 General Interest Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine many times larger than the usual litany of issues such as can easily be found with the Japanese offshoring opportunity. lack of legal framework, proper connections within the Intellectual Property protection Chinese society and business The alternative is to wait now and others. But they are circles. The roads in Beijing and for consolidation to begin manageable with proper insight Shanghai are littered with the One can believe that the markets and localization. remnants of foreign firms that in China are not developed. failed to understand this fact. Therefore it might make sense to Due to the increasing income One should also understand that let it develop, and when it is disparities China might face the local administration has ready, enter the market with a growing social unrest in the significant leeway in big-bang approach combined coming years, which can interpreting the legal framework with flawless execution of plans. destabilize the growth trajectory and very often they can set their This is the lowest risk strategy, of the economy. It is recognized own rules overriding the ones but is fraught with risk. An that China has the widest set by Beijing. Indian company may risk being disparity in the world today left out of a growing and very between the rich and the poor. Lastly, the Chinese favor their important market. Plus, China The economic liberalization own over foreign companies may set the standards for pricing policies in China have lifted which implies that it will be in IT. A foreign company may hundreds of millions of Chinese difficult to dominate the local need to have the infrastructure out of poverty since the 1980s. markets. that China presents to compete in a new pricing environment. There are also cultural risks to IN CONCLUSION Lastly, China makes it quite be considered. Most of business China offers incredible difficult for international relationships in China occur opportunities for entrepreneurs companies to acquire domestic through the informal “Guanxi” and large corporations alike in firms, especially the market network. A foreign company the IT space. It is akin to the leaders. This option may end up will find it daunting to operate gold rush of IT that Indian being a complex and expensive in China if it is expecting a companies had in entering the one. familiar business and legal US in the 1980s. To continue its framework that it is used to dominance, Indian companies ISKS XIST R E operate in. There is quite a need to enter this market, and The IT market in China has to danger that foreign firms that not ignore it. be understood in the context of seek to set up business Chinese economy, history and operations in China, instead of A clear long-term commitment political climate. The growth taking the longer term picture, and strategy aligned with opportunities of the Chinese get bogged down trying to Chinese cultural preferences and market are certainly tempting. resolve issues such as branch Vs executed by a driven, dynamic There are however political, subsidiary dilemma, repatriation team with local know how is economical and regulatory of profits and Visa issues within however a pre requisite for challenges and risks that one a legal framework. success. ¨ should be aware of. There is the Workarounds for such issues
INDIA’S FIRST EXPORTS TO CHINA: BUDDHISM & KUNG-FU
Two important foreign concepts from India have been accepted, adapted and made to thrive in China. The first is Buddhism, which thrived in the Tang Dynasty and still has considerable influence in the philosophy and daily lives of Chinese. Second is Kung-fu. The first person who introduced this to China was an Indian monk named Bodhi- Dharma who founded the famed Shaolin Temple. He is reputed to have meditated in front of a bare wall for 9 years and developed the martial art using just bare hands
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 64 General Interest Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine D ILIP D’SOUZA (’76 EEE) FROM DILIP’S CORNER Dilip D’Souza is a prolific writer for Rediff and India Together, but apparently he has more to say than they have to publish. When he is not risking his life in Kashmir, he is immersed in his new found passion – blogging. In this section we present to you two interesting blogs where he talks about Srinagar and Adopting a child, both issues on which he shares his personal experiences and thoughts. For many more musings visit http://dcubed.blogspot.com/
SRINAGAR seeing on my last (and first) visit, going to Srinagar raises an eyebrow, last April; perhaps that has as if to say, ‘you sure it's safe?’ a something to do with elections friend I called in Delhi says to find September 26, 2004: Careful (or maybe not) in Srinagar that were on at that time. But still, out if it's possible and safe, to make a there are enough visible even now trip here with a bunch of academic that you wonder two things: one, friends, as they did to Lahore. Yet if Being in Srinagar is a strange what is it like to live under this they went to Lahore and loved it, why feeling, or perhaps I should say constant armed presence? And should they worry about Srinagar? I a strange mix of feelings. two, what is it like to be a soldier feel no different here than I have done in these circumstances? in Alang, or Jammu, or Bhopal, or On the one hand, there's the very anywhere, despite the armed men. visible presence of the Army, or You can puzzle out answers to And maybe that's the key. Come here the alphabet of armed forces those. and find out how much the same this (CRPF, BSF, RR, whatever). place is to everywhere else you might You see soldiers everywhere, all On the other hand, everyday life go, and that's the key to normalcy. with guns, you see barbed wire and bunkers with tiny slits carries on. Buses run, their operators shouting the same Aside: trip to Madagascar in 1991, in (check the one on Court Road unintelligible syllables I think I the middle of a nationwide uprising heard against Dictator Didier Ratsiraka. them Same thing: raised eyebrows, you sure it's safe? But once there, I felt fine, never a moment to worry about. I did run into an American woman who had a hunted look in her eyes, clutched her bag to her chest, and kept gesturing to all around to stay away. Nothing had happened to her, but she behaved this way as she roamed the country, which only fed her fears some more.
You could be such a clutching, hunted shouting when I used to wait for person here in Srinagar too, and I'm off Lal Chowk) and you see something I've not seen buses to Pilani. Different pretty sure you'd go back home and elsewhere -- armored cars right destinations, same tell all, Srinagar is a frightening place. incomprehensible shouts. The You also could just roam around like out of Damnation Alley ('70s movie; you young sprouts, never football tournament at the U of anyone else, anywhere else, and go mind), all with interesting names Kashmir is on, with teams from home to report that it's no more Nainital, Delhi, Patiala, frightening than anywhere else. painted on the side. On the road out of the airport you pass a Chandigarh, Lucknow and Maruti Gypsy rigged up as a elsewhere. Lal Chowk is buzzing. Yet I did mention a mix of feelings. Blue darting kingfishers flit along The last time I was here, my host machine-gun vehicle, with three or four men sitting on its ides the Dal, as do ponderous herons Amir had another guest, Kamal, and one standing, manning the and elegant egrets. visiting from Delhi. Kamal is a short, wiry dude with long hair. Seems this gun. There do seem to be fewer soldiers about than I remember Before everyone who hears I'm was enough for someone among the
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 65 General Interest Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine neighbors to report to the acquaintance about two months home. All 50 plus. Wouldn't you? authorities that Amir had a ago, and subsequent visits got her suspicious guest. You know, used to our faces. And then we When we first signed up at the perhaps a militant or something. walked in, last Tuesday, adoption agency, the woman there (This happened after I left, while chequebook at the ready. But told us about a little girl they were Kamal stayed on, so we're pretty still... to think the actual exchange trying to place. The man who brought sure that it wasn't me who was amounted to cheques handed over, her in had found her as a newborn, reported suspicious. Not that I'm tiny one handed over, is abandoned. In a garbage dump. She crowing about it). Late one something to get used to. didn't have two of her toes. They had night, some of these authorities been chewed off by rats. showed up at Amir's door, Adoption, of course. We're now asking loud and rude questions, three days into the issuing threats. It all died down, experience, and we but not before leaving Amir's already have tales to already fragile temperament tell, the oddity of the somewhat more frayed. So when cheques being just I arrived yesterday, Amir said one. simply, be careful. How, he left to me. There's the neighbor from the building. So I'm careful as I stroll the city. We've just driven As I watch the kingfishers. As I home from the stop at the little dhaba I used to orphanage, brought frequent the last time ("How's home the little girl for Bombay?" asks the owner as he the first time and finally, and I've met this girl -- she has since been recognizes me and flashes a we're walking into the lobby adopted by a couple who also adopted huge smile). As I stop to watch downstairs. The neighbor, a still- their first daughter -- and as pretty Patiala knock Delhi out of the young mother of two college-age and bright-eyed as she is, those tournament, 5-3 in a penalty boys, stops and asks about the missing toes are never far from my shootout. As I write a postcard baby. "She's ours", we say (hey, mind. to my son. those cheques...) "we adopted her." "You're joking, right?" says And you know, I write this here, and I'm careful. I have no idea how, the woman. "Not at all, we really at some level I know there's a world really. Is that a key too? have adopted her!" out there I will never experience, and it is filled both with rats munching on ADOPTION Whereupon she wrinkles her nose little abandoned garbage dump girls' -- really -- and asks "Why?". toes and with stylish women who Almost as if we've brought home wrinkle pert noses at the idea of October 9, 2004: The Nose and a tarantula. adopting a child ... and nevertheless I the Toes wonder. What would drive a woman - There's the orphanage itself. On - or a man, who knows? -- To fling There's something just slightly one of our visits, we meet a few of her newborn onto a pile of trash? bizarre about it. The other day, the over 50 kids in here. One 8- we walked into a building at one year-old is all long legs and Whatever the answer, I know this end of the suburb of Chembur, awkwardness, walking around in much: it has a lot to do with the signed four different cheques, panties and a T-shirt. Another thoughts we think when people ask and walked out half an hour bright boy has just returned from why we adopted. Pert wrinkled noses later with a tiny human being. some kind of party, so he's in be damned. ¨ Just like that. fancy clothes and bubbling over with smiling stories of the OK, it wasn't "just like that". Photo credits: www.vkashmir.com & evening. Smiles and cheeks www.mukund.org The process has been grinding everywhere. away for nearly a year. The tiny thing first made our We want to take the whole lot
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BY ANURADHA GUPTA (’86 MMS) WITH THANKS TO RAJ GILDA MAKING A DIFFERENCE Despite our considerable progress in commerce, technology and the liberal arts, key socio -economic challenges continue to plague our world. Poverty, lack of basic health care services and education are but a few of the day to day challenges that we rarely stop to think about, yet they form the very essence of so many people’s lives. In this article, Anu and Raj discuss the issues and also highlight the noble work being undertaken by Lend-A-Hand India, an institute that aspires to empower students through vocational training leading to jobs, self-employment and broad based community enhancement.
PHILOSOPHERS (many of One third of the world is near children – education that does not who are scientists too) muse starvation, there are over 300 assure employment despite their over the purpose of life, we live million malnourished children; dreams, hopes and aspirations. from day to day often, enjoying can we just stop in our tracks and Thousands join the pool of ‘educated our personal ambitions, ask ourselves some soul- unemployed’ and are left to their own chugging along, getting through searching questions. devices. Often the disconnect life. Some of us ask the between education and job skills question, “What is my At primary school, in Gwalior required implies that the degree or purpose?” and some of us want when I was just 10 years old, there diploma obtained proves useless in to know, “What can I give back was a boy who wore slippers and getting a job. These energetic and to my community, to society…” tattered clothes and everybody aspiring youth take longer and longer If life were equal and socialist, it laughed at him. He was married to achieve their expectations of may have been dull but when it (!), he could barely speak English leading a life of dignity and self- is so unequal that the GDP of 48 and therefore the door to higher esteem. They are prone to becoming countries is less than the assets education and eventually, their own victims and are likely fall of 3 of the richest people in the employment, was slowly shutting. through the cracks of hopelessness world, it is no wonder that some It made me cry. I thank my father and short cuts. This predicament and for showing me poor people on its outcome confront not only their of us are moved into thinking beyond our daily, mundane the streets (and there are enough), immediate family members, but also existence. talking of deprivation and my the community, nations and the world Mother for doing the rounds of as a whole. 44% people in India will hospitals with my scared sleep tonight having earned less than housemaid who wanted to get a a dollar. Think about that. tubectomy done but was frightened of doctors and the lack of after care facilities that might When my mother have killed her and left her kids asked me in an bereft of the sole earner in the family. awed voice about whether the hotel I Many of us have seen our parents deprive themselves of something stayed in during my or the other for us to be where we are. When my mother asked me in trip to Grand an awed voice about whether the Canyon had hotel I stayed in during my trip to Grand Canyon had bedding and bedding and towels, towels, I was moved to tears. To I was moved to ensure that we afford this quality
At least one child below the age of life, our parents have made so tears. of 5 has died in the world while many sacrifices. But not all parents are as lucky, parents in you read this – of My personal journey after studying malnourishment – hunger, or slums and villages who are involved observing suffering, feeling diseases that could have been prepared to spend around 40 % of miserable and wondering whether I their income on educating their prevented by immunization. could do anything about it. At
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Even if we go by the Gita philosophy of us as evolving illiterate and human beings, (over lifetimes if hungry, funding there is some such thing), a strategic vision helps. And if one RSS, Hindutva and were to put things in perspective pundits who scare and redefine our values and our mission, (rather than seek people into affirmation outside which often breeds discontent), respecting submission with work ethics, believing in the superstitions and dignity of labor and enhancing our lives through a social purpose are feed themselves. Hindustan Lever, when they sent all options available to us. us for the IRD (integrated rural I think of my child and whether she development) program, it was a My personal journey meant that will ever experience the pain of real eye-opener for me. Our the annual donation to CRY was seeing the homeless or the poor in chairman then was Mr. S M not sufficient and today, I have USA. And at the risk of sounding Dutta, a very good man, a real left the corporate world to find strange, part of my children’s visionary who believed that to meaning. It started with my education will involve being sell soap (and end of the day sister’s drawing room has a corner sensitized to this. I see materialism that’s what all of us are doing) called the recycling corner – a we also have to think about how different bin for plastics, one for people will become capable of cardboard, one for magazines and buying it. At Etah, I felt it is so on…which her son very amazing to see how many proudly points out. She inspired blessings we have that we don’t my research and subsequent book count and how much we take for on the environment to improve granted, from water to awareness amongst children in electricity, to basic necessities, India and when I studied the forget luxuries. subject, I was aghast at the implications – sustainable Corporate Strategy is an development sounds good in interesting subject, if we were to theory but to think that we could write one for ourselves, we destroy future civilizations, might not feel like robots living jeopardize the lives of our from day to day and it could children, it is scary. And to feel give us some direction. Drop empowered by taking little steps, everything else, ever pondered the journey of a thousand miles about your mission? As long as begins with a step – mine started one felt in Levers that one was with my book, “The Green selling soap and detergents, it Dragon”. was not that great a feeling till and I feel that if only one were to give we were apprised of our up a few indulgences, one might be mission, “Meeting the everyday able to fund a child’s education or needs of people everywhere.” It Most donations that immunization. absolutely revolutionizes how Indians make go to you define your business or your My journey has led me to Sunanda life. A frustrated housewife temples and as little Mane and Raj Gilda and that was the could redefine herself as House as 10-15% goes to turning point in my life. Sunanda was proud, involved in nutrition, Regional Director with CARE in social security, and social projects. Can India and her simplicity and vision psychological comfort and make are moving. She set up Lend a Hand her feel more valued by herself you imagine, at the India (www.lend-a-hand-india.org) to start with. cost of the poor, ill, where I now work which deals with issues of empowering students
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 68 General Interest Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine through vocational training that employment or the environment Swadheen to provide vocational and will lead to jobs, self- or health or what have you. It life-skills training to rural students employment and community could involve research, getting and a Doctor who was their enhancement projects. involved with an NGO that one is beneficiary left everything and went convinced about - and there are back to his village to implement the Working with them has been an many doing a commendable job, Project. Four other alumni have eye opener. Sunanda for and doing anything from joined him. There are enough instance told me about a recent volunteering time to skills to examples of inspiring people from research on Indian philanthropy, writing for them to donating, Manmohan Singh, moved by poverty the glaring findings of which are whatever. When I was involved in into becoming an economist, MS that most donations that Indians the team writing about how one Swaminathan (Green Revolution and make go to temples and as little could contribute to LAHI, we now, ‘Every village a knowledge as 10-15% goes to social thought of number of different center’), Ela Bhatt (SEWA) and so projects. Can you imagine, at the ideas – a fund raising team, people many of our BITSians who are cost of the poor, ill, illiterate and involved in creative, website engaged in social activities. hungry, funding RSS, Hindutva design and development etc. (see and pundits who scare people http://www.lend-a-hand- There are people who consider this a into submission with india.org/Getting_Involved.htm). second career option, some a feel superstitions and feed There are many overlaps amongst good factor, some feel that they are themselves. NGO’s. This is bound to exist, giving something back to their just like it does in the private parents, their community, whatever sector. And competition is always the motive might be, a person One wonders good for the consumer – providing somewhere could benefit, or an whether and when choices and improving efficiency, animal, somebody hungry, dying or keeping us on our toes. destitute. Let’s make the world a there will be a better place. critical mass of One wonders whether and when there will be a critical mass of As a girl involved in one of our people involved in people involved in these activities. programs said, very simply and these activities. But But I believe there will. I believe eloquently, “I feel like I am flying a if each one of us tries to make a kite and I want to touch the sky.” ¨ I believe there will. difference to one program or even person, it snowballs. One of our Photo credits: I believe if each one partner organizations in Pune was © Nadine Sloan (Glenaire). Source - of us tries to make a involved in implementing Project www.ncdoi.com and MS Swaminathan (IDRC) difference to one program or even person, it snowballs.
I feel that for each of us, whether we are in the corporate sector, or academics, or anywhere, there are options to make a difference. I would welcome you viewing my NGO’s mission and programs but everybody has a different agenda, something that moves them. Whether they are related to technology or gender issues or poverty or education or
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BY VIKAS CHA NDRA (’94 INSTRU) WHEN ACADEMICIANS BECOME ENTREPRENEURS: PROF VIJAY JOG (’69 CHEMICAL) THE FOURTH IN A SERIES OF PROFILES Vijay Jog is a Chancellor Professor at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, where he teaches Corporate Finance and Value Based Management at the Sprott School of Business since 1982. In 1989, Vijay founded Corporate Renaissance Group (CRG) – now a global firm that specializes in improving enterprise performance through innovative solutions and software applications. CRG is based in Ottawa with subsidiaries in US, South Africa, and India and alliance partners in the Caribbean, U.K. and the Middle East.
Vijay has provided consulting services to companies around the world aimed at achieving breakthrough performance. He is also a driving force behind CRG’s many patented software applications that are used by over 2,000 companies globally. Vijay is a recipient of many national and international awards including the Moulton Gold Medal and has been recognized by National Post as a “Leader in Management Education” in Canada. He has received over $1 million in research grants and has published over 100 research papers, books and monographs.
I do not even know where to start. from all branches who have become The five years I spent in BITS were friends for life. What a phenomenal most definitely the best five years of experience. I owe my entire success to my life so far, each one of them full of the five years I spent in Pilani. good memories. I suppose one should not start from the experience of being Do you have any special nostalgic ragged in Shankar Bhawan in the first memory from Pilani days? month. I have no idea what happens now (I do not believe that it is even Two special memories: My first memory Name: Dr. Vijay Jog considered as a politically correct term) but it really was a worthwhile is that of playing "Kali Rani" on the road experience. during the strike in 1974 where we Academic Position: Chancellor actually thought that we can stop traffic in Professor, Carleton University, and out of the campus. The second Ottawa, Canada. I made many friends that I would not memory is of my final night in Pilani have made otherwise during my first where 30 of us visited every Bhavan and month in Pilani. Then of course are Entrepreneurial Venture: walked every road including two back to the memories of the Saturday evening back walks around Meera Bhavan. Founded Corporate Renaissance movies in the auditorium, playing Group (CRG). cricket almost every day and going to Connaught Circle after the cricket You have a chemical engineering Achievements: Numerous practice, occasional English movies at degree from Pilani. Did that international awards including CEERI, drinking “Shikanji” in the engineering degree help in your current Moulton Gold medal. Recognized summer from the carts, eating Ras profession? by National Post as a leader in malai in the only restaurant in the management education in Canada. campus, “chai and Samasos” at the My current profession revolves around Post office, going to Nutan for creating innovative solutions to solve Education: PhD (1983). MBA. “tittars” at Panditji's with “fulke’s improve corporate performance using (1977), M.Eng. (1975) from McGill from the mess, trying to get (and quantitative metrics and tools. We have University, Montreal, Canada and finally succeeding) a non-veg mess designed our own software applications to going, playing TT at night and talking B.E .(Hons) in Chemical assist us in doing that. So what I do on a endlessly about issues from cricket to day-to-day basis really has very little to Engineering (1974) from BITS Pilani. Ayn Rand to Vietnam. And yes, let us do with Chemical engineering but what I not forget occasional visits to the class learned in the engineering program has rooms to make sure that others are shaped how we approach the challenge How do you remember your attending classes and all is well with and be pragmatic about our applications. I BITSian days? the world. We had a group of 30 or so
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 70 Education & Academics Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine do not think any other degree would and I saw that the businesses were not were doing their 11th semester, so I have helped me as much to do what using the technology effectively. So I thought I would better drop in and see I do now. thought why not match my clients’ how they were doing. However, I am needs with my students desire to excel planning to visit Pilani this December and What were the reasons you and my knowledge about business and hope to find a place in the Alumni house decided to choose corporate technology and see if it works. And to and looking forward to finally showing finance as a career? my surprise, we are now a global firm Emi, my wife, the place I have been with global client base. telling her about for so many years. I would like to say that the choice was made after careful planning and You are currently both a professor What’s your mantra for succeeding in a great deliberations about careers. I management and finance career? almost started my PhD. in and an entrepreneur. Which role do engineering. I think what attracted you enjoy more? me to finance was its proximity to I think if one has an engineering degree, a engineering. Finance is all about Actually I enjoy both roles. Being a career in management/finance after some numbers, lots of uncertainty about professor allows me to explore new experience is a very good career. One interpretation, dealing with complex ideas, new avenues, and new thoughts could almost (I am kidding) get away with inter-linkage between past actions that probably have no immediate minimal people skills. Kidding aside, for and future performance, and a practical relevance but they provide those who like to solve challenges where requirement to understand and build me with an intellectual challenge. It there is rarely a correct answer and want valuation models that require also allows me to work with some to see the impact of their decision on thought processes and analytical young eager minds who want to think organizations and on strategy, this is an judgements similar to solving an out of the box. I, also enjoy my excellent career. Two words of caution for engineering problem. The more I entrepreneurial hat. This hat allows succeeding in this career: one must have studied finance, the easier and more me to practice what I preach, fly excellent presentation skills and one must interesting it became. around the world, meet interesting know how to deal with diverse opinions clients, work with world class people from equally smart (or smarter) people.
What prompted you to foray into and be on a continuous learning the commercial world? journey. At this stage in my life, I would not trade one with the other. What advice would you give to BITSians who are at the crossroads and If you talk to any one of my friends What are your opinions about the are choosing a career between they will tell you that the last person engineering and management? they thought would go into M.Sc. Finance curriculum at BITS? academia would be me. I always Do you think it prepares students knew that I need to be in the for the real world challenges? The only comment I would like to make application world. I have never to those who are currently studying at been very attracted to esoteric I must confess that I do not know BITS is that this is an absolutely theories and models that do not anything about the M.Sc. finance phenomenal time for creative and smart meet real world challenges. Also, program at BITS. If it is structured in minds to make a difference in this world. the computer technology came at the context of applied M.Sc. that is The technology is exploding, world is the right time for me (we did our focussed on real problems, I think it becoming global, there are no boundaries entire engineering program using would be a very enriching experience and there are no limits of resources. No slide rules) and it provided the for students. I am a bit of a skeptic of one today cares about where you are born, possibility of putting the knowledge theoretical finance; I think we have what you look like or where you come and business rules in a box. In solutions to explain the aggregate but from. Around the world, organizations are addition, the more people I met, the not the ‘particular” – the challenge is looking for individuals with imagination, more they asked me to work with to know the first principles (for excellent work ethics, a desire to succeed, them to meet their challenges. It sort example efficient markets) and then to those who can sacrifice the short term for of just happened. apply to the ‘particular” by the long term. For the first time in the appreciating the context. history of the world, the opportunities are truly global; all one has to do is to have Tell us more about Corporate the audacity to grab them before someone Renaissance group (CRG). How Have you been to Pilani after you did it all start? graduated from BITS? else. ¨
CRG started really as a hobby and Actually I came to Pilani only once in as an experiment. In the late 80s, 1974 just before I came to McGill. I Canada was in a recession and some had joined IIM A’bad but did not like of my good students were finding it the food (believe it – that was the hard to find jobs after graduation. primary reason for leaving) and My consulting practice was growing decided to take up the offer from McGill. I still had some friends who
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BY SANDEEP MUKHERJEE (’95 PHY MECH) BOOKS BY BITSIANS: REBEL WITH A CAUSE Ashutosh Sheshabalaya (Tosh) joined BITS in 1976, left in 1979, and is currently based in Belgium where he runs Allilon, an IT services company. He is a regular hard-hitting commentator on Indian issues at conferences in Europe and to the media. One of his recent responses to French anti-offshore measures - ‘Last stand against the 21st century' – was published by Yale University's Center for Globalization. Other examples of his typically assertive pieces about India, on topics ranging from the IT boom to space and military, can be found on www.allilon.com. His batch mates remember Tosh vividly as a guy who tried to take a Yezdi up the stairs of Meera Bhavan in 1979. common complaint across the economic and geopolitical TOSH recently authored United States. In “Rising equations. As a result, moves to 'Rising Elephant', a Book which Elephant”, BITSian author Tosh cap the process will be short- links the current outsourcing Sheshabalaya (’76) elaborates lived, especially with higher- phenomenon to India's on the theme and makes the case value technology jobs. This inevitable emergence as an that the drivers behind this trend structural shift is being masked economic, geopolitical, perhaps are far more profound than is by new, low-wage jobs and even cultural challenger to the generally accepted. under-employment in the West- West. 'Rising Elephant' was at least for now. written while on a trip around Tosh contends that amidst the Europe on his BMW R1100. rhetoric about globalization and The 300-page book was released sweatshops lies the real His batch mates challenge to remember Tosh as a American white-collar guy who tried to jobs, and to take a Yezdi up the America. This force, which is stairs of Meera altering the world, will Bhavan in 1979. inevitably pose economic and In spite of some consolation even from today's on-off hiring blips, geopolitical a New York Times headline on challenges for September 7 poses a disturbing the US. For question, "Is Weak Job Growth in September by American Mark Gottfredson of Bain & Normal Now?" According to publisher Common Courage Company "There has never been Lawrence Katz of Harvard Press (which puts him in the an economic discontinuity of University, the truth is harsher company of writers like Noam this magnitude in the history of still: "The dirty little secret is Chomsky and Edward Said, the world." As more and more that no one is really looking at though seemingly at the US firms turn to India, the quality of new jobs created." opposite end of the political outsourcing has begun to shake spectrum). the foundations of the American Tosh has an inimitable hard- upper middle-class. hitting style, and to read his In an election year in the United book in the US or Europe may States and a time of economic Rising Elephant demonstrates be a wake up call to the west. doubt, outsourcing has made that the roots of job relocation headlines both in the US as well date back to the 1980s and early Excellent excerpts from the as in India although in fairly 1990s, and have over the years book can be obtained on different contexts. "Indians are become entangled within a www.allilon.com. Contact Tosh taking our jobs!" is today a complex set of new, fast-moving at [email protected] . ¨
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world’s first and so far, only QUALITY Equally supersonic air and sea-launched important…is the massive effort cruise missile. The hardware in paid by pure Indian IT firms to Brahmos is Russian; reflecting gain an astounding global lead Indian IT skills, its guidance in terms of software quality system is Indian. processes. More than anything else, there is an undeniable analogy here with the impact of THE NEW INDIA the quality focus of the Japanese So this too is Indian – an automotive industry in the Elephant finally on the move: 1980s. sitting atop a hundred billion dollars in foreign reserves, debts begun to be prepaid, a lender to SILICON VALLEY other developing countries, In the year 2000, Indian IT firms businesses reaching out associated with the Silicon worldwide, granaries EXCERPTED Valley-based TiE (The Indus ‘overflowing’ with food Entrepreneurs) forum created surpluses, its Navy guarding FROM THE business with market value African seas, producing stealth estimated at $235 billion, in warships, warplanes and BOOK: “RISING other words more than supersonic cruise missiles, allied Switzerland’s GDP. with both Iran and Israel, and ELEPHANT” now possessing its first overseas base.
OUTSOURCING JOBS FOR the first time in history, a ‘poor’ country Charlie Cortese, Lehman’s IT like India is acquiring some of Chief, was quoted as saying that the best-paying jobs from the despite moving the 26 helpdesk ‘rich’ world. jobs back to the US, by 2005
Lehman may double to 900 the MILITARY Few number of people working on its ‘experts’ understand that though software design and support smaller in numbers, the Indian projects at its Indian IT partners, military is technologically more Wipro and Tata Consultancy advanced than China’s. One of Services. the rare exceptions was Jim Rohwer, correspondent for British Weekly, the Economist. For PHARMA China itself has few illusions. …like Britain in international pharmaceutical USA companies, perhaps the most 1931, America’s fundamental ominous long-term development challenge is simple. The country is the growing (and potentially has been living beyond its sophisticated) assault by Indian means, and has become heavily drug firms on Western markets. dependent on the outside world, After the success of the AIDS to both build and pay for its drugs-for-Africa campaign, few success. ¨ doubt any longer that Indian firms have the political savvy RUSSIA Alongside three for playing hardball. Russian-built Krivak-class stealth frigates in service, all these vessels are being equipped with the PJ-10 Brahmos, the
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BY SAGARIKA JAGANATHAN (’93 BIO) BACK TO ROOTS – A SABBATICAL IN PILANI Professor Aditya P. Mathur (’70 EE) teaches Computer Science at Purdue University, one of America’s top schools. He has taught in the US for 18 years— but most recently this year, he returned from a much- cherished sabbatical at his alma mater, BITS Pilani. meet the hundreds of people I’ve “ALTHOUGH I’ve practically come to know at BITS and in “I must admit a few things have been visiting Pilani every year Pilani,” says APM. With his changed,” he says. since 1990, this time I was there family staying back in the US, for a different reason,” says APM had the excellent VFAST According to APM, the positive APM, as he is fondly referred to guest house in BITS circles. “I’ve wanted to facility all to go back to BITS for a long time. himself, enjoying I love the place,” he adds. “The overwhelming BITS campus is, to me, the most hospitality and beautiful campus I’ve seen courtesy from anywhere.” students and staff.
APM has strong educational ties “Everyone I’d met to Pilani. In a seven-year stint made me feel from 1970 to 1977, he welcome and completed his bachelors, important masters, and doctoral degrees— throughout my stay at Pilani,” changes include enhanced all in Electrical Engineering! says APM. “The facilities that computing facilities; new And not only that, he taught at were provided—both academic buildings (e.g., the library, more BITS for 14 years, starting in and non-academic —were hostels); good social atmosphere 1972 and continuing till he excellent.” among the faculty and staff— eventually left in 1985. APM’s most seemed upbeat about the position at the helm of India’s I’m amazed at how some things progress BITS has made under first Computer Science in Pilani have withstood the test the leadership of Dr. department is just one of his of time,” says APM. “The lovely Venkateswaran, and about the many distinctions during the Saraswati temple I visited twice future; salaries are at par with teaching tenure at BITS. With each day during my student days the IITs; the greenery on the help of some friends among at BITS; peacocks all over the campus—“It’s like a flower the faculty, APM established the campus; well dressed little garden; bougainvillea plants are graduate and subsequently children going to school early in all over the place and in full undergraduate CS programs at the morning—what a wonderful bloom! Lots of vegetable and BITS. sight; the tea and samosas in the fruits available for purchase, cafeteria (IC); the sight of some unlike in the 60's and 70's”— “I wanted to make use of my classes overflowing and some and the supermarket on campus remaining mostly for students, staff, and faculty. empty—all due to the popularity or A few negative aspects to the unpopularity of modern day Pilani campus also the respective caught APM’s eye. “The professors; and campus is dirtier than it used to the rickshaw- be in my days,” he says. “This is wallahs, the redi- especially pronounced when you wallas, the dhobis, go towards Connaught. and many other Vehicular traffic has increased people who have on campus to the extent that I managed to retain never felt comfortable taking my their simplicity usual evening walks; too much sabbatical opportunity to also and affection over the years.” noise pollution from religious
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 74 Education & Academics Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine organizations right outside the APM instituted, will be given to and the one vis it in the middle of campus—the loudspeakers come one or two undergraduate his sabbatical), APM initiated on as early as 4am; and the students at BITS, whose two research projects which number of bicycles on campus research is judged as superlative have now resulted in two M.S. has increased dramatically,” he by a committee of BITS faculty theses. He did continue to advise adds. “Not that I’m against it but and chaired by the dean, R&C. BITS students —via email and parking is most haphazard.” The award amount will vary phone conversations—after depending on the interest earned returning to the US. APM did get a chance to make from the endowment. According to APM, a sabbatical one trip to the US and back, in at BITS is a wonderful the middle of his sabbatical. The During his stay, APM had an opportunity for all ex-BITSians- quick transitions caused him to opportunity to gauge the depth -who are teaching in the U.S as mull over the stark differences of knowledge among the PhD well as across the world--to in both environments. “During a level students in Electrical and relive their BITSian brief stopover in Amsterdam, I Electronics engineering as well experiences. “You’re taken care noticed the huge number of as in CS. He attended talks by of as if you’re family,” he says. neatly parked bicycles in many six PhD students—“Some of "BITS paid a lump sum for my places around the city…all in a them were pretty outstanding,” travel to India as well as for my neat fashion. But not in Pilani! I he says. APM was also invited work there. Besides covering my tried my bit but did not to talk to 75+ students and accommodation and food for all succeed,” he admits, ruefu lly. “I six months, the asked myself, why can’t we be administration, as clean and disciplined in Pilani upon request, and in India?” But his heart is provided me with a still with the small town in his brand new native country. Mercedes--Yes, a bicycle of my BITS management went out of choice! This served its way to ensure he had an me very well during incredible experience. He had a my stay," APM light course load, teaching adds. classes only on Tuesday and Wednesday. BITS also APM counts provided him with financial himself lucky to be support so that he could make faculty members at the IITs in able return to BITS at a time of the most of his time in India by Delhi and Kanpur. incredible change. "I had the touring the places he’d always opportunity to experience some wanted to visit. A car was at his APM admits the sabbatical profound changes in India and at disposal whenever he wanted to validated his opinion that BITS, firsthand," he says. "The go to Delhi. “I traveled a lot in undergraduate education at facilities at BITS are excellent, India” he says. “My colleagues BITS is simply outstanding. the staff is congenial, and the in CS even offered to cover any “The quality of students and the students are brilliant and very classes I may miss during my popularity of the BITS name and enthusiastic—what more could a travels.” image, in India and abroad, are professor aspire for?” APM at par with that of the IITs,” he concludes. APM taught one seminar for observes. “I immensely enjoyed PhD students and one regular working with the students. In If you're considering a course during this time. He also fact, I had such a great time at sabbatical at BITS Pilani, or initiated and organized a BITS that in the thick of the know of professors who may be conference in Pilani for various sabbatical, I did not feel like interested in spending a companies and Indian returning to the US!” semester in India, please feel universities to convene and free to contact APM directly for share ideas. The Ranjit Singh Although he did not get to do feedback: [email protected] Chauhan Award for much research except with ¨ Undergraduate Research, which students in the US. (Via email
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INTERVIEW BY MANI SUNDARAM (’93 INFO SYSTEMS) THE QUARTERLY BITSIAN: PROF S P KOTHARI (’74)
He is one of the world’s leading academicians in the field of Accounting and Finance and for the past two decades his research has consistently been featured at prominent academic forums. His research areas include the Valuation of Financial Information (and Misinformation), the Role of Behavioral Psychology on Stock Prices and how Corporations Manage Risk. SP, as he is popularly known, currently holds the Gordon Y Billard Professorship at the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and is also the Head of the Department of Economics, Finance, and Accounting at the Sloan School. SP Kothari also serves on the Board of Trustees of BITSAA International. Photo Credit: MIT Sloan
Please share with us something about the time you spent at BITS Pilani Being from small town in Karnataka, I had experienced little competition or cultural diversity prior to BITS. The BITS environment was my first exposure to a large group of extremely talented individuals who knew how to work hard and play hard. I have the fondest memories of my time at BITS. BITS gave me two great gifts. The greatest gift was confidence. For the first time in life, I thought I could attempt to accomplish something and actually stood a chance of succeeding. And secondly, it gave me wonderful, lifelong friendships. We’d love to hear about your A lot of current students as well as activities, particularly any alumni grapple with the idea of special, memorable moments. making a transition from the US to India. Could you please tell us a In many ways I (and to a large little about your experience with extent the entire group that I hung the transition you made from India out with) was academically to the US? motivated. That being said, we were certainly consumers of all My move from India to the US came the activities that went on at BITS about three years after I left BITS. I – movies, plays, cultural nights, worked for a year at DCM as a Oasis, elections, and sports. Being Management Trainee, spent two years a native Marathi speaker, I was at the Indian Institute of Management, also active in the Maharashtra Ahmedabad (IIMA), for an MBA and Mandal. then came to the University of Iowa for a PhD in accounting.
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be it in extremely important because every developing country is seeking foreign direct investment into its own country. MIT is at the forefront of global technical and business education. What sets MIT apart? What makes the institute so successful? MIT is a very, very special place. It has a long tradition of rewarding excellence and only excellence. Naturally, it attracts the very best minds from all over the world. MIT is also a very special place Settling in at the University of Accounting or in Finance. because of its mission to make the Iowa turned out to be world a better place. My own Why Accounting? In retrospect it interactions with many faculty and remarkably easy and truly seems a trifle accidental. There students time and again leave me enjoyable! I found student life used to be limited distinction in a campus town like Iowa City impressed with the selfless desire of between Accounting and Finance so many to help the world through quite similar to that in India. in India and I thoroughly enjoyed technology, management, sciences, Iowa City being a small town, my exposure to Accounting while financially it was quite architecture, and the arts. There is a I was at IIMA, so I decided to fire in the belly of so many on this comfortable to live on a apply to Accounting programs. campus that it seems only natural that fellowship income. More it does so well. importantly, my classmates and Accounting is not a subject other students – Americans, completely understood by the How does BITS start down the path other nationalities, and, of average person, but certainly a of becoming an MIT? What role do course, Indians – were all subject that’s been in the news you see the alumni playing? extremely helpful, which made lately due to Enron and the A school’s reputation is built on that life very easy. I was also other similar scandals. How of its faculty, which attracts the impressed by the keen interest does Accounting play a role in and concern the faculty showed our lives? brightest students, who in turn do in PhD students. I really well, and it becomes the self-fulfilling benefited from the experience. Accounting plays a huge role in process. BITS has built an excellent an economy, but mostly indirectly What made you choose in our lives. Accounting is all teaching as a career after your about information that is used in PhD? And more specifically, making all sorts of decisions – why Accounting? investment decisions, buying and selling of stocks, pricing of bonds, Once I joined the PhD program, hiring, firing, and compensating which is almost all about management, and so on. research, simply put, I got hooked to it! I found it truly Lately, the role of accounting in challenging and extremely international context has become satisfying to work on research. of great import to politicians, The thought of getting paid to macroeconomists, and of course to brand name for itself over the years. read, write, and think with few accountants. This is all about The more it works on building a more constraints on what you work on what kind of accounting research oriented faculty, the more it and when you work was too information should be will benefit. Young faculty are good to pass up. I became more disseminated on an ongoing basis attracted to a place that helps them or less a workaholic because so that people nationally and build their human capital. For a how much I enjoyed thinking of internationally would feel faculty, research reputation is human interesting research problems, comfortable investing in a capital. If you want to attract the best company’s stock. This issue is
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 77 The Quarterly BITSian Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine faculty, offer them an has donated so much money that with friends, it was a phenomenal opportunity to do research and there are at least three Sloan experience. REWARD their research. faculty who hold the Billard What do you think are the biggest Building a meritocracy is Chair. challenges facing BITS today? crucial. The scarcity of resources is certainly You were involved in an issue. OpencourseWare, the project by MIT to put all coursework And the admissions process seems to on the web. Please share with have broken down in the past couple us how you are involved and of years with disproportionate how you have seen your students from a few states being department benefit from the Name: Dr. S P Kothari represented in the student body. initiative? Regardless of the facts, the perception Position: Gordon Y Billard Professor at that the process is unfair has the In the heyday of the Internet the MIT Sloan School of Management, potential to seriously harm the BITS bubble, MIT put together a the Head of the Department of Economics, Finance, and Accounting at brand. group of faculty and staff to MIT Sloan. look into whether MIT should offer distance learning Education: PhD University of Iowa programs. We looked at the (’86), MBA IIM Ahmedabad (’82) and SP TRIVIUM B E Chemical BITS Pilani (’79). issue and thought that perhaps MIT could make some money Other Interests: Traveling, fine dining, by offering distance learning. and occasional gourmet cooking. However, this did not appeal to the imagination of anyone on or outside the committee. We were What are the biggest hurdles primarily interested in finding Why is it called a baseball facing US academics today World Series if there is no out whether technology can help particularly in your field? How international participant (except people all over the world get a can they be fixed? a Canadian team)? better education. This led us down the path of recommending We routinely compete for good The name ‘World Series’ has its that MIT should make its talent, but face stiff competition origins in the first sponsor – educational content available to from industry jobs that are quite New York World, a publication. everyone free of charge. What a lucrative. So, the biggest revolutionary idea. It was challenge is to figure out a way to Should BITS teach accounting welcomed by everyone, make academic jobs sufficiently alongside Finance as part of the especially philanthropic financially attractive for the MMS program at BITS? organizations. Soon successful academics so that we Absolutely! I cannot imagine an OpenCourseware became a would be able to attract many reality and now almost half of excellent students applying for the MMS program without accounting. MIT’s courses are accessible on PhD programs. BITS has a serious branding problem the net by anyone in the world. Have you ever worked with an when it comes to its MMS degree. I Most of the benefit of engineering student from Pilani don’t believe many see it as a serious alternative to the IIMs or even to OpenCourseware for MIT and or even India? What are your schools like the newly-started ISB or for my department is through impressions of them versus brand recognition. Once again American-educated students? other places like the Symbiosis Institute in Pune. MIT has established itself as a Holding the raw intelligence leader in furthering the mission constant, American-educated What advice would you give of making the world a better students tend to have a broad- BITSians based on your place. What better advertising based education and tend to have experiences? would one wish for? a better perspective. When we You must enjoy what you do. Unless Who is Gordon Y Billard? were there, BITS was a wild your heart is in it, an activity that place. My BITS life is full of such takes majority of your time in a day Gordon Y Billard is extremely memories and in terms of bonding cannot be fruitful. generous MIT Sloan alum. He
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My wife, Dafni, and I have two daughters – Kavita (19) and Monica (12). Kavita is a sophomore at MIT and Monica is a huge fan of Boston Red Sox. She started following the Red Sox for the first time this year, and they won the World Series! (See photo)¨
The Quarterly BITSian This segment honors those BITSians gives an honor who have achievements in fields as diverse as social causes, politics, business, research, entertainment and academics. Past profiles include: Vinod Agarwal (2003), There is no substitute for hard What can BITSians do Chairman & Founder of work. You compete with other better/start doing to compete LogicVision, most successful very talented, hardworking with the world’s best? tech IPO (2001) in the USA individuals. Your odds of BITSians do very well. So, Dilip D’Souza (2003), beating the competition without anything more would only add Author of two books, winner working hard are practically further shine. I would suggest that of the Wiscomp fellowship, zero. prolific writer and champion they take some risks and of social causes in India Surround yourself with smart introspect. What do you really individuals. There’s so much to enjoy and what’s your aptitude? Aditi Pany (2003) , First learn from others. However, It’s hard for me to imagine that woman President of BITS smart individuals will be willing every BITSian is only interested Pilani Student Union and to spend time with you only if in an engineering job. Widening founding President of the you contribute meaningfully to the horizons, attempting more Center for Entrerpreneurial them in return. Think about creativity with some attendant Leadership what and how you can add to risks might result in a greater Kanna Rajan (2004) , their human capital. blossoming of BITSians. NASA’s team leader for Did I mention hard work? How was your Pilani visit software for the Mars Rover personally and professionally? project that reached Mars in What are your best memories 2004 of your time in Academia? I have difficulty finding words Prof. GP Avasthi (2004) , that can adequately express my My best memories are all about Legendary Economics joy, a sense of gratitude, and the colleagues – fellow faculty Professor at BITS Pilani satisfaction from visiting Pilani and PhD students – I have met after 25 years for the reunion. I If you know of someone who over the past two decades. I was overcome with emotion by deserves to be nominated, have been fortunate to be around the hospitality and warmth of please send a short note to some of the very best minds in everyone there, the faculty, [email protected] Accounting and Finance. It has students, and staff. Seeing old letting us know why this been a privilege to have had friends and reminiscing about the person should be about 25 phenomenal doctoral nominated. old times and the juvenile students. Both these groups of activities, that was priceless. individuals have made academic life enjoyable and memorable. Tell us about your family?
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BYANUPENDRA SHARMA (’87 ECO INSTRU) & ASHISH GARG (’97 INSTRU) THE QUARTERLY BITSIAN: PRITHVIRAJ CHAVAN, MINISTER OF STATE (PMO), GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
He has a EEE degree from BITS and a Master’s from U C Berkeley and is one of the youngest members of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s office. Mr. Chavan has been an active participant in BITS Alumni Association’s Delhi Chapter activities and is an active proponent of technology based economic growth in India.
is focused on the common 1998. Mr. Chavan is currently a PRITHVIRAJ Chavan minimum program and all the member of the Rajya Sabha. During is one the youngest and most ministers speak a common his decade-long career as a important ministers in the language in front of the media. parliamentarian he has also served as current Manmohan Singh Apart from that is also part of the the Congress parliamentary party’s government at the Centre. At standing committee on finance. deputy whip, party general secretary 8pm on Monday he has just and party spokesperson. returned after installing the Mr. Chavan graduated from BITS Congress government in with an EEE in 1967 and headed In 1999 when Sharad Pawar left Maharashtra, on Tuesday he’s to UC Berkeley for an MS degree. Congress to form his own party due to on a flight to Abu Dhabi along At that time Berkeley was the differences with Sonia Gandhi, Mr. with the President of India to hotbed of student politics in the Chavan chose to stay with Congress. pay homage to the erstwhile US. For Prithviraj Chavan His loyalty and closeness to the UAE President, Sheikh Zayed politics was what he grew up in Gandhi family paid off this year when bin Sultan al Nahyan, he sure is Karad, Maharashtra. he was appointed the Minister of a busy man. State in the PMO making him one of Mr. Chavan’s father Dajisaheb the youngest ministers in the Indian Chavan became an MP after government. winning the election from Karad, as a Peasants and Workers Party He’s a big proponent of investments candidate in 1962. His next three in technology for the advancement of terms as MP were as a Congress the country. He has voiced strongly nominee. Succeeding him in 1977 his views on de-licensing of the 2.4 until 1991 was Mr. Chavan’s GHz band for Bluetooth technology mother, Premilatai Chavan. and formulation of guidelines on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in It was in early 90’s when primary education. Prithviraj Chavan bumped into Rajiv Gandhi. “We have many He is different from the perception of technocrats in the country”, said the average politician by way of his He was tipped to be the next Rajiv Gandhi, “but we don’t have humility and soft-spoken nature. Mr Chief Minister of the richest many who can get elected and join Chavan is known for his soft smile state in India but left the politics. You have that potential!” and a firm handshake that make him decision to his party chief, Sonia That is when Mr. Chavan decided an instant hit with the electorate. ¨ Gandhi. Instead he was chosen to join to help run the United politics Progessive Alliance government and was at the centre. elected to the India As a Minister of State in the parliament Prime Minister’s Office, Mr. in 1996. Chavan’s task is to ensure He was re- smooth functioning of the UPA elected as coalition government by an MP in ensuring that the entire cabinet
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BY LAXMAN MOHANTY (’81 EEE) COUPLING MICROINDUSTRY WITH RURAL SCHOOLS: AN INTERESTING POSSIBILITY Rural India suffers from a problem of having poor or irrelevant education for our children. The author has worked and researched the possibility of combining micro-industry with rural schools to create vibrant, sustainable schools that do not need the help of the Government in the long term but could transform the nation areas, there is no adequate system of conducting classes SEVENTY percent of infrastructure. If the and examination etc. India lives in rural areas. For infrastructure exists the teachers India to join the legion of are missing. If both exist, the Why don’t we have such private developed countries, we need to teachers are untrained, and the initiatives in rural education? focus on development that caters quality of teaching suffers. This is easy to answer. Rural to these seven hundred million Curriculums are unsuited for schools are not economically people. Thankfully, this fact is training students for adulthood attractive for the private sector. not going unrecognized at least and this leads to high percentage An urban school with a student in some sectors. Many of drop outs. There is no population of two to three concerned groups and ownership from the community thousand in a second grade city individuals are pushing for and hence no accountability in India can generate a surplus better infrastructure for rural from the people who are of Rs 50 lakhs to Rs 1 crore, India. President, Dr Abdul involved in delivering rural while a rural school can’t even Kalam is pushing the concept of education. The facts speak for manage its revenue expenses PURA (providing urban themselves. In four of the most from the fee it can collect from facilities in rural areas) for this populous and under-developed students. This deters private purpose. Rajesh Jain of states of the country (Bihar, Indiaworld fame, Atanu Dey and Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Vinod Khosla, the greatest Uttar Pradesh) 31% of primary venture capitalist on the planet schools don’t have a pucca are propagating the concept of building, 20 % are single- RISC (Rural Infrastructure & teacher schools, 56% don’t offer Services Common). potable water and 70% percent are without toilet facilities. Little The rest of the world is today wonder that of the 146 million taking India seriously because of children who enroll in primary its enviable growth in the schools nation-wide annually, knowledge economy, especially 59 million drop out before they in IT, Software and reach class VIII. initiative in rural education. The Pharmaceuticals. IITs are responsibility falls on recognized around the world for To sum it up, the school system notoriously unreliable state their ability to instill a world in rural India is today in a governments, who are required class education in one of the pathetic situation. to offer free education to its world’s poorest nations. Rural citizens at the primary level. India needs to join this Compare this to urban India. But with millions of students knowledge economy. One of Apart from government schools with no schools, the government the primary enablers for them to there are now a large number of has not been able to fulfill its do this is education. private schools. Though many of promises. these promoters can be accused However, a closer look at rural of profit motives still it can’t be So can there be a private education today shows that it denied that many of the private initiative to offer quality suffers on several counts. First, schools provide a superior education to rural students at a 90 percent of schools across the infrastructure, better trained fee that students can afford? country are run by central, state teachers and well defined One of the ways is to couple and local governments. In rural
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 81 Mera Bharat Mahaan Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine micro industries with rural China. One school runs a micro industries with rural schools. popular restaurant where schools? Yes. students have been working for The term “micro industries” needs to be defined first. Any income generation activity that suits the local context can be termed as micro industry. For example, a school can carry out mushroom farming and that can be treated as a micro industry. A news article in India Today informed that mushroom farming by village women in Assam has changed the economic status of many rural families in Assam. A big tailoring firm attached with a school that can produce shirts, pants and other clothes which can be sold in nearby rural areas can also be termed as a micro Gandhiji was involved in last few years. In India, similar industry. In fact a school in a education on Tolstoy Farm experiment has been carried out nice scenic setting can start eco- (photo above) in South Africa. in rural Karnataka, where one tourism facilities and generate Students learnt subjects like school prepares fresh flower resources. mathematics, geography, and garlands, and in Gujarat, where literature while working on one school was set up so as to The coupling of micro industries generate revenues from the farm farms producing crops and with schools can create many and dairy it maintained through vegetables. Dayalbagh College benefits. It can generate in Agra also has similar the efforts of its students. These surpluses that can partially or are a few examples, but it offers arrangement. PSG Charitable completely fulfill the resource significant potential. Trust in Coimbatore runs an requirement of the school. It industry along with its provides technical training to engineering college and other Can inspirations be drawn fro m students and promotes the institutions. This industry (PSG these examples for coupling concepts of leadership, Industrial Institute- PSGII) produces motors, pumps, fans and many other tools. There is a symbiotic relationship between PSGTech and PSGII. The profits from PSGII go into building infrastructure for PSGTech and other institutions while students of PSGTech work as apprentices in PSGII and gain valuable work experience. The faculty of PSGTech acts as resources for PSGII and help in designing and developing new products.
There are more examples. Similar experiments have been carried out in some schools in
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 82 Mera Bharat Mahaan Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine teamwork and entrepreneurship. resources and local requirements entrepreneurship. In fact the can be viable, involve large network can float a marketing It has also resulted in lowered numbers of people and initiate arm and a common brand name drop-out rates. Students drop out large scale economic activities. that can help micro industries from schools since they don’t attached with schools to sell see any value from the education their produce easily and at a imparted. In Bhubhaneswar, better price. The network can poor parents are not willing to even collaborate with micro send their children to schools financing companies to provide because each child can earn an much needed financial resources extra income of rupees 100 a to entrepreneurs. day if they work at the butchering shop instead. All this costs money. Government as well as private A micro school could sponsorship could be better significantly change behavior. It spent by providing the seed could set up a unit to teach funds for sustainable schools in students to process the meat, and rural India, creating an teach concepts that would allow employment and skill set them to export to other parts of revolution. If more minds give the country or even overseas. serious thoughts about this Then surely parents would like concept more creative solutions to send their children to that can be brainstormed. Only then school. The training in the A visit to villages in interior of can rural education be made more meaningful and vibrant, attached micro industry may Orissa revealed that people there and the economic status of also encourage students to set up had no clue regarding what kind enterprises if they are not very of micro industries could be set villages can be improved to a great extent. academically inclined, or to up and they had no information continue to work there after from where the technology graduation. could be brought. Schools can Then truly a developed India can help in this direction by being emerge! A state like Orissa with role models, extending the widespread poverty, illiteracy knowledge about possibilities To learn more, please email me: and unemployment needs more and becoming sources for [email protected] micro industries than big creating entrepreneurship in Photo credits: UN.org ¨ industries. Big industry employs villages. high technology and few, highly skilled people. Experience has By putting these rural schools shown that not much into a larger network, schools downstream industry comes up can have access to larger human in the immediate vicinity of resources and technology. The these larger industries. On the network can float a few rural other hand, small industries technical schools that can impart suited to available local necessary technological training to people wishing to pursue
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 83 Mera Bharat Mahaan – Of lives dedicated to causes Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine
BY SANDHYA KRISHNAN (’99 INFO SYSTEMS ) BITS OF PILANI AT ISRO CONVERSATIONS WITH DR AKS GOPALAN (’62), DIRECTOR ISRO & SPACE APPLICATIONS CENTER, AHMEDABAD regretted it. We talked to Dr AKS From there, his work took him to Gopalan, winner of the Bhaskara Hyderabad where he initiated award and `64 batch alumnus. Advanced Satellite Image Processing and Pattern Recognition / Expert Originally from Tirunelveli, Dr systems. He worked at the Advanced AKS Gopalan joined the Birla Data Processing Research Institute till College of Science for an M. Tech 1995 as the Director. He was then in Electronics. By the time he called back to Ahmedabad and was passed out in 1966, the Birla made the Director of the Space College of Science had become Application Center in 1998. Even if BITS Pilani. He then went on to not directly involved with the teach in the EEE Department for building of the various launch Name – Dr AKS Gopalan (`64) four years. vehicles, Dr AKS Gopalan considers it a big honor just being associated Awa rds – Bhaskara Award for It was in 1970 that Dr AKS with them. After a service of thirty Lifetime achievement in Remote two long years, he retired in October Gopalan joined the Space Sensing. (2002), Indian Society For 2002 and has since been Visiting Applications Centre, ISRO, in Remote Sensing. Professor at ISRO. Ahmedabad as a System Engineer. Education – BSc, Physics, Madras His first project there was called University (1959), MSc, Physics, Satellite Instructional Television Annamalai University (1962), Experiment or SITE. At an age M.Tech, Electronics, BITS (1964), when TV was not so common, this PhD Oceanography, Andhra project dealt with receiving University (2001) television signals at remote villages in India, via a Powerful Resident – Hyderabad, India Satellite loaned by NASA for a joint project between NASA and Positions Held – Director - ISRO. He then moved to the Advanced Data Processing Remote sensing group to work on Research Institute, Dept. of Space Image Data Processing of Remote Secunderabad, Director - Space Sensing cameras. These cameras Application Centre, ISRO were also designed and fabricated Ahmedabad, Program Director - there. Since most of the projects National Resources Information System, President - Indian National were aimed at the rural masses, Cartographic Association, there was a lot of interaction with President - Indian Geomatic the user community and their Society, Chairman - Indian feedback was used to improve Meterological society, Ahmedabad upon existing systems and to Chapter, Chairman - Indian society develop new ones. Application of Remote Sensing, Ahmedabad packages were developed and they Chapter, Visiting Professor for were also demonstrated to the On India’s space ambitions, Dr AKS Anna University, Gujarat users. Gopalan says that with an average University and ISRO annual budget of about Rs 3,000 According to Dr AKS Gopalan, crores ($600 million), India has a After four years of teaching at this was a significant part of his vibrant space program for civilian BITS, the young Gopalan had time at ISRO. This interesting and applications. India’s Remote Sensing two choices, to leave to the US engaging work kept him in systems are globally acclaimed and or to join ISRO. Luckily for us, Ahmedabad till 1989. we have even been selling/leasing he chose the latter and never
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 84 Mera Bharat Mahaan – Of lives dedicated to causes Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine satellite communications and manned space ship in a few years, remote sensing facilities to a if the need arises. The Bhaskara Award number of countries, including US and Germany, for a while According to Dr AKS Gopalan, The Indian Society of Remote now on a commercial basis. the lack of commercial ventures Newer and better satellites are on a large scale is not because of a Sensing was established in being built here every year. lack of entrepreneurs. There are a 1969 with the objective to However, the task ahead is to lot of them setting up facilities to advance and disseminate improve on the space interpret data and provide remote sensing technology communication system and Decision Support Systems for and education. It is the make it as sophisticated as that Remote Sensing applications. In of the best in the world. the communications field, there premier professional body of are quite a number of them about 1,800 members. This working on VSAT Telecom and body awards the prestigious radio/TV relay systems. The only BHASKARA award, first reason could be the cost and the instituted in 1999, the highest fact that for a huge nation like ours, it is important for any big award of the Society to one project to be socially relevant, outstanding individual for his which are by and large handled by contributions to the filed of Central and state government remote sensing in India. agencies The Bhaskara Award consists As for inspiration and role models, Dr AKS Gopalan looks of a Citation, Rs. 50,000 and a Gold Plated Silver Medal up to Prof Satish Dhawan, Prof U R Rao and Dr (introduced in 2003). Does India have a plan for Kasthurirangan, who were ex- Bhaskara was a famous commercial space travel? Not in Chairmen of ISRO and Dr Hindu mathematician and the near future, says Dr AKS Madhavan Nair, architect of many launch vehicles. He adds astronomer and the head of Gopalan. ISRO is more the astronomical observatory occupied with meeting the needs that when he joined, it was the of Indian users of space based excellent opportunities and at Ujjain, the leading communication systems and responsibilities given that kept the mathematical centre in India systems for Earth Resources, engineers active. That was an era at that time. apart from ensuring continued of development of new technology. Each employee had a support to the global users of Past winners include: our satellites. However, ISRO is lot of talent to show. Currently, Dr. Subba Rao Pavuluri (1999) currently working for an making space infrastructure and Dr. Baldev Sahai (2000) ambitious project - a mission to its applications operational Dr. LR Narayan (2001) the moon. Called Chandrayan, it demands a lot of effort. Engineers at ISRO from BITS or the aims at mapping the moon’s Bureaucratic problems and IITs are few. It could be due to the surface through a stereo camera. frequent changes in the core teams not-so-attractive pay packages. But Apart from this other scientific at central and state government the perks are good comparing to other investigations using special agencies, who have to implement government agencies and the thrill of payloads are also in the offing. activities based on information available from satellite systems working for such a prestigious body is affects the speedy implementation bound to leave you on a permanent We also have a very strong and of developmental activities. But high. innovative program for a things are getting better - the powerful and cost effective infrastructure at ISRO is being After a slump in recruitment due to Launch Vehicle for placing improved upon and India is slowly the IT boom, things are now picking advanced satellites in but certainly becoming one of the up. The various challenges, the Geosynchronous and polar top countries for space research excitement and the satisfaction gained orbits. We can even envision a and its applications. from working for the development of
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 85 Mera Bharat Mahaan – Of lives dedicated to causes Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine one’s own country is certainly person was really friendly though, fisheries. It is also the subject of his unmatched. And Dr AKS once Dr AKS Gopalan became his doctorate at the Andhra University. Gopalan is very glad to be a part colleague. During his stay at of it all. Pilani as a lecturer he shared the He visited Pilani in 1992 during office room with a person he APOGEE for a lecture on Space The BITS experience did help affectionately calls Lakshmikant, Technology and its applications and him a lot, he says, especially his better known to all of us as Dr L also in 1998 for an IEEE seminar held teaching. In those days, teaching K Maheshwari. at CEERI, where he gave the Keynote was taken very seriously and the Address. He is looking forward to new lecturers and established Dr AKS Gopalan is married to visit BITS again, this time along with professors would attend each Mythili, a Computer science his wife. others’ classes. That way the teacher who also writes books for teaching fraternity became the ICSE curriculum. Their Contact Details: He can be contacted closely knit and the daughter works at the at 040 – 27781215 (O) or 040 – understanding of the subject was Environmental institute in Florida 27861660 (R). Email him at also very high. and their son is doing his dual [email protected] or degree in Agriculture and Water [email protected] . College life wasn’t very Resource Management at IIT eventful, reminisces Dr AKS Kharagpur. In his free time, Dr Dr AKS Gopalan was nominated by Gopalan. They were a bunch of AKS Gopalan likes to read books Mr VL Swaminathan, who was also a serious, studious boys. Only and watch the television. scientist at ISRO. Both of them were about 10-15 of them were neighbours at Ahmedabad, colleagues MTech students. Perhaps it was As a Visiting Professor at ISRO, at ISRO and room neighbours in also because they had already he is currently working on an e- Ashok Bhawan. Mr VL Swaminathan finished their graduation book titled ‘Remote Sensing of graduated from BITS Pilani with an elsewhere. But he fondly Oceans’, with special emphasis on M Tech and now lives in Bangalore. remembers one Nr Natesan who global warming, climate change, ¨ was quite a terror to all the coastal zone management & students back then. The same sustainable management of
CHANDRAYAN: INDIA’S RACE TO THE MOON India has announced that it plans to explore the Moon and will send an unmanned probe there before 2008. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) calls the Moon flight project Chandrayan Pratham – First Journey to the Moon or Moonshot One. The 1,157-lb. Chandrayan-1 would be launched on one of India's own Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) space rockets. At first, the spacecraft would circle Earth in a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO). From there, it would fly on out into a polar orbit of the Moon some 60 miles above the surface. The Chandrayan-1 mission would carry X-ray and gamma-ray spectrometers and would send back data that scientists on Earth would use to produce a high- resolution digital map of the lunar surface. The project's main objectives are high-resolution photography of the lunar surface using remote-sensing instruments sensitive to visible light, near- infrared light, and low-energy and high-energy X-rays. Space aboard the satellite also will be available for instruments from scientists in other countries. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said a Moon flight would showcase India's scientific capabilities. A former science Minster in the Indian government, physicist M.G.K. Menon told news media that Chandrayan-1 "will excite the younger generation." Menon also said the Moon flight would have the effect of "enormously increasing the confidence of the nation". ISRO said Chandrayan-1 is the first mission in "India's foray into a planetary exploration era in the coming decades." Chandrayan-1 will be the "forerunner of more ambitious planetary missions in the years to come, including landing robots on the Moon and visits by Indian spacecraft to other planets in the Solar System. (From www. spaceage.org )
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COMPILED BY SANDEEP MUKHERJEE (’95 PHY MECH) PARTYIN’ AROUND THE WORLD
2004 Venue Somerset Hilton, New Jersey, USA EVENTS TO COME! Contact Nirav Shah Email [email protected]
PAST EVENTS!
CHENNAI November 6, 2004, BITSAA Chennai Get-together For those who have been eagerly awaiting the next BITSAA bash, here are contact details for the next alumni event. Venue Chennai, India Contact Srikanth Krishnamurthy Email [email protected] NAGPUR October 27, 2004, Nagpur Chapter
Venue Cafe Coffee day, VCA Complex, Contact Sangeeta Patni (’85) Email [email protected]
It was so much fun to meet up with everyone at 27th October at Cafe Coffee day. For people who could not come in, thought I would just send a brief informal mail out. From the minute that I walked in, I am sure this was going to be a great evening. While the place (CCD, I believe it’s called) was noisy and evoked memories of our student days, especially with so many student milling around-the BITS gang was gung-ho! We did move out the cafe to have a quieter place (That was a great idea, Vipin!) EAST COAST and had fun lachchaing. November 6, 2004, Oasis 2004 - The Alumni Edition The members present were ranging from Mr. Kanoria who Our annual events in the past years were a blast. We’ve had created the first Alumni association in Nagpur, a senior 200-300 people dancing and partying into the night. It has alumnus of 1970 batch - to a "fresher" alumnus Akbar M been a wonderful combination of Pilani music-nites and Kamal, of 2004 batch! There were 13 of us, and each of us Roctaves all over again. Thanks to our generous alumni, we was asked to share one memory of BITS that we also met our fundraising goals and raised enough funds to remembered from our BITS days. From romantic memories continue our two endowments to BITS. This year Rajesh to "Bhoot" memories to Student strikes, we had fun just Hukku is the Chief Guest. listening to the others. Ajay Saraf who came back from BITS after a recent get together shared the stories from
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 87 Alumni Corner Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine rec ent visit. Vipin, who is visiting from US, shared the The grapevine has it that a BITS v/s IIT Golf Tournament activities of the BITS Association in the Silicon Valley, might be on the cards next year. Now, how many BITSians USA. All in all, we all had fun. We all decided that we would like to turn up for that! must meet again, maybe after Diwali, this time with our families, and plan out some fun and common interest activities - where we could have fun and do some serious SILICON VALLEY networking - do business, collaborate, lobby with local September 19, 2004. Silicon Valley Chapter agencies etc- and keep the BITS flag flying in this orange picnic! city.
Rain and associated inconvenience were no match for BITSian enthu and there were no damp spirits at this year’s SILICON VALLEY Silicon Valley chapter picnic held at Central Park, Lake October 24, 2004, Silicon Valley Chapter Golf Elizabeth in Fremont CA. Event Venue Fremont, CA, USA Venue Freemont Park Golf Course Contact Ashish Garg (’01) Email [email protected] NEW DELHI September 2004, BITSAA Delhi Annual Get- Close on the heels of their East Coast counterparts, the Together Silicon Valley Chapter organized their first ever Golf Tournament on the 24th of October 2004. About 27 The Delhi chapter held BITSians of batches ranging from 1972 to 1997 turned-up its annual get-together for the event at the lovely 9-hole Fremont Park Golf Dinner & General Course. The idea behind the event was to connect BITSians Meeting at the Indian in the bay area via Golf and introduce Golf to people who National Science have never played this great game before. Vikram Academy Auditorium Pamarthi ('91) and Chandra Bhople (’74 EEE) pitched in in New Delhi. It was with free training classes for beginners before the event by an enthralling evening helping new comers perfect their swing. The Golf with Mr. Prithviraj Tournament was played in a "scramble" style by 6 teams Chavan as the Chief and was finally won by the team of Kinney, Juggy, Sanjay Guest for the evening and Ashish. Closest to Pin prizes were won by Phalguni – an ex-BITSian who Nanda, Kinney, and Prem Talreja. Vikram Pamarthi won has been Member of the longest drive contest. Parliament 4 times and is now Minister of The best part of the event was the beer and jokes session at State in Prime the end where all BITSians got together to do what they do Minister's Office with best: party! Chandra Bhople describes his vision for the the Government of event, "We should have 100 BITSians playing golf in the India. Dr. R K Mittal President BITSAA Pilani was the bay area by this time next year. This would provide Guest of Honor. The evening included presentations to the tremendous opportunity for BITSians to meet each other, guests and their spouses. The Minister was welcomed by network, and reminisce about their Pilani days far away the Senior Most Alumnus Mr. S P Sachar (Mechanical from the day-to-day chores and challenges. Hopefully it ’50). Mr. A C Talwani (Electronics ’53) read out the will also help them in their career". Welcome Address. A Citation to honor the Minister was read out by the Secretary of the Association, Pradeep Sethi
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B.E. (Chemical ’77). The Citation was presented to the Minister by Dr. Mittal on behalf of BITSAA.
Mr. Chavan released a CD of the BITSAA Online Directory by visiting the site live & opening his own page and a copy was presented to all BITSians present at the event. Vinod Puri (Electronics ’64) and K K Sainani (Electronics ’79) were instrumental in making this Directory a reality. The Hon'ble Minister then addressed the gathering of over 150 BITSians, including students between ’50 to ’04, their spouses & other guests.
After Mr. Prithviraj’s speech that outlined his experiences and transition from Pilani to the PM’s office, Dr. Mittal communicated recent BITS developments and BITSAA initiatives to the group. Mr. S K Kaila (Mechanical ’54), The winning team with Venu Myneni (middle), a regular President BITSAA Delhi Chapter, thanked the Hon'ble Minister & his wife for gracing the function. Special thanks sponsor of East Coast events were also extended to Dr. R K Mittal and his family, to Dr. Harivansh Chaturvedi and other guests from BIMTECH The third Pilani Masters golf tournament was held at Princeton’s famed Bunker Hill golf course. The final Alumni Association for joining on this occasion. standings were as follows:
The special evening wound up around midnight with a few BITSians still reluctant to leave the premises! Winner: Ravi Mehra ('64) Runner Up: Ashish Sharma (son of BITSian) Third: Venk Sharma Venue: Indian Science Academy Auditorium, New Delhi Closest to Pin: Rahul Banerjee Gamesmanship Award: Satish Paul Winning Team: Ravi & Rahoul Mehra with Venk & Chetan Sharma Runner-Up Team: KC and Ashish Sharma, Venu Myneni and Anupendra Sharma
EAST COAST July 31, 2004, 1st International East Coast Wing Cricket Tournament
LONDON Sept. 17, 2004, BITSAA UK Get-together
Seven people turned up at the Fuel, in the order of batch - Sampath Jagannathan (92), Himani Gupta (94), Ramnish Kalsi (95), Priya Iyer (95), Ramprasad Torati "Ramp" (96), Prasanna Kumar (96) and I (96). Unfortunately Anupam Gupta (89 Batch) was stuck in the traffic and couldn't make it to the meeting. Anyways, thanks Anupam for choosing the venue. It was a very good choice. This first-ever BITSian-style Wing Cricket Tournament Venue London, UK was a smash hit! Unfortunately as you can see above, we Contact Sandeep Sharma could not import a chair in time, so the trolley had to be Email [email protected] substituted. The event was held at the John F. Kennedy Cricket Ground, in Sayreville, NJ. There were two female players, one of whom received the best batsmen award for EAST COAST her scintillating knock of sixes and fours! The winning August 14, 2004, Pilani Masters Golf Tournament team was headed by a BITSian woman as well.
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August 27-29, 2004, Batch of ’64 Reunion in Washington DC
BITS, Pilani, graduates from the Batch of ’64 (Class of ’69)
Winners of the Wing Cricket Tournament There were as usual, tons of awards and trophies for which were handed out as follows: in India have been keeping in touch for a long time with the DreamCricket Best Fielding: Gurdeep Chhabra (1978) help of Manohar Baheti, Deepak Khosla, Ashok Surekha, DreamCricket Best Bowling: Srinivas Alladi (1982) Om Gupta, and some of the others. But the North American NuWare Man of the Tournament: Vikram Datla (1990) graduates were fragmented so Anupam Sachdev and Jasbir DreamCricket Wing Cricket Best Batsman: Chandana Saini started the process of locating the folks and planning (BITSian's spouse) the meet. Everyone started pitching in the effort. Thanks to NuWare Clash of the Titans Winner: Post-90 internet search engines, emails and BIT69 directories they Radiant WingCricket Winners: HCL Blitzkrieg! located the folks all across the USA and Canada. It turns Radiant WingCricket Second Place: L, G and Night Cricket out that 2004 was the 35th year since we graduated in 1969, at ShivG! so we called the meet “Paintees Saal Baad” based upon the famous movie “Bees Saal Baad” which was popular during The matches were umpired by Sarat Paladugu. the college days. Venue Sayreville, NJ, USA The meet started with the ‘69 graduates meeting in the atrium lounge on Aug. 27 at the Marriott Crystal Gateway SYDNEY in Arlington Virginia across from the Washington October 17, 2004, BITSAA Sydney Picnic Monument. There were warm hugs, surprises and excitement among old friends who were meeting after such a long time. This was followed by gift bags at the welcome desk. When everyone met for drinks in the suite in the evening the whole floor was buzz with excitement and non- stop conversations. Luckily, we had booked the whole floor except for some exceptions. Even though everyone was changed in looks over time it was quite clear that the 35
Good food, great BITSian company, an inning or two of BITS style cricket, children’s games and memories of Pilani days made for a cold yet fun-filled day at the BITSAA Picnic. Almost 40 people were at this event including alumni and family members. Contact Ramaswamy Nagarajan Email [email protected] Venue Sydney, Australia
WASHINGTON DC
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 90 Alumni Corner Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine years had not changed anything. It was just a pause in the whole process. The evening was spent at a local Mediterranean restaurant called “Casablanca” with live entertainment to the delight of everyone.
Aug. 28 was spent with golf for some and meeting at breakfast. Then the rest of the day was spent mostly by touring the various sites, monuments and attractions in the Washington DC area. The evening started with folks getting together for drinks and group photographs. The finale was a dinner at “Bombay Palace”. The gathering started with more friends joining us for the dinner with families. This was followed by a DVD movie called “ Paintees Saal Baad – The Lost memories of Pilani” created by Vinay Mehta specially for this event movie using photos and 8mm footage he took during his days in Pilani. We followed it up with a “Now and Then” slide show that included photos of each attendee from college days and then some taken more recently. Both movies were a great One of our annual dinner events, postponed from its regular success since the peanut gallery was very active and date of Aug 14 to Aug 21 2004, was held at Chiran Fort everyone could identify with the photos. Club. Over 150 BITSians along with family members participated. There was good interaction among the Our keynote speaker was Om Gupta, a BITS ’69 colleague olderPilanians (as some prefer to be called) and the from New Delhi. This was followed by a presentation by younger BITSians. Prof TSKV Iyer & Mrs. Iyer attended BITSAA. Late night was spent with jokes, conversation the meeting and presented his latest book to the association. into the early hours of the morning. It was hard to break With many PS2 students in Hyderabad, some CDs of them up. events at Pilani were played / projected. While the hint of rain remained through out the evening, the spirits as usual were high. A robust round of Tambola and dinner Aug. 29 was early morning breakfast gatherings and then culminated the evening. sweet goodbyes. It was quite apparent that those days in Pilani had created a bond that was hard to break. The group was more like a family after all these years than just Organizers: Sanjay Khendry, 98480 14070, friends. Even though everyone was quite successful in their [email protected] (and many others) line of work, the emphasis was on friendship and not business, status or money. It was a great reunion based upon the comments and thank you notes received from HYDERABAD everyone. Plans are now already in works for the next June 19, 2004, CEL Dinner Event reunion in Las Vegas in year 2005. See tons of photographs on www.bits69.com Saturday June 19 2004, the QutubShahi Hall of Country Contact Jasbir Saini Club-Begumpet was packed to capacity with BITSians past Email [email protected] and present as the BITS student team from the Center for Venue Washington DC Entrepreneurship Leadership (CEL) presented the CEL concept and provided updates on the activities and plans. CEL was set up to promote the spirit of entrepreneurial thinking among the BITSian community in March 2003. HYDERABAD The presentation was followed by active interaction August 21, 2004, Hyderabad Monsoon Bash between the CEL team and the alumni. The CEL student team also met with many alumni individually during their summer break. BITSAA Hyderabad will continue to be actively involved with CEL activities. We had about 180 BITSians attending the event. ¨
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BY SANDEEP MUKHERJEE (’95 PHY MECH) AND ANURADHA GUPTA (’86 MMS) BITSIAN 2 BITSIAN – A MORE POWERFUL B2B IDEA The need for alumni leadership in the BITSian community has never been greater. Nor the opportunity to make a difference and contribute in significant ways with no financial commitments. We plan to launch a B2B initiative to help the BITSian community reach its professional and academic goals through Communication & Collaboration. database of alumni contact · Make friends, gain a sense of “I’D love to make a career information, educational satisfaction and hey… you’ll change and am looking for the right background, professional and other probably learn a thing or two as opportunity but these darned job interests and would allow you to well! boards never seem to help. I’ve identify BITSians who would be heard networking helps but how do able to serve as effective mentors MENTEE BENEFITS for you. I network?” For students at Pilani Collaborate through Mentoring, “I’d like to go to graduate school · An idea of what their alumni are after BITS but can’t afford to do so Networking and Niche-Focused activities: If you think you can doing several years after college, without a scholarship. Wonder what their vocational options are. which schools I should apply to!” spare a few hours a month and are interested in sharing your · Receive career guidance from “I think I’d like an MBA from a top experiences and providing coaching alumni. tier school but I’d sure like some and career guidance for an alumnus advice.” or student you are invited to be a For Professionals Mentor. The BITSAA MBA “Everyone tells me I should stay on · Opportunities to network for top of my field of expertise but imitative is another example. professional enhancement. how? I can’t read everything that Create success stories for comes my way. I simply don’t have yourself: Succeed in the academic, · Career guidance. the time.” professional and social sectors by · Apprise junior professionals of We’ve all been there. As students working with mentors and peers industry trends. and as alumni we’d all like to know who help and guide you. what opportunities are out there, WHAT NEXT? how we can further our academic We plan to launch a series of credentials, identify and proactively initiatives over the next few months prepare for industry trends and so and you will receive emails with on. We’re also constantly reminded more information requesting your by our peers, organizational leaders participation in various mentoring and society in general about the programs, matching your interest need to develop ourselves as and backgrounds to students at Leaders. Pilani or junior professionals in We, as BITSian alumni, have the industry. opportunity to Communicate & MENTOR BENEFITS WHAT CAN I DO? Collaborate to Create success by · Development of coaching and teaching and learning from each mentorship skills that are an Spare just a few hours of your time other. This is the primary driver of integral part of organizational a month. Your mentor would be the B2B initiative soon to be Leadership skills that you can akin to your friend and share launched by the BITS Alumni apply in your workplace. experiences being on a similar Association. career path. A mentoring chain · Make a significant contribution to would also be set up as the Thanks to low cost electronic BITS and help your alma mater communication techonologies such mentored student becomes a without any financial mentor. as email, egroups and progressively commitments. lower telecom rates our ability to Respond enthusiastically. If you communicate and collaborate across · Expand your network witching have any feedback or ideas, let us geographical borders has never been the professional and academic know, please! Pretty please! greater… but you’ve heard this realms by working with your before so what exactly is it that mentor. To be a part of various B2B we’re planning? initiatives, email · This would be yet another way to [email protected] ¨ THE VISION ensure excellence for BITS, Pilani, to enhance its brand equity Communicate using the Alumni and You would be a part of it. Directory: This would be a
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BY ABHINAV GATTANI (’98 COMP SCI) GETTING INTO TOP MBA SCHOOLS: B2B AT WORK A great new initiative to put BITSians into the world’s top MBA schools begins. are probably exceptions. They have AS they say, all good ideas exceptional brand recognition come with a glass of beer, so did the globally.” thought of such a group for BITSians. I'd like to thank Krishna (Tuck '06), Shobhit (Michigan '06) DON’T MAKE OUR and Manish (Michigan '06) for this MISTAKES initiative. The greatest benefit of You will find many gems in the this group is to leverage the BITS databases, advice from BITSians connection for maximum benefit who went to top schools. Here are a during the application process to small cross-section of many that business schools around the world. you will find online. Some excerpts
“It is always best to get follow: It starts with the bits2bschool recommendations from your current yahoogroup. The aim of this online supervisor. Some schools require “Terrible essays - Essays did not community is to keep an excellent you to write a note or explain in the connect my past to my future.” roster of advice for BITSians optional essay as to why you did not applying to top schools. Succeed in get a recommendation from your “Did not visit schools’ the academic, professional and current supervisor. Almost everyone social sectors by working with applying to business school has this “Poor preparation for interview” mentors and peers who help and problem. However, it is a hurdle guide you. you have to cross.” CONNECT TO B- SCHOOL CHAMPIONS “In my case, I asked my manager We are canvassing the entire BITS for his recommendation. I told him community to volunteer as business that I was telling him one year in school champions for their MBA advance about my plans. If I were programs, both full-time and admitted, I would let him know 6 executive programs. To date, we months before I left giving him time have signed up the following full- to find a replacement. This worked time MBA champions. If you would well. He appreciated the advance like to be the champion for your notice and everything worked well.” program, please sign-up on the [email protected] “The choice of country (for doing website. Alternatively, email an MBA) is very subjective. Here [email protected] are a few factors you might want to consider. “In terms of quality of · GSB- Chicago: Venkatesh Rangarajan EXCELLENT ADVICE education, there are several good · Johnson-Cornell: Anupendra Sharma schools in all parts of the world, so · Kellogg-Northwestern: Ishmeet Singh ONLINE where u want to work is one factor · Ross-Michigan: Shobhit Rana Here are excerpts from advice for which determines which region you · Simon-Rochester: Rajat Padhi BITSians applying to top US · Tepper-Carnegie Mellon: Nikhil Kolar want to choose. Because local · Tuck-Dartmouth: Krishna Hegde schools schools have an advantage over · Wharton- UPenn: Mukul Chawla foreign schools for a variety of “As long as you have the requisite reasons. To simplify things, doing breadth of leadership experiences, an MBA from US or any foreign JOIN US you will get in. Focus on developing country would not give you an edge To be a part of this initiative, email yourself through leadership over IIM grads if you are looking [email protected], or experiences.” for a job in India. So if you want to better, sign up by searching for stay and work in India, IIM would bits2bschool on “Too many BITSians self-select be the best bet because of fees and www.yahoogroups.com. ¨ themselves out of running at top other things. Likewise, if you want schools which makes no sense. to work abroad, try to do MBA from Have the courage and self- the best school in that country. I confidence to aim high.” think Harvard, Wharton, Stanford
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BY SANDHYA KRISHNAN (’99 INFO SYSTEMS ) OLAB: OF SAND, SILICON AND OYSTERS OLAB is one of the first campus-based VLSI design facility in India. We find out how it has come to be, and what it will become… meant to indicate the environment up a lab with world-class and various processes that go into infrastructure. Partnering with T was 2002 – and the 1977 batch I culturing pearls from sand. Which, BITS made sense with its faculty, alumni were gearing up for their in BITS terms, refers to converting alums, talent, resources, linkages to silver reunion. Amidst all the hectic the unrefined students’ capabilities industry and most importantly, planning and excitement, a few into unmatchable intellectual experience in training. Raj believes members thought it would be a nice property in the silicon world - all in that with its world class idea to give back something to the good ol’ Pilani. infrastructure and with the proper college they owed so much to. Ideas guidance, students should be able to floated around, and the one that conduct cutting edge research, stuck was that of a world-class VLSI and semiconductor design is a which would focus on real world VLSI Laboratory. A year later, in huge engine of growth for Silicon Valley. It also has strong links to problems and produce competitive, July 2003, at the music night in commercially viable solutions. Bangalore - BITSConnexion, in the Indians, since many have founded and worked in the Valley in this Eventually trained professionals melee of songs and handshakes, this would go off to work for MNCs in idea took shape and form. Few more field. The chief architect of Intel’s India, domestic start-ups or create months later, with the efforts of Pentium chip was an Indian. However, in India, where the focus their own companies, putting India some well-placed alumni in the on the world silicon map. VLSI industry in Bangalore, a has been Software and IT, VLSI and presentation was given to current semiconductor design has been Vice Chancellor of BITS, Dr S. ignored by the mainstream of Thanks to the excellent personal Venkateshwaran. OLAB was to be a engineers and entrepreneurs. efforts of Raj and Vinod, BITS has world-class laboratory in terms of received $50 million worth of infrastructure, facilities and talent. There are rational reasons for this. expensive tools from Mentor Firstly there are few specialized Graphics & Magma Design institutions in India to train people Automation and other high-priced in this field. There is no fab (factory workstations and servers from Sun to manufacture chips) in India Microsystems. The tools now in either. In countries like US, China, BITS are really up to the mark and Malaysia and Taiwan, there are comparable to any professional set many fabs, which has created up in the silicon industry. Now the investment in training, research and Neuron Network also empowers more startups. you to connect to a centralized
However, fables design is perfect for India, since it requires only investments in human capital and can easily follow the outsourcing model. India also has many successful VLSI/chip-design entrepreneurs and experts in the Valley. There is a deep pool of talent with We spoke to Vinod Agarwal (68’ ideas looking to do something EEE), Founder & Chairman of with India. Vinod Khosla, LogicVision (publicly traded India’s best known VC has embedded test company on moved to India and is generating NASDAQ) and Rajendra Khare interest with investments in the (‘77 EEE, pictured above), field. Managing Director of BroadCom India – doyens in the VLSI field and As VLSI becomes a mainstream captains of the OLAB initiative. field in India, there will be a tremendous need for world-class “OLAB stands for Oyster Lab At training facilities, which is what BITS”, says Raj. The term oyster is prompted Vinod and Raj to set
______FALL 2004 SANDPAPER 94 BITSAA Initiatives Birla Institute of Technology & Science Alumni Magazine facility which, along with OLAB, The current projects are now small many times to Pilani to guide and would be a very powerful pieces of the big puzzle which is the help the students. combination. ZigBee technology. ZigBee is considered as the next revolution in Vinod, who along with Raj will Tons of alums have pitched in to wireless technology by industry guide and nurture OLAB closely, help from Bangalore and Delhi. leaders. This technology is very new says “There is a necessity of people, They are helping to fulfill the and has a lot of scope- dealing with design experts and others with wireless interaction between experience in the semiconductor networks. In short, an industry”. He adds that “People implementation of what we have should visit BITS, get involved and been projecting as non-working to help in knowledge transfer. models in APOGEE for years now. World-class tools will not be of The next major milestone for OLAB much help without world class would be an integration of all the teachers” projects to give a successful solution to the ZigBee, which might even be commercially successful. Grand plans are underway. An BITS could collaborate with foreign extension center is being set up in universities like the University of Bangalore that will become India’s Berkley who are currently working leading training and research center on ZigBee. for VLSI training for professionals in industry, with close linkages for commercialization of research. It requirement of design experts from will also be open to non-BITSians the real world who can help BITS and utilized as a PS II center as students get the full benefits of well. Raj This emphasis on VLSI OLAB’s world class infrastructure. integrates well with the recent grant by the DoE to BITS for Rs. 2 crores The key players, VLSI engineers to set up a Technology Business with a rich experience of 5-6 yrs in Incubator that will be a center of the field include Nagesh Chatekar excellence in creating VLSI and from BroadCom, Deepa J from embedded software start-ups. Cypress, Sriram R from TI, Karthik Kandaswamy from When India becomes a superpower Wipro. Anurup Mitra and Kallol in the field of semiconductors, Chatterjee from ST. Dr. Anand All this has not been easy. One of BITS, OLAB, Vinod, Raj and all Bariya from Toshiba is also playing those who are involved would have a major role in helping with cell the main problems they faced in Pilani is that it has taken a while to played an important role in creating libraries and other design needs. that history. The building blocks required for the get the relatively laid back students projects have been given by these (like we were) used to the grilling key players, as we call them, and timetables, schedules and demands For alumni who have crossed they have been very instrumental in of the Industry. But things have borders and shores to teach, study creating and formulating the actual improved, says Raj, for once OLAB and work in the silicon industry, this projects that the students have to went live, people have begun to might be a good chance to get work on. Presently there are also show enthusiasm and support for involved with their alma matter in about 5 project assistants, ME working demanding hours. One something of interest, and give back students at BITS, who will help give other problem is that faculty a little of what they got to BITS and the continuity that is required to themselves are not as exposed to to India. If you are interested, sign carry forward the work for a this field, in Pilani or even India up at the yahoogroup which has significantly long time. There are since there are so few people over 80 alums. Search on even plans that the OLAB exposed to field. Prof www.yahoogroups.com for bitsaa- infrastructure may be used for PhD Gurunarayanan, who heads this olab to volunteer for this initiative. programs in BITS. The VLSI initiative and Dr. L.K Maheshwari ¨ engineers and key players involved have been extremely helpful on this have also traveled to BITS, initiative. They have extended their surveyed the lab and are now even full support and cooperation to having weekly conference calls. alums Kallol Chatterjee and Anuroop Mitra who have traveled
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BY SURAJ SRINIVASAN (’86 PHY EEE) & ALL THE BATCH REPRESENTATIVES SELECTED CLASS NOTES (BY ENTERING YEAR) For a full listing go to the website
1963 1977 1995
Kirti Shekhar Chaturvedi (BE G. Ravindra Kumar (1977-83) is Sriram Reddy Mandadi (B3A6) Electrical) was recently named an the Associate Professor at Tata Graduated from University of Air Marshal in Indian Air Force. Institute of Fundamental Research, North Texas with a Masters in This is the top most position in IAF and winner of the Shanti Swarup Information Technology. Currently for a technical officer. In all, there Bhatnagar Award for his working as a Software Consultant in are about 25 Air Marshals (one level contributions to Science. Email: the US. from Air Chief Marshal). He was [email protected] Tel: till most recently the Senior Ph:+91-22-2 280 4545 X 2381 Maintenance Staff Officer) at IAF Ravi Kiran Yekula, I came to Headquarters Training Command. University of Missouri-Rolla after In that role, he was responsible for BITS to complete my masters. I the maintenance of all fleets and 1981 have joined Cummins Inc. as a associated ground support eqpt and Design Engineer in April 2003. I infrastructure for operation and got married to Poornima in May training. Laxman Mohanty lives in 2004 and have been enjoying Ahmedabad, and is an Adjunct married life since. Email: Professor at IIM Ahmedabad. He [email protected] 1975 focusses on his two startups plus the NGO for improving rural education in India. Email Laxman at Ashok J Galgotia For some of us [email protected] or 1998 oldie BITSians, children are old call +91-79-26325010 enough now to proceed to the MARRIAGES COMING universities. My son, Aditya Galgotia, passed ISE exam this year and has now joined McGill Univ. at 1986 Saumya Agarwal is getting married Montreal for Mechanical Engg. We to Amit Agarwal (CS from BITS - hope he will get used to Minus 40 '97) in November type of temp. As he was born in Suraj Srinivasan moved from Cambridge, MA to Chicago, IL on Dubai where he has been exposed to ENTREPRENEURS Plus 40 degrees. completion of his PhD. He became [email protected] an Assistant Professor at University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Sharadha Ramanathan Business [email protected] She is currently freelancing in websites 1976 Kumar Rajaram was offered and multimedia projects. She is currently very busy with her project tenurship at UCLA, where is is meghamedia.com. If you need a Dilip Associate Professor of Operations Management. multimedia presentation or develop D’Souza a website click on and his http://www.meghamedia.com/ wife Vibha
Kamat, 1987 Harsh Jegadeesan adopted [email protected] and Venkatesan V (Sci) an eight- Uday Sareen (Eco EEE) was month [email protected]) From promoted to Head of Marketing for CSD in BITS, Pilani these guys are old baby girl, Surabhi. She is sister Citibank Retail Bank India and has to their five year old son Sahir and trying to build a company 'i- moved to New Delhi with his wife Confluence', which will provide joins him as the lights of their lives. and children. (Photo on page) Business Process Optimization solutions.
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Gerald Joseph ([email protected] ([email protected] Chennai. Now in Manchester, UK ) After resigning from C-DOT, has n) After working with Steelage, he working on British Airway Project joined ALSC. He is back to B?lore is presently working as a Senior after his visit to Santaclara branch in Product engineer in Gabriel India Sundar Raghavan (Appy) California Ltd, Nasik ([email protected] ) Chennai. Presently working onsite Venkatraman V (Alwa) Parveen ([email protected]) in Green bay, Minnesota ([email protected] in Mumbai as Market research ) with Atlas Copco. Working in analyst with Indica research BUSINESS SCHOOL Chennai as a sales engineer Saumya Agarwal CORPORATE ([email protected] ) Aromal Amal Graduated from Purdue University ([email protected]) MBA Prabhakar (Soap) with Masters in Computer Science (International Business at Indian ([email protected] ) in May, 2004. Worked at Institute of Foreign Trade, New As a Marketing Executive PeopleSoft, USA. and now at Delhi majoring in Marketing & (Lubricants) in Sambalpur, he is Network Appliance in Bangalore. Trading currently in charge of the entire Western Orissa operations for Vikas Thiruvalluru Bhagyalakshmi Rajagopal Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd ([email protected] ) (Boiler) ([email protected]) Previously worked in i-flex and had MBA in Xaviers Institute of Jeevan kumar Duggempudi been in Japan to meet the client Management, Bangalore ([email protected] ) onsite After his Masters in Industrial Engg Dhivya Venkatachalam at University of Illinois at Chicago, Saishankari ([email protected]) he is all set to join as a Revenue ([email protected] ) Bharathidasan Institute of Management Science Analyst in Business development manager in Management, Trichy Carnival Cruise Lines. Chennai with Reliance Infocomm
Kesava Mallela Raghavan Damodaran (Rags) Dias Joe ([email protected]) ([email protected] ) ([email protected] ) MBA in Narsee Monjee Institute of Right now in San Francisco Banglore - Presently working as Management Studies (NMIMS), working as a Usability Analyst for Senior Associate, Program Mumbai Cognizant Technology Solutions Management. Previously he worked with i2 Bangalore for a year and Karthik Srinivasan Madhusudhan Devanathan then did Masters in Business at the ([email protected]) MBA in (Mummy) University of Waterloo, Canada. Institute of Management ([email protected] ) Now he is back in Bangalore now to Technology, Ghaziabad Presently working in Germany at be with Sweta (who also works with Daimler Chrysler Sapient). Krishna Ramani Sunderasan (Beedi) ([email protected]) Gopinath (Maram) Vignesh Kumar (Vennai) After working in Oracle, Hyderabad ([email protected] ) ([email protected] ) has joined MBA in IIM - B After completing ME (SS) in BITS, Worked in Steelage industries, he has joined Dell, in B’lore Chennai for a year and moved on to Samsung. Presently in South Korea Nakaraj Sukumaran Gopalram (Gora) in Sales engg Team for Samsung ([email protected]) After ([email protected]) Heavy Industries Co., Ltd being in Business Development at Working as a design engineer doing Cybernet Software Systems, consulting for Industrial Buildings, Rathish Balakrishnan (Rat) Chennai, he is presently doing his mainly Power Plants with ([email protected] ) MBA in SP Jain, Mumbai Development Consultants (P) Ltd., Starting his career at INSEAD, Vashi, Navi Mumabi France, he is now working with Sairam Krishnamurthy SAP labs; presently in Germany ([email protected]) Has Aruna Ganesan joined MBA in IIM - B after starting ([email protected]) Chitra Venkatanarayanan his career with i-flex solutions, She has joined as a Technical ([email protected] ) B‘lore. ¨ Engineer in Chennai with Chennai - Presently at Seattle, USA Evalueserve, Gurgaon working on Boeing Project at TCS
Raghavan (Blacky) Ranjith Kumar (Dog) ([email protected] )
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