Rhythm The Newsletter Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar

Vol.V, Issue: October - December, 2011

In This Issue

In Focus 2

Visit by Persons of Eminence 3 From the Director’s Faculty Forum 3 Desk… TO NEW BEGINNINGS… Workshops Organised 4 A briskness in the air, a spring in the step and a lightness in the mood - come winter and a celebratory mood sets in. It has always Showcase been my firm belief that no achievement- academic, personal or 4 material can be fruitful if we have not learnt to experience the joys of life and living. It is this spirit that determines our quality of Campus Bulletin 5 life. IIT Bhubaneswar has been in the festive spirit since October. With Dussehra and Diwali reaffirming the triumph of good over Scribbles 6 evil and the numerous little campus festivities that has kindled the feeling of togetherness, IIT Bhubaneswar is all set to welcome the new year with good tidings. Let’s all become a part of this grand celebration called Life! Happy New Year 2012!

Prof. Madhusudhan Chakraborty In Focus 35th National Systems conference 2011 The 35th National Systems Conference (NSC-11) was organized jointly by the School of Electrical Sciences Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Kharagpur and the Systems Society of India (SSI) during 9 - 11 December 2011. Inaugurating the conference, Prof. Prem Kalra, Director, IIT Jodhpur and the President, SSI called upon professionals to make forays into the green-field segments of research because of their local relevance and global value. He said that the need of the hour is for professionals to evolve into leaders. Out of the more than 200 papers received for NSC-11, 40 papers were chosen for oral presentation. The conference saw participants from across India besides one from Ontario, Canada. The conference had six technical sessions in the areas of System Applications, System Identification & Optimization, Communication Systems, Control Systems, Algorithm for Systems and Power Systems and Modeling. Valuable inputs on Systems were provided to participants during the plenary sessions. The speakers in the plenary sessions included Prof. B. Yegnanarayana (IIIT Hyderabad), Prof. V. Gadre (IIT Bombay), Prof. S. Mukhopadhyay (IIT Kharagpur), Prof. G. Panda (IIT Bhubaneswar), Prof. P. N. Ghosh (Vice-Chancellor, Jadavpur University), Prof. P. K. Dash (SOA University) and Mr. A. Samant (National Instruments). Prof. P. K. Sahu, Head, School of Electrical Sciences of the Institute was the convener of the event.

Career Development Cell: Interaction with NUS Placements during 2011

Prof. R. Bhaskaran, Honorary Advisor, CDC Prof. R. Bhaskaran is currently the Director of Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management, Kerala at Trivandrum. He served as Dean, Continuing Education In consonance with the changing times and Principal QIP Coordinator at IIT and the need of the budding students, Kharagpur before moving to his current the T&P Cell of the Institute has been assignment. Prof. Bhaskaran was Professor rechristened as Career Development Cell and Head of Training & Placement Cell at looked after by a Professor-In-Charge IIT Kharagpur for over two decades. He and being ably advised by experts across looked after the Technology Foundation disciplines including Prof. R. Bhaskaran of IIT Kharagpur as Managing Director (Former T&P stalwart of IIT Kharagpur) An interactive session between IIT during his tenure as Head, T&P and served Bhubaneswar and National University as Honorary Advisor. Beginning from as Chairman and Member of a number of st of Singapore (NUS), was organized at IIT 1 December 2011, the placement academic and administrative committees season has seen about 63 out of 89 Bhubaneswar on 2 December 2011. Prof of IIT Kharagpur. Prof. Bhaskaran is a B. V. R Chowdari, Executive Director, students securing jobs in core engineering Fellow of the Institution of Engineers India companies related to infrastructure, NUS-India Research Initiatives who led the and Life Member of ISTE and ISTD. He has session introduced Singapore and the NUS mechanical, electrical, electronics, and rich experience in Industry-Institutional computer sciences. In the new-year, more to the participants. Initiatives are underway linkages, recruitment and human resource for IIT, Bhubaneswar to associate with NUS companies are expected to participate in management. the placement drive. through research collaboration.

PAGE 2 IITBBS Visits by Persons of Eminence Prof. Sujit Banerji, Name & Affiliation Date Remarks Executive Director, Postgraduate Prof. B. S. Murty, FASM, FNAE, FASc, FNASc Programs, WMG Delivered a talk on Excitements Professor Sujit Banerji, Executive Department of Metallurgical and 14 October and Challenges in Nanoscience Director, Postgraduate Programs, Materials Engineering 2011 and Nanotechnology Warwick Manufacturing Group, (WMG) University of Warwick visited the Institute Indian Institute of Technology Ma- from 23-25 November 2011 to discuss dras, Chennai 600 036, India and further the budding partnership with possible student internships, Professor Manas K Mandal future collaborations through study programmes and projects. Prof. Banerji’s Director visit has paved the way for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding Defence Institute of Psychological 14 October Delivered a talk on Cerebral 2011 Asymmetry & Technology between the Institute and Warwick Research, New Delhi Manufacturing Group to foster exchange & of faculty and students while extending President, National Academy of partnership in the areas of service Psychology, India security, entrepreneurship management, Professor Rudra Pratap health care, service management and Addressed the Students of design. The MoU will be signed during 5 December Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering on Lord Kumar Bhattacharya’s visit to the 2011 Mechanical Engineering, IISc Future Academic Prospects Institute on 12 February 2012 to deliver Bangalore the First Foundation Day Lecture.

Faculty Forum New Faculty Members Awards/Honours: Dr. Akhilesh Barve joined include Geotechnical Engineering and • Dr. S. Samantray, School of Electrical the School of Mechanical Environmental Geomechanics Sciences received the IEEE PES PSDP Technical Committee Prize Paper Sciences as Assistant Dr. Suresh R Dash Award-2012 for the paper “Development Professor in the Month joined the School of of Rule-based Classifiers for Rapid Stability of December 2011. His Infrastructure as Assistant Assessment of Wide-Area Post-Disturbance research areas include Professor in the Month Records”, IEEE Transactions on Power Supply chain management, industrial of December 2011. His Systems, Volume: 24 Issue: 1, pp. 258- Engineering, quality control, logistics research areas include 270, Feb- 2009. The award is selected Dr. Arun Pradhan joined Earthquake engineering, Seismic among the most valuable contributions the School of Mechanical analysis, design and retrofitting of in IEEE Transactions in Power System Sciences as Assistant buildings and bridges, Soil dynamics Dynamic Performance (PDPS) and will Professor in the Month and geo-mechanics, Pile-soil interaction be given in the IEEE PES General Meeting of December 2011. His in liquefiable soils, Seismic analysis and scheduled during July 2012 at San Diego, research areas include design of buried pipelines. CA, USA. Composite Materials / Structures, Smart Dr. Umesh Chandra • Dr. Sumanta Haldar, School of Civil Materials/ Structures, Solid Mechanics, Sahoo joined the School and Infrastructure received the Excellent Fracture Mechanics and Delamination of Infrastructure as Paper Award by the International studies in Composites etc. Assistant Professor in Association for Computer Methods and Dr. Hanumantha Rao the Month of December Advances in Geomechanics (IACMAG) Bendadi joined the 2011. His research areas for his paper “Failure mechanisms of pile School of Infrastructure in include Pavement Materials, Analysis, foundations in liquefiable soil: A parametric the Month of December Design, Evaluation and Maintenance; study.” published in International Journal 2011. His research areas Low Volume Roads. of Geomechanics, ASCE.

PAGE 3 • Nithin V. George, Research Scholar, • IEEE IIT Bhubaneswar organized School of Electrical Sciences won the 2nd Workshops 1081p 2.0 and 2.1, a hands-on workshop Prize for his paper “On the development of Organized: series on introductory 3D modeling using adaptive hybrid active noise control system SolidWorks. The program’s theme was for effective mitigation of nonlinear noise” • A workshop on Automobile and ‘Seeing is Believing?’. Over 100 students at the Research Scholars’ Day of Indian Engine Design was organized by the student took part in the event. The workshop was Institute of Space Science and Technology chapter Society of Automotive Engineers at followed by a design contest aimed at (IIST), Thiruvananthapuram held during the Institute from 5-6 November, 2011. assessing the designing/modeling skills that the students have been able to absorb in 16-17 December 2011. • A two day workshop on “Teaching the course of the workshop. • The paper entitled “Seismic response English Redefined: Latest Approaches of soil-pile foundation structure system for the English Language Classroom” was incorporating soil structure interaction” organized by the School of Humanities, by Rajib Saha, Prof. S.C. Dutta and Dr. Social Sciences & Management during S. Haldar received a special mention in 19-20 November 2011. The inaugural Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s inaugural address address was given by eminent academician at the Research Scholars’ Day of Indian Prof. M. Fakruddhin, who enlightened Institute of Space Science and Technology the audience on teaching skills, use of (IIST), Thiruvananthapuram. language and the importance of English language in everyday life. The objective of the workshop was to augment the SRIC Projects English language teaching skills of teachers teaching Communicative English in 1. Three international collaborative technical institutes. Dr. Punyashree Panda, Showcase projects will commence under the UK School of Humanities, Social Sciences & Environmental Engineering India Education and Research initiative Management coordinated the event. Laboratory (UKIERI) funding: • A workshop on “Electron Microscopy” The Environmental Engineering Laboratory • Joint Masters and split site Ph. D. (WEM2011) was organized by the Institute of the institute was established under programme: An Integrated Doctoral and jointly with the Institute of Physics (IOP), the School of Infrastructure with a vision Masters programme with the University of Bhubaneswar from 23-25 November to mitigate the current and emerging Warwick. 2011 at the Institute of Physics. The main environmental engineering and global objective of the WEM2011 was to provide • Thematic Partnership in Low Carbon issues, and to have an understanding of the young researchers from the eastern Materials Technologies, Innovation and ethical and societal responsibilities. The part of India a platform for interaction major activities include quantification of Application jointly with the University of with eminent scientists. The event was different types of pollutants and to propose Warwick. coordinated by Prof. V. R. Pedireddi, the mitigation measures for respective • Establishment of a new School of School of Basic Sciences and Dr. Animesh pollutants. The well-being, prosperity and Earth, Ocean and Climate Science at the Mandal of School of Mechanical Sciences sustainability of the human enterprise India Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar of the Institute. rest on the functioning of Earth’s natural systems and their complex physical, and a new marine campus on the Bay • A workshop on “Indian Water chemical and biological processes. Water of Bengal jointly with the Southampton Management in 21st Century (IWM)” quality is a central theme in terrestrial, and National Oceanography Centre and was organized by the Institute from 27- oceanic, atmospheric, agricultural and University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. 29 December 2011. The workshop was industrial systems alike, so there is jointly organized by School of Infrastructure 2. IITBBS-HAL (Koraput) Alliance: immense need to maintain the quality and School of Earth, Ocean and Climate Vetting of Structural Analysis of Design and of water for proper functioning of the Sciences. Prof. M. Chakraborty, Director, Drawing for the new residential complex respective ecosystem. The laboratory at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), IITBBS inaugurated the workshop and Prof. during the short period of its existence Koraput began on 19 October 2011. The V.R. Pedireddi, Dean (SRIC) was the Guest has evolved into a multidisciplinary project sponsored by HAL, has Prof. S.C. of Honor. The workshop hosted experts from various IITs and IISTs and participants Dutta, School of Infrastructure as its In- from Central Water Commission India, Charge. Ground Water Board India, Water Resource Department, Odisha and Minor Irrigation Department, Odisha attended the workshop. The event was coordinated by Dr. R. R. Dash and Dr. A. Sarkar.

PAGE 4 the valedictory ceremony. Shri Pattnaik Campus Bulletin emphasized that eternal vigilance is the IEEE Xtreme 5.0 price of liberty, and impressed upon the audience that rooting out of corruption With the highest number of teams from is not a one sweep option or a one India and the second highest in the world, man action. He cited examples of the IEEE student branch of the Institute made Singaporean Model of Anti Corruption that its presence felt in IEEE Xtreme 5.0 - the enabled the city-state to rise to the ranks of research centre focused primarily on global online programming competition the top most corruption free states. India water and wastewater treatment with conducted by IEEE on 23 October 2011. with its extensive constitutional provisions the latest facilities and equipment for Out of a total of 29 teams taking part in and an intangible legacy of morals extensive training to the undergraduate, the event, the Institute team stood well could definitely be in the same league if postgraduate students, research scholars ahead of others from top ranking Institutes participatory vigilance sunk well into the and faculty members of the School. In in India including the other IITs. nation’s conscience. addition, these are also used for numerous research, consultancy and testing works. The laboratory has four major sections viz. laboratory classroom with analysis station, central corridor, reactor room and instrumentation room. These sections are equipped with the advance and state-of- the-art equipment dedicated to water and wastewater testing and treatment, air pollution monitoring along with facilities for collection of samples, chemical, Vigilance Awareness Week Aghaaz: A prelude to Alma bacteriological and gas analyses. Some of Fiesta the equipments are Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer, Gas Chromatograph, Displaying their skills at organizing and Freeze dryer, UV-VIS Spectrophotometer, management, the students of the Institute Centrifuge, Muffle Furnace, Autoclave, organized Aghaaz - a prelude to Alma Laminar Air Flow Chamber, Environmental Fiesta 2012, the socio-cultural fest (to be Chamber, Millipore Double Distillation held duirng 13 - 15 January 2012) on 6 Unit, BOD Incubator, Deep Freezer etc. November 2011. The promotional events Apart from these, few biological (more were conducted entirely by the students specifically, Upflow Anaerobic Sludge and involved a number of activities including inter-college fashion show, chilly Blanket) reactors are also being installed in As part of a directive from the Central the reactor room to treat domestic as well Vigilance Commission, the Institute eating competition and paper dance etc. The fashion show was judged by Professors as industrial wastewater either alone or observed the Vigilance Awareness Week from National Institute of Fashion in combination with some other physico- from 31 October to 5 November, 2011. technology, Bhubaneswar and winners chemical or advanced treatment units. All The theme for the week was Participatory were rewarded with cash prizes besides the major instruments are connected with Vigilance and the Institute called attention high quality PCs and printers, which help to being crowned Mr. Aladdin (male) and to being alert at individual level. The entire analyze the results in a better way. Some of Miss Jasmine (female).With a multitude staff, faculty and students of the Institute the laboratory services, besides the routine of audience transfixed to the unfolding undertook the Pledge for Participatory ones, include Water and Wastewater prelude, team Alma Fiesta cheered at its Vigilance, promising to “be the change Analysis, Ambient Air Monitoring, Soil and success in giving the Mega-event a grand we wish to see.” An intra-college debate Heavy Metal Analyses. The laboratory is head start. kept open 24x7 for the benefit of the users. competition was held on the last day of the week where students deliberated on SYNC LAYER: The Journey the Jan Lokpal Bill, the one instrument Begins… that has mobilized millions across the Recently formed student musical rock nation against corruption. The ambit of band- Sync Layer, made their debut the all encompassing version of Lokpal, on 12 November, 2011 at Rabindra redundancy of few of its powers with Mandap, Bhubaneswar during the event that of already existing institutions, the UNPLUGGED, a rock band competition. practically realizable version of such a The band stood 4th in the competition and colossal organization were discussed. Shri received a huge positive response from the Amar Pattnaik, Accountant General (Civil Audit), Odisha was the Chief Guest of audience.

PAGE 5 Music and Dance Society Rangoli making competition in the campus the heat level competitions. In discuss throw which saw a full spectrum of colours ‘Lokesh Kumar Xess’ ranked 7th in the final The Music and Dance Society staged their vividly depicting various social and cultural round of the competition with a throw of maiden production of the season on 25 themes. In addition, there were a series 27.12 m. The exhibition of sportsmanship October 2011 which included enthralling of miscellaneous events like dance and by the Basketball, Volleyball and football performances by the student members. music programs which complemented teams were also laudable. The meet showed The evening was vibrant with glamour of the celebratory mood. In the evening, high level of competition by the IITians, elegant performances of the Bharatnatyam the Society, along with other students of and fostered the spirit of brotherhood, and and a number of modern musical remixes the Institute presented an awe-inspiring sportsmanship. The closing ceremony was and dance forms. vertical illumination of Lord Ram. The on the 19 December 2011 and IIT Madras Dramatics Society also presented a play on and IIT Roorkee were declared winners of the theme ‘Say No to Crackers’. the men and women general championship respectively. Inter IIT Meet 2011

Faculty and Staff Get- together

Keeping in tempo with the festive season The 47th Inter-IIT Sports Meet, the biggest of Dussehra, a get-together of faculty, staff stage for sportsmen from IIT, is held Scribbles and their families was organized on 15 annually during December. It is an eight- FIRST DATE: A Travelogue October 2011 after the Puja vacations. The day extravaganza where students get to keep occasion infused the spirit of friendship alive the spirit of Citius, Altius, Fortius. The IIT Pramit Sarkar and camaraderie within members of the which performs best in both the Sports Meet (III Year, School of Infrastructure) IIT family to excel in their endeavour to and the Aquatics Meet wins the General Boredom was at its height; life seemed establish this budding Institute. During Championship. his interactions, Prof. M. Chakraborty, to be slipping out of hands. As the the Director emphasized on togetherness IIT Kharagpur was the host IIT for the enthusiasm was draining out, a holiday because these days people are more into 47th INTER IIT Sports Meet. The meet trip was more than necessary. The packing virtual social networking and hardly have was held from 12 -19 December 2011. started, and with eager wait, the days the time to meet each other face to face. IIT Bhubaneswar with the smallest crept away in a quick succession even The party ended with a high tea. contingent took part in the various events though the torrential rains did pretty mess such as badminton, football, table tennis, up the mood fortunately not for a long Diwali volleyball, basketball and athletics for boys time though. It wasn’t long before we and badminton for girls. IIT Bhubaneswar boarded the train. As the wheels paced started the campaign by winning the girls’ ahead, I pretty much lost myself amidst badminton match against IIT Rajasthan. Girls’ the greenery and the widespread blue. badminton team performed superbly in their I realised the prevalence of the “para” group stage matches. They were the first culture a.k.a local colonies (which was an team from IIT Bhubaneswar to qualify for the integral part of my childhood) still ruling quarter-final for the first time in three years. over the colonies as we kept progressing Next it was the turn of boy’s badminton towards the northern part of the state. team who also qualified for the quarter final. As we changed gears or rather the number In Table tennis, our boys performed very of gears, i.e. to change the mode of The festival of lights was celebrated with good and defeated IIT Patna for first time transport, to reach our destination, the great fervor throughout the day. In the in last three years. Athletics team also put first thing I noticed was the Teesta. As we morning, the Fine Arts Society organized up their best effort and went on to qualify hopped from one mountain to another,

PAGE 6 IITBBS sweeping past the trusses connecting the it showed full. Second, was the absence of spot any such commodity, which would mountains, the Teesta kept pace with us. hospitals; perhaps Nature took care of its serve as a memento to carry back home. Perhaps, it was the slashing waves that inhabitants. However, the one thing that did attract created the scenic difference from the both the natives and the tourists were Glitzy and glamorous Gangtok justified its mountains of Kashmir. Somehow, the bliss the big umbrellas, quite stylishly made being a capital in every sense of the word. that one would instantly feel in the valleys to match the outfits. Even the children, As we walked into the main market place, of Kashmir was missing in this rugged were so attracted, that they would rush the first thing that one noticed was the valley; the creation lacked the precision, from the laps of their parents, only to cleanliness. I don’t know what contributed rather it seemed more out of the natural check out the umbrellas. The sight of the to the matter, but the clean streets had acts of wrath like earthquakes and river kids bathing on the steps of the waterfall, certainly inspired the people to keep it erosion. It was a marvel to see the civil threw up yet another example of staying clean (way to go!!!!!!!!). The government engineers trying their best to create better close to nature and enjoying the fun. transportation and energy facilities along had once again made sure that the traffic the mountainous terrain. and parking facilities were properly My first date with Sikkim came to an end maintained, the legally banning of plastic as we returned from the land-locked state When we finally made our way to our bags and the presence of numerous the next day. first destination- Pelling, altitude seemed dustbins ensured there wasn’t a confusion to have taken its effect- the conifers, the regarding civic awareness. The state has RISE OF A GREATER TSUNAMI mist, the wooden cottages indicated also acknowledged the phenomenon of that we were thousands of feet from sea women empowerment and numerous Rajdeep Konwar level. For the next 2 days, the trip was shops on the main street, had lady (II Year, School of Mechanical Sciences) confined to in and around Pelling. Besides owners, trading quite efficiently. the profusion of the rhododendrons and the wild orchids, Pelling was a place that The smell of food, from the colourful At the crack of dawn was almost always swathed by clouds restaurants, was palette teasing, and set When the seagulls call accompanied by the timely (or rather the tune for my taste buds to have the Even though darkness prevails around untimely) rains. For history buffs there flavours of Rajasthan! But the Rasoi (a Set out in boats the fishermen all is a monastery- beautiful and serene. restaurant in Sikkim!) was pretty much Who would dare wonder? And interestingly, the path that leads to cooked up a.k.a booked/occupied; that After seeing their valor it is identical to the Great Wall of China. meant that I had to wait for another day That a tsunami had turned However, the striking aspect was the to enjoy the flavours of Rajasthan. The Their shades a bit paler... people and their holistic attitude which condition of the roads, the education seems to be embedded in their veins. facilities and the Resithang Sports They drift along the morning sea They have made up for the limited Complex (perhaps the highest stadium in To catch the leaping wealth of the tide resources, by making efficient use of it. India) were quintessential of the fact that Because they have a family to feed Brought up close to nature the residents of Sikkim boasts of a government for the And small children to guide Pelling have happily balanced their sedate people. These men of sea do not care lifestyle with their Zen Estilos and Maruti What’s in their fate? The next day, was already reserved for Altos. Facilities might not have reached Keep on striving throughout difficulties a thorough tour of the capital city. The 6450 ft, but the football fever has certainly For none do they ever wait… lesson for the day was driving at neutral done so. After all, the country’s present (and I thought I had completed my driving national football captain hails from this As they rowed down lessons!!!). As we made our way, through very state. the streets, it was more than recognizable The sea seemed to cry But their oars dipped silently The first two days didn’t provide too that people from other states formed a Past their dead brothers by much to enjoy, aesthetically. Just when major part of the population of the city- a I had thought, there isn’t much treat for feature very much evident to every capital Their hearts filled with pity the eyes, the road to the state capital, city of India. The Banjhakri Water Falls Their eternal souls broken down provided the beautiful view of the park, the Rumtek Monastery, Tibetology But still they rowed further unmetalled road caught in the web of and the Orchid House made up for the Without a smile or a frown rivulets. The occasional fields of step- rest of the sight-seeing. The natural scene farming, bordered by the small nurseries of the waterfall was too awe-inspiring Remember, a million is made were a real treat. It was shocking that, for words. The Ropeway, above the city, By joining one-one penny, in spite of the presence of vegetation gave a beautiful view of the whole city at Similarly a tsunami is formed on both sides of the road, there were a glance. As evening set in it was time to By small-small droplets many. hardly any leaves on the track itself. indulge in a little shopping spree. After all If we come together to help them As we reached Gangtok a few things what is travelling without a little spending. To uphold the Peace Dove were quite surprising. One was the Shopping was an experience by itself Then, a greater tsunami will rise uninterrupted mobile network; every time in Sikkim. Interestingly, it was hard to A tsunami of love...

PAGE 7 Team Rhythm: Dr. Amrita Satapathy, Dr. Rajan Jha, Dr. S. N. Panigrahi Mr. Pratik, Ms. Gitanjali & Ms. Nibedita

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