JUNE 2017

NIAS EVENTS AND ACTIVITES

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED STUDIES INDIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE CAMPUS, -12

NIAS was conceived and founded in 1988 by the late Mr. J. R. D. Tata, who sought to create an institution to conduct advanced multidisciplinary research. Housed in a picturesque green campus in Bangalore the Institute serves as a forum to bring together individuals from diverse intellectual backgrounds. The objective is to nurture a broad base of scholars, managers and leaders who would respond to the complex challenges that face contemporary and global society, with insight, sensitivity, confidence and dedication. 02

CONFERENCE, WORKSHOPS AND MEETINGS

ONE DAY WORKSHOP TITLED 'SCIENCE COMM’17'

IN COLLABORATION WITH SWISSNEX INDIA AND 01 FOUNDATION SCIENCE ET CITÉ

(JUNE 30, 2017) CONFERENCE, WORKSHOPS Coordinator: Dr VV Binoy AND MEETINGS

National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Swissnex India and Foundation Science et Cité jointly organized a one day conference titled ScienceComm’17. This conference aimed to empower the participants to share their ideas, findings and 02 researches in simple but effective ways.

NIAS DOCTORAL PROGRAMME

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NIAS PUBLIC LECTURES

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Prof Baldev Raj, Director NIAS delivered welcome address at ScienceComm’17 conference NIAS OUTREACH

The one day conference started with welcome address by Prof. Baldev Raj, Director – NIAS and Dr. Balz Strasser, CEO & Consul General of Switzerland – swissnex India and was followed by the interesting sessions which includes: 05 1.Evolution of Science Communication in Switzerland, Simplifying Science by Philipp Burkard, Director – Science et Cite, 2. Simplifying Science through Big Data NIAS NATURE Visualisation by S Anand – Gramener, 3. The Intersection of Science and Arts: CONNECT Opportunities & Challenges by Boris Magrini, House of Electronic Arts (HeK), 4. The Art of Writing Science by Subhra Priyadarshini, Nature India and 5. Music for the Planet: The right ‘notes’ for conservation by Ricky Kej, Grammy® Award Winning Composer, Conservationist. 023

CONFERENCE, WORKSHOPS AND MEETINGS

The event also had two breakout session, topics includes in first session were 1. Discovering Science through the Lens by Anil Annaiah , Brand Radianz, 2. Science That Trends Online by Sandhya Ramesh, Hasgeek and Nandita Jayaraj – Life of Science,. Session 3: Graphical Thinking for Scientists & Science Communicators by Laura Symul, Data Analysis and Visualisation Expert.

Second breakout session topics were 1. Collaborative Product .Development – Creating Value from Research by Tej Pochiraju, Jaaga 2. Citizen Science: Joining Silk Threads to Catch the Lion by Binoy V. V, NIAS 3. Biomimicry: Finding inspiration in nature to identify sustainable solutions to human challenges by Seema Anand and Prashant Dhawan, Biomimicry India Lab and Studio . The valedictory address was given by Anju Edgar, Head Communications & Community Management, Swissnex.

To read the 'Learnings from ScienceComm'17 India' by Arvind Padmanabhan click here : http://bit.ly/2uHGSic

Dr. VV Binoy, Assistant Professor, NIAS Mr. Ricky Kej, Adujunct Professor, NIAS

NIAS PUBLIC LECTURES

NIAS OUTREACH 04 CONFERENCE, WORKSHOPS AND MEETINGS

BOOK LAUNCH AND DISCUSSION OF DR. ARUN SHOURIE'S "TWO SAINTS: SPECULATIONS AROUND AND ABOUT RAMAKRISHNA PARAMAHAMSA AND RAMANA MAHARSHI" HELD ON JUNE 5, 2017

Founder Chairman of Infosys Dr. Narayana Murthy , Dr Vijayalakshmi Ravindrananth and Prof Baldev Raj, Director NIAS launch “Two Saints- Speculations Around and About Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Ramana Maharshi” authored by Dr. Arun Shourie at JRD Tata Auditorium, NIAS in Bengaluru on June 5, 2017.

Arun Shourie’s new book Two Saints: Speculations around and about Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Ramana Maharishi uses this occidental heritage to study the religious experiences of arguably two of the greatest seers of nineteenth and twentieth century India, whose lives are fairly well recorded by their disciples. It explores an interesting, but not unknown, area of spirituality wherein mystical experiences, their mechanism and effects are investigated in the light of modern neurology and psychology .

Two Saints: Speculations Around and About Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Ramana Maharshi by Dr Arun Shourie has been published by Harper Collins and it is available at Amazon. 05

NIAS DOCTORAL PROGRAMME

NIAS PH.D PROGRAMME 2017-18

Academic Head: Prof Sundar Sarukkai Coordinator: Ms. J N Sandhya

There was a surge in the number of applications (over 300) this year because of the increased flexibility in admitting candidates with and without financial support. The national level entrance exam and interviews for admission to the NIAS Doctoral Programmme was held during 21, 22 and 23rd June, 2017. Of the 142 shortlisted candidates, 93 candidates attended the test and 10 candidates were selected for the 2017 August intake after an entrance test and two rounds of intensive personal interviews. Of this six candidates will work under funded projects by TCS and DST. This batch will be the fourteenth batch since the beginning of the NIAS PhD programme. All the 10 selected candidates have accepted the offer.

93 Candidates appeared for the written examination for NIAS PhD Programme on July 21, 2017 at JRD Tata Auditorium, NIAS.

NIAS congratulates the selected candidates of NIAS PhD Programme 2017-18 ( This list is not a merit order)

1. Snehashish Mitra 2. Nitesh S A 3. Jahnavi Sharma 4. Sarvajeet K Sinha 5. S Vignesh 6. Ashni K Dhawale 7. Chandana R Bindu 8. Shilajit Sengupta 9. Ajit Kumar Babu 10. Cheshta Arora 06

NIAS PUBLIC LECTURES

ANNUAL MEMORIAL LECTURES

Third CV Sundaram Memorial Lecture delivered by Prof Michel Danino, Guest Professor, IIT Gandhinagar titled as 'How Can Ancient India Help Today’s India?', held at JRD Tata Auditourium, NIAS on June 28, 2017

Fifth RL Kapur Oration delivered by Prof Gilles Bibeau, Professor Emeritus, Université de Montréal, Canada titled as 'Drift of Contemporary Ideologies: Social and Psychic Defenses in the Discourses and Practices of Hate', held at JRD Tata Auditourium, NIAS on June 16, 2017 07

NIAS PUBLIC LECTURES

PUBLIC LECTURES Complex Dynamics of the 'Simple' Nonlinear Pendulum June 28, 2017 Prof Ramesh Chand Member, NITI Aayog Prof Narendar Pani First Dadabhai Naoroji Lecture on Professor, NIAS Inequality Agricultural and Rural Sectors in India in a Changing World: Standing Firm Indian Economy: Issues Related to Growth or Fearing Change? and Inequality June 14, 2017 June 6, 2017 Dr. Shalini Dixit Assistant Professor, NIAS WEDNESDAY DISCUSSION MEETINGS Living Others' Histories with Our Memories: Identity, Social Conflict and Prof Janaki Balakrishnan Education Professor, NIAS June 7, 2017

Prof Narendar Pani Prof Ramesh Chand

Prof Janaki Balakrishnan Dr. Shalini Dixit 098

NIAS OUTREACH

NIAS Faculty Outreach

Prof Rajaram Nagappa

Member of the delegation led by Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) at the 2nd India-China Think Tanks Forum. He was also a panelist on Strategic Communication as well as on ICT and Innovation Policy, Beijing on 24-25 June 2016.

Prof Bhujanga Rao

Attended meeting on 'Frugal Innovation' arranged by INAE and NIRD at Hyderabad on 12 June 2017.

Attended a meeting at VTU and interacted with Vice Chancellor and about 60 Principals of VTU affiliated Engineering Colleges as part of Bangalore Chapter of INAE on 8 June 2017.

Attended a meeting at DEBEL, DRDO Lab at Bangalore on Human Clinical Trials of Indigenous Cochlear Implant on on 23 June 2017.

Prof Baldev Raj

Recieved Gujar Mal Modi Award 2017 for Innovative Science and technology by Gujar Mal Modi Science Foundation,

Delivered Welcome Address at “Science Comm’17 India: Simplifying Science for All”, organized by SWISSNEX-India, Consulate General of Switzerland and NIAS on 30 June 2017

Delivered Plenary Talk at the Two‐day Symposium on 11th National Frontiers of Engineering (NatFOE) at Indian Institute of Technology –Bombay, Mumbai, title: Challenges and Opportunities for Energy in India on 30 June 2017.

Attended as a Member, 8th Research Advisory Council (RAC) Meeting , NETRA Conference Room, Greater Noida, 27th June 2017

Chairman, Committee for Reviewing the outcome of the Centre for Knowledge Management of Nanoscience & Technology (CKMNT) Phase –I, International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy & New Materials (ARCI), Hyderabad, 21 June 2017. 09

NIAS OUTREACH

Attended as Member, 2nd Brainstorming meeting on “Emerging scenario for Nano- Electronics” under Chairmanship of Dr R Chidambaram, PSA to GoI to take into view, the opinion of experts and stakeholders for the next phase of R & D efforts, including the maintenance of the excellence already achieved, industry interaction and develop a road-map in this important field, 15 June 2017

Chaired Council of Scientific and Industrial Research CSIR- Recruitment & Assessment Board (RAB) Advisory Group meeting, CSIR Science Centre, New Delhi on 15 June 2017.

As Member attended the Meeting of Outcome Review of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Schemes and Subschemes under National Laboratories at CSIR-CLRI, , 14 June 2017.

Chairman, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research CSIR- Recruitment & Assessment Board (RAB) Advisory Group, New Delhi (2017-2019), 7 June 2017

Member of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) National Committee on Higher Education (2017-18)

Member, Committee of Life Time Achievement Award and Outstanding Achievement Award of ISRO Awards Scheme, ISRO, June 2 , 2017

Prof Srinivasa Ranganathan

Invited by the Editor of Resonance to bring out a Special Issue on Brahm Prakash Organize SERB School with Dept of Materials Engg and CPDM, IISc.

NIAS Heartily Welcomes

Dr KM Suresh, formerly Professor and Director (Museum), University, Hampi who joined NIAS for a period of 3 months as Visiting Professor under the IDH- Hampi Knowledge Bank Project conducted by Prof S Settar w.e.f. June 7, 2017.

Ms Pratheeba Vimalnath who joined NIAS as Research Associate under the NIAS- UNDP Policy Research Initiative on Inequality and Human Development Programme in the School of Social Sciences on June 5, 2017. 190

NIAS NATURE CONNECT

Pictures captured by : Bharath Chandra BK