The Competence Street

Volume 1, Issue 1

In this Issue Editors Design Credit Editorial Shankar Manoharan Animesh Kumar Singh From the ARC Kshema Prakash Preshit Ameta Alumnus in Focus Associate Editors The Shutterbug Student in Focus Manisha Kaler Research in Focus Mayank Maheshwari News & Highlights Shah Nisarg Anish

Editorial - The Road to Competence It has been a little over a year since the current Alumni Relations Committee (ARC) was constituted. Developing Competence is the mandate of the We have been mostly working behind the scenes with Institute. One of the visible outcomes of developing one goal: to ensure that you all remain connected with competence is the good performance of a graduate IIT Jodhpur. To ensure this, we have been actively during her/his career. Competence is developed in compiling and recording basic contact information of three directions, namely Attitude, Skill and Knowledge each Alumnus. (ASK). Attitude is a way of thinking or feeling about This year, we had the unexpected pleasure of something or someone. Skill is an ability and capacity hosting Mr. Ayush Raina, currently a Graduate Student acquired through deliberate, systematic and sustained in the Integrated Design Innovation Group at Carnegie effort to smoothly and adaptively carried out activities Mellon University. On a short notice, Ayush offered using ideas (cognitive skills), things (technical skills), valuable guidance on navigating career choices to our and/or people (interpersonal skills). And, Knowledge is current Students in an “Ask an Alumnus” session the human capability resulting from interpreted organized by the Student Volunteers of the ARC. information. A successful career needs all three of these three milestones to be actively engaged along on the road to competence. Applying a correct combination of these three characteristics, while performing the simplest or the most complicated tasks, demonstrates the competence of the person. The Institute is dedicated to set you on your path of Competence development. To remind you time and again, and to refocus our minds back to the road to Competence, IIT Jodhpur presents The Competence Street... a newsletter that stands as a regular reminder, each time you receive a copy of it from your Alma Mater, to find your way back the Road to Competence, just in case you got distracted… Kshema Prakash, Editor We also had a surprise visit by Tanmay Sethi, Yogesh Kumar Gupta, Vishwas Garg, Utkarsh Trivedi, From the Alumni Relations Committee Vasu Goenka and Sunita Pateer, all of them from the 2014 batch. It was fantastic to discuss their current Greetings from IIT Jodhpur! As the Chairman, career trajectories. The interest they expressed in Alumni Relations Committee, it is a pleasure to reach mentoring and offering career support to our current out to each one of you. Your Alma Mater has moved to Students was heartening. We exchanged our views on it’s award-winning and truly stunning permanent the potential activities that could be planned in campus in Karwar. I extend all of you a very warm collaboration and more importantly, the setting up of an welcome to visit the Institute and rekindle the nostalgia. IIT Jodhpur Alumni Association. We are now actively We had the pleasure of hosting a few of you in the past working with Alumni representatives, who are couple of months. I only request anyone, who is spearheading the effort to setup an association and planning to visit Jodhpur to send an email to actively engage with the Institute. [email protected] before your visit, so that we can plan for your visit to the campus and organize interactions with I do hope that this year will see many more such current Students. visits and trips down the memory lane. I’m sure that we

1 Volume 1, Issue 1 Machine Learning / Artificial Intelligence for Software Engineering. The idea is to use Machine Learning techniques to solve challenges in the domain of Software Engineering. We started with a case study on a large-scale services product within Microsoft and observed challenges that are bottlenecks at different stages right from coding stage to build, deployment, alerting, root-causing, etc. My work is mostly focused on the first stage where I try to come up with techniques to optimize test resources utilization and at the same time, maintaining the code quality. Prior to this, I have worked in the Bing-Ads team where my work was focused on improving the existing ad-click prediction techniques by taking into account the decorations/annotations added to the advertisement. I also worked on a research project to model the user behavior by using ‘time to first at the ARC will give you plenty of reasons to reconnect click’, dwell time data. with the Institute and with each other in the coming MM: What drives you to do what you do? days. I look forward to meeting you all soon. I wish each one of you only the very best in Life. SM: The fact that I like the work I do and my passion towards my work are the fuel that drive me every day to Shankar Manoharan, Editor work. Not everything is easy and perfect, there are Alumnus in Focus challenges at every step but if you change the perspective, those challenges become opportunities, This issue’s Alumnus in Focus is Sonu Mehta, and that drives me forward. I still feel like a student, Research Software Development Engineer (Machine learning new things every day at work and from Learning) at Microsoft, India. Sonu graduated at the top colleagues. The urge to learn new things drives me of her class from the Department of CSE at IITJ in forward. 2015. Our Associate Editor Mayank Maheshwari had a chat with Sonu to find out about her current work and MM: How has your experience at IITJ influenced the the journey to her current position. trajectory of your early career and life as such? SM: I had a memorable four years at IIT Jodhpur. It was a great learning experience which has helped me in both my professional and personal life. I miss those memorable four years spent at GPRA hostel where I met some very good friends who made the journey even more beautiful. I started my life as a student in Department of CSE at IITJ, admitted in the year 2011. With time, I explored different aspects of Computer Science and Engineering, with which my love and passion for the subject grew stronger. The curriculum prepared me really well to work with some of the greatest brains in the world while I was pursuing my Master's at Harvard University. When I was at IITJ, I did not realize that I was being groomed and moulded everyday but looking backwards, I am able to connect the dots! MM: What are the three things you would tell IITJ's current students who aspire to reach where you are today? SM: I feel like I still have a long way to go but I would like to share 3P’s formula that has helped a lot in every stage of my life. Be Passionate about what you Not everything is easy and perfect, there are are doing. Persevere for what you aspire. Be Patient. challenges at every step but if you change the Some good things take time but it is worth the wait! perspective, those challenges become Student in Focus opportunities, and that drives me forward : Life always keeps on surprising me. The previous Sonu Mehta, B. Tech., (CSE 2015) year was no exception. Who would have thought that a simple student like me would land an internship at one MM: Tell us a little bit about your research of the best labs in Spain? Yes, I had spent 2 months of at Microsoft. my summers interning at BISITE - a multi-disciplinary research lab at the 800 years old University of SM: Currently, I am working as a Research Software Salamanca. The fact that the problem I was working on Development Engineer at Microsoft Research. For the was related to the military felt so cool! past 6 months, I have been working on a project – 2 Volume 1, Issue 1 particular interest in designing of next-generation specialty optical fibers and study of light dynamics through such structures. Lately, the optical communication has revolutionized the mode of information exchange and optical fiber plays the key role. To meet the ever-increasing demand of signal bandwidth and their long distance propagation is only possible due to the simple and interesting light guides. One of my research students is involved in designing the new class of optical fiber to deliver high optical power over long distance for possible medical and defense applications. Whereas one of my group members is exploiting device application of “singular points” of light in optical waveguides for integrated photonic applications. We are also exploring a new optical device called “random laser” in our group which is brighter than “conventional lasers”. They can even be used in projectors and image transport systems. Also, For a student, I believe the most important help we have keen interest in ultra-sensitive fiber optic is to provide a platform to achieve what he / she sensors. wants : Vishesh Mistry, 4th Year B.Tech. (CSE) My mentor, Dr. Juan Corchado, was at that time M: What do you think is your main motivation to working on identifying terror suspects from Twitter who pursue your research questions? were related to radical groups such as ISIS, GD, etc. SG: The driving force of our team effort in The title Deep transfer learning for the detection of photonics research at IITJ is the specific and next- radical groups' iconography in real-world Images with generation applications. At IITJ we explore the only one reference image summarizes my work in a fundamental understanding of light through different nutshell. To briefly explain, we trained several deep photonic media and implement these findings to meet neural networks to detect the logos of radical groups in various challenges of the state-of-the-art photonic real life images. We also compared them to the industry. Moreover, the curiosity, thrust for innovation, performance of traditional feature detectors (SIFT, shape our research activity. SURF, rSIFT, AKAZE, ORB, etc.) Our main challenge was adapting the deep networks to the artificial dataset M: Can you name a few areas, where your work that we created. As of now, we are in the process of would be applicable in the long run? publishing our work in a Q1 rated journal. SG: In terms of research and development, I have For a student, I believe the most important help is to worked closely with one of the fiber manufacturers in provide a platform to achieve what he / she wants. IIT the country to meet a specific need. Presently, we focus Jodhpur has provided me with numerous opportunities our work for possible applications in defense, starting from the many club activities to the interview spectroscopy, medical surgery, communication, preparation for internships. In all, IITJ has made me a sensing, and image transport. much better person than who I was when I joined the M: What has been your biggest achievement for you Institute. Currently, I am preparing myself for GRE with as a researcher? a plan to do my Masters in the field of Deep Learning from a top-notch university. Since life has been SG: There are two specific developments which inexplicably kind to me, I want to express my come into my mind in this context. Firstly, I had gratefulness by actually making a difference in this designed a new class of optical fiber and optimized for world. My goal in life is to do something that will matter to someone. At IITJ we explore the Research in Focus fundamental understanding of Photonics is the science of light. Having applications light through different in diverse fields like communication, computing, medicine and defense, this emerging domain aspires to photonic media and implement revolutionize these fields by enhancing efficiency and these findings to meet various reducing costs. Professor Somnath Ghosh, Assistant challenges of the state-of-the- Professor, Department of Physics, IIT Jodhpur, is engaged in research on photonics and its applications. art photonic industry : Our Associate Editor Manisha spoke to Professor Professor Somnath Ghosh, Somnath Ghosh about his research, its applications and his achievements in the area. Assistant Professor, M: Can you please explain what your research fabrication, which was later fabricated in one of the interests are? DRDO laboratories. Eventually, that particular fiber has SG: At IITJ, I have been involved in research in the been used as a part of the fiber-optic gyroscope domain of fiber optics and photonics. I have the (sensor) in missiles. In another occasion, I had an 3 Volume 1, Issue 1 opportunity to work closely to design another special 8. Virasat 2019, a SPIC MACAY festival to celebrate fiber for fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) applications. our rich cultural heritage was held between 26 and 30 March. Eminent artistes graced the occasion with M: What do you have to say to IITJ Alumni and enticing performances and also held training workshops Students who wish to pursue a career in photonics for students. research? 9. The Institute celebrated the International Women’s SG: Photonics is an emerging technology and day in an event organized by the Women Cell. Ms. technology for the future generation. Moreover, it is a Nisha Johari, Director of Marketing and Product clean technology. I realize that it has much scope for Development, Johari Digital Healthcare Ltd., Jodhpur research and development, to meet the challenges of graced the occasion and shared her journey as a future, data-hungry communication links. The optical woman entrepreneur. communication system is the backbone of any developed economy. Hence, it has a lot of opportunities 10. IIT Jodhpur organized it’s first Tech Expo on 11 in the front of job creation. The students, who have April 2019. Several exciting technology project skills in photonics will have better employment demonstrations were carried out by our Students. Some opportunities. In the near future Engineering Optics will star attractions included a Parkinson’s disease tremor be a cutting-edge technology. management device, a self-balancing robot, a wearable gaming console and a smart-city enabler. News & Highlights 11. As a part of the World IP day celebrations, the 1. Professor Santanu Chaudhury has assumed charge Institute organized a two-day workshop on IP as Director, IIT Jodhpur on 10 December 2018. Landscaping for Technology Development. The Professor Chaudhury is from the Department of workshop featured extremely engaging lectures by Electrical Engineering, IIT Delhi. Professor Prabuddha Ganguli, Advisor, VISION-IPR, 2.The Master plan of IIT Jodhpur’s permanent campus Mumbai has been awarded 5 star rating by the Green Rating for 12. IIT Jodhpur along with IIIT Allahabad will be Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) Council under organizing the 11th International Conference GRIHA LD V1 category. on Intelligent Human Computer Interaction (IHCI 2019) 3. Commemorating the completion of 10 successful between 12th and 14th December 2019. years since the inception of IIT Jodhpur, the Institute 13. Beginning July 2019, the Institute will offer M.Tech.- has setup a Decennial Lecture Series by eminent Ph.D. dual degree programs in various interdisciplinary innovators. Dr. Tapan Misra, Distinguished areas. Scientist, Former Director, Indian Space Research Organisation, Ahmedabad, Dr. Anurag Agrawal, Director, CSIR Institute of Genomics & Integrative Biology (IGIB), New Delhi and Dr. Sharmila Mande, Chief Scientist and Head, Bio sciences R and D, TCS innovation labs, Pune have delivered captivating lectures as part of this series. 4. The Department of Mathematics has organized a National Workshop on Intelligent Multimodal Interfaces on 9 and 10 March 2019. 5. IIT Jodhpur has partnered with NVIDIA to launch of the Centre for Next Generation AI Research (AINEXT). The Institute has signed an MoU with NVIDIA as a key technology and computing platform partner. 6. IIT Jodhpur has signed an MoU with the CSIR - Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR- IGIB), New Delhi, on 26 February 2019. This MoU is aimed at nurturing joint efforts towards education, advancement of research and product development. 7. Ignus 2019 was organized between 21 and 24 February with great enthusiasm and fervor. The technofest with several technical competitions and star- studded events was attended by representations from various institutions near and far.

We want to hear from YOU ! Want to be featured in one of our in Focus columns or know someone who should be featured as one? The Competence Street invites submissions from IITJ Alumni, Students, Department Heads and Faculty Members for it’s in-Focus columns. Please eMail your submissions to [email protected]. We prefer to publish technical and exceptionally written non-technical columns. Feedback on and responses to published columns may be sent to [email protected] 4