H H1 H2 H4 H3 On the Cover The image on the cover represents a quantum wavefunction of a chaotic system and its symmetry decomposition. The quantum energy level fluctuations inform us about the degree of chaos in quantum systems. Without this decomposition, fluctuations hide the symptoms of chaos in quantum dynamics. Chaos is a dynamical property applicable to a range of situations, from the weather and solar system to even the stock market. Published in the journal Physical Review Research (2:032063(R)), this work from Prof. M.S. Santhanam's group studies chaos in quantum systems. Image Credit S. Harshini Tekur and M.S. Santhanam Correct Citation IISER Pune Annual Report 2019–20, Pune, India Published by Prof. Jayant B. Udgaonkar, Director Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune Dr. Homi J. Bhabha Road, Pashan, Pune 411 008, India T: +91 20 2590 8001 W: www.iiserpune.ac.in Compiling and Editing Dr. Shanti Kalipatnapu Dr. V.S. Rao Nikhil Kakade Nitin Kesharwani (Hindi Translation) Photographs Science Media Centre, IISER Pune Design Pixeleye Design, Pune Printing D2D Media & Events, Pune © No part of this publication should be reproduced without permission from the Director, IISER Pune at the above address ä INDIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH PUNE Annual Report 2019–2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS 06 Foreword 94 Conferences, Events, and Initiatives Conferences, Symposia, and Workshops 08 Director's Report Colloquia and Public Lectures News and Events 12 Governance International Relations Industry Partnerships and Endowments 15 Research Activities and Achievements Outreach Activities Research Report Publications and Patents 118 Support Structure Extramural Grants Awards and Honours 122 Accounts at a Glance Memberships and Affiliations Accounts at a Glance Balance Sheet 63 Academic Programmes Income and Expenditure Statement PhD Programme Integrated PhD Programme 126 Appendix BS-MS Programme Publications in 2019 Invited Lectures Academic Events Organised New Extramural Grants Received Fostering a culture of excellence and expanding the frontiers of knowledge, IISER Pune is at the forefront of training the next generation of scientists and informed citizens. IISER Pune is an autonomous teaching and research organisation of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (renamed as the Ministry of Education in August 2020), Government of India. IISER Pune offers undergraduate and graduate programmes in Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Climate Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, Mathematics, and Physics. Researchers at the Institute investigate a wide spectrum of topics in the basic sciences as well as in applied areas of research. The Institute is ranked 25 in the 2020 India Rankings of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF); 601- 800 in the 2020 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings; and is listed among the top 15 in India for research output by the 2020 Nature Index Tables. 6 FOREWORD We have been going through a surreal experience since the satisfying to both teacher and student. But we have no choice, lockdown started in March. Our campus then became a ghost and faculty members need to go out of their way to make online campus. With no students around us for the first time in our teaching as pleasant and fruitful an experience as possible lives, with no substantive work possible, with apprehensions for our students. With its requirement for good internet about our health, and with anxieties about our future, we connections and proper devices, online teaching is a logistical just about managed to remain sane. But, as a community, we challenge. Yet, it has to be done well. Its implementation must have to be proud that we kept the good health of all as the take into account the economic disparities in our society, as overriding priority. We can be proud that we were not selfish well as the poor electricity and internet connections in many and gave precedence to our own individual needs. For the parts of our country. Otherwise, the danger is that we will end Institute to continue to flourish for many years to come, we up increasing the gap between the economically and socially must give primacy to what is good for our institute over our privileged and unprivileged students. We must do all we can to own individual desires. The pandemic may just about have ensure an equitable education for all. Looking at the brighter taught us to do that. side of things, once our faculty members become more proficient in teaching online, it is likely that they will become We engaged ourselves in new activities, and there are more enthusiastic about developing online courses that will go lessons there too. A COVID-19 testing centre was set up on a beyond IISER to benefit the large multitude of students in the completely voluntary basis by faculty, students and staff. This country. has re-emphasized to us the importance of having an active program in infectious disease research. Faculty members and Our students, both undergraduate and graduate, have been staff developed a versatile ventilator. This made us realize that hit particularly hard by the pandemic. Our undergraduates we could very well develop other essential medical devices were transiting through some of the most enjoyable years of and instruments if we put our minds to it. Research programs their lives. Our PhD students were completing the toughest related to the treatment of COVID-19 have been started. We years of their education. For both, the future might look bleak now realize that it is not enough to just advertise the potential with the long break in their education and training. As their benefits of the research, as we do to attract funding. Instead, teachers and mentors, faculty members need to continue having started such work, we have to advance it right through to make sure that students see the light at the end of the to the translational stage. tunnel. While their formal acquisition of knowledge had a temporary break, education is much more than that. The goal The COVID-19 Task Force has done a marvelous job in of education is to make us live our lives in a more meaningful, planning and overseeing our preparations for bringing moral and enjoyable manner. In addition to learning through back students. It has put in a lot of hard work, and it and formal mentoring, our students must try and understand the Academic Office have had to deal continually with the life better through self-learning not just science, but history, idiosyncrasies and demands of individual faculty members. philosophy and the other humanities, and dare I say it, religion But they will soon have the satisfaction, as we all will, of seeing and spirituality. They must continue to sharpen the intellectual our campus fully re-populated with PhD students, and with and technological skills that they require to enrich their final year BS-MS students, by the end of October. In the past own lives and the lives of those around them. And they can many months, our staff in administration and engineering, have fun through engaging with family and friends, through and in housekeeping, security, canteen and gardening, have listening to music, through reading literature, and through managed, through their dedication and commitment, to give enjoying nature. We need to make our students understand our functioning a semblance of normalcy. We will need the that all this is important to qualify as an educated individual. cooperation and vigilance of the entire community to make sure that the policies and rules framed by the Task Force are implemented, as well as followed, strictly and meticulously, for our students’ and our own safety. Jayant B. Udgaonkar Director, IISER Pune Online teaching is a poor substitute for classroom teaching. October 6, 2020 The latter makes it so much easier for faculty members to ensure and gauge the learning outcome and can be so IISER PUNE ANNUAL REPORT 2019–20 7 Director's Report I am happy to present the Annual Report of the Institute for metal-based splitting of water and to B. Sandanaraj for the duration April 2019 to March 2020. for a process for the preparation of hydrophobin mimics; and an Indian patent to R.G. Bhat for synthesis of α, IISER Pune continued to do well. In the 2020 India β-unsaturated carboxylic acids and esters. Rankings of the National Institutional Ranking Framework by the MHRD, which considers all universities Our faculty members continued to garner extramural and national institutes, IISER Pune is ranked at the 25th funds. In the past year, the Institute managed a total position. of 172 extramural projects, and our faculty members secured 62 new projects. We had nine new faculty members join the institute in the past year. They were Ashna Bajpai and Tarun Two inter-institutional collaborative projects, that IISER Souradeep (Physics); Devapriya Chattopadhyay and Pune is part of, were formally launched during the Joy Merwin Monteiro (Earth and Climate Science); year: the Manav Human Atlas project, a collaboration Sunish Kumar Radhakrishnan and Mridula Nambiar between IISER Pune, Persistent Systems, and the (Biology); and Bejoy K. Thomas, Chaitra Redkar, and National Centre for Cell Science (on May 10, 2019); and Shalini Sharma (Humanities and Social Sciences). We the Pune Biotech Cluster, a joint initiative between the wish them the best, and we are sure they will do very NCCS and IISER Pune (on August 23, 2019). The DST well, for themselves and for the Institute. initiated the quantum enabled science and technology (QUEST) programme during the year and will fund 51 We now have 124 faculty members in our six projects across India; two of these projects are led departments. We also have 1511 students, with 973 BS- by research groups in the Physics department of the MS, 196 Integrated PhD, and 342 PhD students.