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From the heart

From the heart

Prof.Damodar Acharya, alumnus and former Director of IIT Kharagpur, was the invited guest of the Director, Prof. V.K. Tewari, at the 17th Annual Alumni Meet. He participated in the brainstorming session with three other former directors to contemplate on the future of the Institute. Prof. Acharya has decided to pay for the renovation of the two hostel rooms he occupied, first as an MTech student in 1970-72, and then during his PhD from 1972-75. KGP Chronicle talks to him about his decision and his thoughts on his alma mater. What prompted you to contribute to the renovation of the two…
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Around the Campus in 60 minutes…

Around the Campus in 60 minutes…

“How big is the campus, and how long would it take to see everything around?” asked an inquisitive voice. Pratyush Bansal, a 9th grade student from Global Indian International School, Singapore had come as a participant to IIT Kharagpur campus on the event of the Young Innovators Program 2019. Launched in 2017, the Young Innovators Program or YIP is in its third year with almost three times more participants from India and abroad. With more than a hundred students, the task of touring the 2100 acres campus within an hour was indeed a challenge. The day was windy with erratic…
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Every Frame Has a Story

Every Frame Has a Story

The office door creaked open and in walked a gentleman in a pink-purple striped shirt and grey trousers, with his laptop bag hung from over his right shoulder. It was 6:05 pm by the clock. Shyamal Biswas – the name was synonymous with photography, in the campus. He is an ace photographer with credits from the National Geographic. “My passion for photography goes back a long way. It accelerated after coming to IIT. I remember I just passed out of my 10th standard, and was awarded a national scholarship of Rs 300. I spent 150 rupees to buy a Snapper…
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Circle of reason

Circle of reason

It has been six years since Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, published her landmark book, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, and stirred the hornet’s nest. She not only raised questions about the severe dearth of women in leadership positions or their difficulties in the workplace, but she did something different – she asked women to question themselves about what they were doing to change the status quo and encouraged them to take charge. The book, and Sandberg’s NGO, LeanIn.org, have since caused a ferment of sorts, inspiring women, young and old, to be vocal about their…
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Life Beyond Academics

Life Beyond Academics

It was a tad difficult to hunt for a vacant seat at the Netaji Auditorium on the Friday eve. The only empty ones were those reserved for the Deans, Professors and panelists in the first row. Even those were partially taken up by some guilt-laden students who couldn’t manage a place for themselves and had to encroach on space designated for the Faculty. That there could be a flipside to an otherwise India’s premier academic Institute, was something newcomers were extremely curious about. Professor Anandaroop Bhattacharya, Associate Dean, International Affairs, took up the microphone to welcome a packed hall of…
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The Greenery and the Glory

The Greenery and the Glory

Pavel Karmanov, a Russian M.Sc. student of Geology and Geophysics at IIT Kharagpur, says that he wanders around among the campus greenery whenever he has time. He crosses his heart to swear how amazed he is by the verdure surrounding him. Given that Pavel hails from East Siberia, it is perhaps not surprising that he is quite taken in by IIT Kharagpur’s lush green surroundings. But Pavel is not alone. On even the most ordinary of days, it is impossible to be completely oblivious of the thick canopy over your head. If nothing else, you are thankful that it does…
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