Director IIT Kharagpur – The KGP Chronicle

Dr. Virendra K Tewari, Director, IITKGP hounoured with Special Recognition of the Year Award 2021 by Agriculture Today Group

IIT KGP takes immense pride and honour in congratulating Prof. Virendra Kumar Tewari, Director, IIT Kharagpur for being conferred with the Special Recognition of the Year Award 2021 by Agriculture Today Group in the 3^rd Apollo Farm Power Awards 2021. He was acknowledged for his exemplary contribution to the growth and development of agricultural mechanization in India. Prof. Tewari participated in the award ceremony through video conferencing. Agriculture Today conducted the 3^rd APOLLO Farm Power Awards 2021 on Wednesday, 20th October at Crystal Ball Room, The Lalit, Connaught Place, New Delhi. Distinguished Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Dr Trilochan Mohapatra graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Agriculture Today Group has been in the forefront in bridging the gaps, influencing policies, creating business networks and recognizing achievers. To extend due recognition to the role models of farm mechanizations in India, they have taken this initiative to accolade the achievers.

Prof. Tewari’s core research areas comprises of Tractor System Design, Ergonomics and Industrial Safety, Design of Agricultural Machines, Precision Agriculture and Machinery System Management. Among his key research projects, special mention should be attributed to the Centre of Excellence for Digital Farming Solutions for Enhancing Productivity by Robots, Drones and AGV’s National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP). Several projects by the Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Ministry of Agriculture and Farming Welfare, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Govt. of India, are thriving under his competent leadership.

His rich and varied exposure in the area of Ergonomics and Safety Engineering for systems safety in different manufacturing shops including different Mine projects in Tata Steel, Jamshedpur from 2003 to 2013 along with collaborative research with several Tractor Industries in Chennai, Mumbai and Pune augmented the scope of convergence for farm technologies. Other noteworthy acclaims include his contribution in the field of Tea Engineering with Tea Companies like Duncan’s Agro & Williams and Magor Pvt. Ltd. in the design and development of Tea Machinery.

Conferred with several awards and accolades by the Indian Society of Agricultural Engineers, the Indian Society for Technical Education, National Research Development Corporation,Jawaharlal Nehru Award, Jawaharlal Nehru Award for his exemplary contributions in the field of agricultural mechanization, Prof Tewari has always solicited technological advancement in agriculture modernization and its implementations in the Indian Agro Industry.

On receiving the award, Prof Tewari shared some of his insights on the subject matter pointing out that with new scientific break-throughs made in one field, new evidence of progress is certainly to be seen in the related fields. He said that the developing countries tend to design their own strategies in food security given the challenges they face in all aspects of their economy including feeding a growing population, reducing poverty, protecting the environment, managing the effects of climate change and fighting malnutrition. With the help of appropriate technologies, sustainable agricultural development with food security should be a primary concern considering the country’s specific climate as well as political and economic conditions to present development-oriented policies for achieving sustainable food security based on agricultural mechanization that may be adaptable.

He added that to achieve the objective of a self-sustaining agricultural mechanization strategy, a SWOT analysis technique should be used to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and help us provide a framework by which policies can be defined. He concluded saying that despite the impact of agricultural mechanization on the agricultural production process, due to the lack of comprehensive research on the extent of the effect of mechanization components on the production and its fields of application, there were always differences of opinion and doubts about the role of mechanization in the agricultural sector. This has prevented the stabilization and improvement in agricultural mechanization in the agricultural sector and even the other sectors of the industry and services in developing countries.

Content Writer:- Poulami Mondal, Digital & Creative Media Executive (Creative Writer)

Contact: Paramita Dey, Junior Assistant

Email: media@iitkgp.ac.in, Ph. No.: +91-3222-282004

IITKGP Cares

IIT Kharagpur Donates Rs. One Crore to PM Cares Fund

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IIT Kharagpur has donated Rs. one crore to the PM Cares Fund of Govt. of India following a call by Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi in support of initiatives to combat COVID-19. Keeping in mind the need for having a dedicated national fund with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation, like posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide relief to the affected, a public charitable trust under the name of ‘Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund’ (PM CARES Fund)’ has been set up.

IIT Kharagpur launched a campaign amongst its faculty and staff members to donate their one day’s salary towards this fund. The Institute has raised Rs. one crore from the faculty, staff and other sources of the Institute which has already been transferred to the PM Cares Fund.

“We had proposed to contribute towards this fund and circulated a form through which all employees of IIT Kharagpur can voluntarily donate towards this national fund through an institutional mechanism. I am glad to see people have come forward in large numbers and within a week we have been able to pledge the amount. We have communicated the same to the Ministry of Human Resources Development as well,” remarked Prof. Virendra Tewari, Director, IIT Kharagpur.

The Institute has also been approached by some alumni from the USA to set up a temporary fund in order to sustain and support for a period of 6 months, the needy people in and around the campus who have been severely affected economically due to COVID-19. While various government and non-government bodies are catering to the food supply of these sections of the community, there is a constant and urgent need for supplying them personal protective equipment or PPE gears for essential service providers, cleaning materials for needy people at large.

Talking about initiatives taken by IIT Kharagpur, Director Tewari further said, “We have set up regulations regarding social distancing, staggered hours for accessing public utility and essential services, accommodation for workers engaged in essential services, maintenance, halls of residence, security. Entry and exit to the campus has also been restricted to only one gate with security and health checks. We are ensuring nobody crosses the campus boundaries unless it is for a necessary activity that too not on a daily basis and not without surveillance and sanitization. The safety of our students, our people is our priority and I am glad every person on campus is cooperating with the administration in making this lockdown successful. I am positive people elsewhere in the country too would adhere to government regulations.”

The Institute is currently residence to about 5500 students and even a higher number of other community members comprising employees and their families.

In the photo: Akshat Jain, 3rd year, AGFE

“The administrative body of the Institute has been issuing notifications/circulars at regular intervals to communicate mandatory practices to be followed by the campus residents be they in the hostels or in family quarters as per MOWFA, Govt of India, Home Ministry and Govt of West Bengal guidelines and advisories issued from time to time,” said Registrar Prof. Bhrigu Nath Singh.

The Institute has already preponed the summer recess by more than a month and also issued a revised academic calendar, confirmed Registrar Prof. Singh. It has also procured a large number of licenses of online platforms through teaching and learning can be continued in electronic mode without any interruption.

Combating COVID

IIT Kharagpur’s Combat against COVID19

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As the world is battling CoronaVirus, universities suspending their academic and select other activities, in one corner of Eastern India, the world renowned institute is giving fillip to the combat against COVID-19. The oldest and largest IIT and its stakeholders on the campus are contributing through a wide range of initiatives to continue helping students with their course work, increase public awareness about CoronaVirus pandemic and create resources to boost health and hygiene. Whether they be at the laboratories creating much needed solutions or socially distanced students seeking meaningful engagement or faculty and staff exploring alternate mode of teaching and learning, IIT Kharagpur is exhibiting its unique creative energy and cautious optimism at this crucial time demanding our endurance and responsible behaviour.

Health Outreach Projects

Recently Vision Prabaho, a twenty-member student group from IIT Kharagpur, found special mention in the social media post by Shri Sanjay Dhotre, Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Communications and Electronics and Information Technology. The group had translated the precautionary advisory issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) in eleven Indian languages.

Biswaroop Mondal, one of the students from the group said, “An astounding billion plus people are conversing in regional languages. We thought it would be imperative to help increase the reach through messages in vernacular languages. We have translated the advisory issued by WHO in Assamese, Bengali, Odiya, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Kashmiri and Hindi. We are trying to incorporate more editions of the video in other regional languages.”

In another initiative, four researchers are carrying out a study titled ‘Travel During COVID-19 Outbreak: Behaviour, Impact, and Interventions’ to increase public awareness and perceptions about travel and social distancing. They are collecting public inputs to understand diverse insights and create a sense of preparedness. The researchers include Dr. Saurabh Dandapat, Dr. Kinjal Bhattacharyya, Annam Sai Kiran and Kaustubh Saysardar.

Hygiene Facilitation

Further to this, a research group is also working towards developing a hand sanitizing solution independently following WHO guidelines. The Transport section of the Institute has also prepared a hand sanitizer for internal use and hygiene. Read More

“The campus hospital is also exploring the procurement of washable masks designed and manufactured locally to ensure safety during unavoidable social and limited professional interactions. The administrators have been practicing social distancing themselves and encouraging the practice among the staff and students,” said Director Prof. Virendra Kumar Tewari.

Alternative Academics

It may be mentioned in this regard that restricted travel and social distancing have been repeatedly advised by healthcare practitioners and has been a key component in the address by the Prime Minister on March 19. But the social distancing goes beyond health and hygiene.

“While academic activities remain suspended until March 31, students are being facilitated through existing and newly acquired e-learning platforms,” added Prof. Tewari.

The Institute already offers a wide range of course lectures on digital platforms such as MOOCs, Swayam, and DTH platform Swayam Prabha. Students can access these with a high-speed internet connection from anywhere in the world.

“Since the pronouncement of the suspension of classes, the Center for Education Technology has acquired a large number of WebEx licenses from CISCO for conducting classes from 2nd-year undergraduate courses upto postgraduate level. First-year classes are being conducted through YouTube Live. More than 40 faculty members are already taking classes using these e-learning facilities. We are further discussing with Zoom to facilitate interactive online teaching,” said Shib Sankar Das from the Centre.

Prof. Jeevanjyoti Chakraborty who recently conducted a lecture on Mechanics reported more than 1500 viewers for his lecture on YouTube of which 450 were live viewers.

Talking about his experience Prof. Chakraborty said, “the teaching community is new to managing technicalities while recording lectures. The e-learning which we have been using until now was done at studios and there is technical staff to work through the logistics. The Institute’s stepping up the YouTube Live facility has enabled the faculty to concentrate on the teaching part instead of being concerned with the technical aspects of recording and streaming.”

He also mulled over the flipped classroom and active learning strategies wherein students can listen to recording course lectures prior to the scheduled online class and interact more regarding their queries on the topic.

Virtual Campus Outreach

In a novel initiative to give the mind rest from the flow of news and discussions regarding COVID19, the students of IIT Kharagpur and those studying in schools on the campus are being encouraged to engage creatively especially the occasion of Earth Day which is scheduled on April 22. The Govt. of India has been actively promoting it for the past few years. The Branding and Communications Cell under the aegis of the Dean International Relations, IIT Kharagpur has launched an online competition and exhibition (Drawing/Painting, Poster, Photo Story and Video) in electronic mode, extensively using social media platforms to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Earth Day. While the themes would primarily include Climate Change, Sustainable Use of Natural Resources, Pollution, Biodiversity, it would also include themes such as Disaster Management, Hygiene & Cleanliness. (Click Here to Know More)

“The Institute is gearing up for a digitized celebration of Earth Day which is scheduled on April 22 with the optimism of a better tomorrow,” remarked Director Tewari.

“We are among the first in India to strategize an online celebration of Earth Day which is otherwise marked with large public gatherings, environmental events and activism,” stated a staff member.

Gearing Up for March 22

The Institute is also gearing up for the moment of gratitude and solidarity with those sections of the community who have been serving the campus diligently during the COVID pandemic.

Following the message of PM Narendra Modi, Director Tewari confirmed that the community will take part in the solidarity clap with the staff engaged in essential services such as healthcare, security, hostel mess, sanitation, electricity etc. along with the defenders of the nation on these fronts.

Happiness Run : The 2.2 Marathon

12^th January 2020, 6:30 AM. Technology Students’ Gymkhana was bubbling with some 100-150 students, both past and present. A very unusual scene, especially on a Sunday morning. Packets of Glucon-D were being constantly poured and mixed into 20-litre water jars. T-shirts were being distributed and students were seen warming themselves up. It was indeed a big day. Each had to complete the 2.2 Marathon beating the rest to win the coveted title of a Marathoner.

The 17^th Annual Alumni Meet of 2020 saw a host of IIT Kharagpur’s ‘young’ bunch, aged 18 years to almost 68 years gear up for their favorite sport – the 2.2 Marathon. The Director, Prof. V.K. Tewari, was also present to encourage the students and participate in the run that was to start and end at Gymkhana with the distribution of prizes and a complimentary snack. By 7:10 AM, the runners had settled themselves on the starting line. The marathon began with the sound of the clapstick.

Prof V. K. Tewari, Director IIT Kharagpur flags off the Marathon

Within 40 minutes, a few contenders, both alumni and current students were back at the Gymkhana. Visibly tired and taking deep breaths, they settled down for others to finish and gather at the venue for prize distribution. “Alumni-students interaction is a big, big thing,” said Prof. Tewari, Director, IIT Kharagpur, taking to the microphone. “They are a support system for one another. If you do not turn up today for your seniors, you should never complain if your juniors do not turn up years later when you visit the campus,” he added. He himself had completed 4.1 km a couple of years back, and seemed highly enthusiastic about sports. This time again, he made sure to complete 2.2 km without a pause. He thanked the Gymkhana members, its officials and all students who made the initiative possible.

“It is really refreshing. It is bringing back a whole new rush of memories of the place. We used to run loops around Jnan Ghosh Stadium almost every evening. That was a kind of ritual for me from 1991 to 1995. I find the campus beautiful. I came here for the first time in 25 years. I couldn’t resist the temptation of visiting my second home after so many years. I flew down from Atlanta as soon as I received the invitation,” remarked Mr. Kartik Ramakrishnan, Senior Vice President at Capgemini, Atlanta. His fitness quotient was proven when he bagged the second position among the alumni in the 2.2 marathon.

The winner of the marathon among the alumni was Mr. Amitabh Ghule, Director at Thames Capital, London, UK, who “wouldn’t have come had I been a student. Honestly!” he added tongue-in-cheek.

“It is a wonderful initiative. I’m impressed by the number of students and my batchmates who turned up this early, given that we had a blast till the wee hours of the morning,” said Mr. Ramakrishnan who came second, followed by Mr. Praful Agarwal, fondly called ‘Uncleji’ by his batchmates. “My passion for fitness helped me shed 20 extra kilos and follow a healthy lifestyle,” he said.

Among students, Satendra Sangwan a PG student from the Department of Physics took the first place. He was followed by Lt. Col. Ganesh Chawla, a Defence Sponsored UG candidate at the Department of Electrical Engineering, for whom this marathon was “just another morning run”.

The third place was taken by Tushar Kshirsagar, a UG first year student of Aerospace Engineering, who confessed turning up “just for the T-shirt”. His honesty was greeted with loud cheer, whistles and claps from the gathering. Karan Atariya, a post-graduate student of the Electrical Engineering Department bagged the fourth position

“It is extremely inspirational to find the Director participating in the run along with the students. During our time here, we could never expect anything like this. I hope this continues for the coming years. It brings a kind of fluidity and makes things easier between the students and the higher authorities,” said Mr. Ajit Kumar Alok, a 1995 alumnus, and currently a senior official of the Indian Railways.

Talking about the happiness index involved in a marathon, Prof. Saamdu Chhetri of IIT Kharagpur’s Rekhi Centre for the Science of Happiness, said that he feels that a marathon like this should not be competitive, but be “cohesive” instead. “In an event like the Annual Alumni Meet, where the alumni have come together to relive old memories and enjoy to the fullest, instead of competing against one another, it would have been wonderful had they held their hands together and completed this marathon. There’s a beautiful African saying which says, if you want to go far, go together; if you want to go fast, go alone. It is a wonderful initiative by the Institute to bring together the current batches along with their predecessors,” said Prof. Chhetri.

Prof. Priyadarshi Patnaik, Head, Rekhi Centre for the Science of Happiness also spoke on the lines of Prof. Chhetri. He pointed out that the marathon was a good opportunity to discuss with both past and current students and find out how transformation can take place.

The event ended with the past and present students exchanging pleasantries, sharing the morning snack and hooting loudly, “KGP ka tempo high hai”.

Pictures courtesy: Student Alumni Cell

From the Desk of the Director

Prof. Virendra Kumar Tewari, faculty member and former Head of the Dept. of Agricultural and Food Engineering has been appointed as the Director of Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur effective from December 31, 2019, for a period of five years.

Brief Bio:

Prof. Tewari grew up a campus boy and went on to become an alumnus of the Institute. He completed B.Tech. (Hons.) in Agricultural and Food Engineering from IIT Kharagpur in 1979, M.Tech. in Farm Machinery and Power Engineering in 1981 and Ph.D. in Engineering in 1985.

Prof. Tewari joined the Institute as a faculty member in 1990 where he rose to the rank of Professor in Farm Machinery and Power Engineering in the Dept. of Agricultural and Food Engineering. He was associated with JEE from 2003 – 2006 and was the All India Organizing Committee Chairman of JEE from 2005 – 2006. Many of his pioneering initiatives such as the design of question papers are being followed even now.

Prof. Tewari’s core research areas include Tractor system design, Ergonomics and industrial safety, Design of agricultural machines, Precision agriculture and Machinery system management. Among his key research projects, the Centre of Excellence for Digital Farming Solutions for Enhancing Productivity by Robots, Drones and AGVs National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP) deserves special mention. In addition, he is leading several projects by Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Ministry of Agriculture and Farming Welfare, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Govt. of India.

Prof. Tewari has been conferred with several awards accolades by Indian Society of Agricultural Engineers, Indian Society for Technical Education, National Research Development Corporation. To name a few ISI Gold Medal, Jawaharlal Nehru Award for his contributions in the field of agricultural mechanization.

In a brief interaction, Director Tewari shared his vision about IIT Kharagpur for the next five years.

His Vision:

The foremost initiative would be to form an advisory committee comprising former Directors of IIT Kharagpur. The panel would advise the administrative body on various issues which will be the top focus areas in the coming five years.

“The aim is to involve all stakeholders and we shall also engage with alumni, students, faculty, staff members and other associates in this endeavour,” he asserted.

Among the thrust areas which will immediately be under consideration are institutional ranking, water consumption management, waste management, rural development projects, technology commercialization and cultural exchange among students within the Institute and beyond.

Dwelling on the issue of institutional ranking Director Tewari said, “Our goal should be to compete with the top ten universities in the world to climb the ladder of global ranking. However, institutional ranking is a sum reflection of holistic performance and impact created by any higher educational institution. The past Directors’ advisory group will engage extensively towards this goal.”

“The alignment with projects funded under national mission schemes like Unnat Bharat Abhiyan, will be reviewed,” remarked the Prof. Tewari.

Research Focus:

IIT Kharagpur has been a leader in the area of rural technology innovation and livelihood development. We have not only developed technologies in our domain but also trained farmers and associated workforce towards the implementation of technologies. Further, the Department of Agricultural and Food Engineering had been conducting skill development workshops for economic empowerment in several other areas under the Rural Development Centre and Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Park.

In similar lines, the Director has been mulling on a strategy to deliver market-ready innovative products and processes by every academic unit. The goal of this initiative would be to mentor student entrepreneurs and create a pathway for technologies from lab to land.

The Campus

The 2100 acre which resembles self-sustained mini-township has been aspiring for self-reliance in water and electricity consumption.

Director Tewari said, “We have the Kangsabati river in the neighbouring region which can be a direct source of our freshwater requirement. We will be completing a project to create another direct pipeline from the river. Further to this we are reviewing the management of solid and other forms of waste including e-waste to align with the environmental norms of Govt. of India and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Several of our faculty members who are working in these areas will be consulted to develop avenues of a waste management system which will not only be at par with global methods but also suited for Indian conditions.”

The Institute has undertaken concrete steps towards restricting the use of single-use plastic.

People of IIT KGP:

On the front of human resources on the campus, last week the Director met the non-teaching staff of the Institute. Quick decision-making at the level of the staff member and managing activities and challenges with a people-centric approach were two key points discussed during my address to the non-teaching staff members of the Institute today.

In his first address to the faculty members at IIT Kharagpur, the emphasis was on the individual strength of each faculty member be it innovation and market-oriented research or excelling in teaching and learning methods or industry outreach.

He said, “teaching and learning methodologies constantly need to be reinvented through recognition of faculty members excelling in teaching and evolving the new pedagogy to suit changing needs and attitudes of students.”

“To strengthen our teaching and learning at the departmental level we should take better advantages of initiatives like GIAN and Professor of Practice to boost expertise from industry and abroad. Of course, we would first have to build the required infrastructure needed to host them,” he added.

Talking about student interaction and improving relations with the student community, the Director suggested devising creative ways through personal and informal interaction at hostels and beyond the usual platforms of teacher-student interactions.

Outreach

To strengthen student interactions the Institute will give a significant boost to the cultural exchange through the ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’ program with extending its scope to nearby areas in the Railways and Kalaikunda airbase. Outreach to corporate houses and schools and programmes on a larger scale and efforts will be formulated to help the last man of the society.

54th Inter IIT Sports Meet Flags Off at IIT Kharagpur

IIT Kharagpur, 15^th December: IIT Kharagpur flagged off its 54^th Inter IIT Sports Meet on 14^th December 2019. The nine-day event is co-hosted by IIT Bhubaneswar with more than 2600 students participating from 23 IITs.

The mega event held at IIT KGP is witnessing tough competition across eight games – Athletics, Basketball, Chess, Cricket, Football, Hockey, Lawn Tennis and Weightlifting while IIT Bhubaneswar is hosting four events – Volleyball, Badminton, Table Tennis and Squash. Tyra, the Royal Bengal Tigress is the mascot for the 54^th Inter IIT Sports Meet 2019.

Prof Sriman Kumar Bhattacharya, Director, IIT Kharagpur and Chief Patron of the 54^th Inter IIT Sports Meet remarked on Brand IIT’s achievement in both academics and all-round ability of the students in diverse aspects and areas that sets IITs apart from other institutes. Students are the brand ambassadors and the onus is on them to keep their brand name high, he said.

12 distinguished sportspersons from KGP campus, took to lighting the torch for the ceremony. Former Skipper of Indian Women’s Cricket Team, Jhulan Goswami sent across her best wishes to the participants via voice message, saying, “I would like to congratulate all the participants who have come here today, and are going to perform. I extend my best wishes to you all, and once again, from the bottom of my heart. I shall come next time and spend some quality time with you people.” The event will be graced by sports stars like former cricket captains Kapil Dev and Sourav Ganguly, swimming champion Bula Choudhary and para swimmer Prasanta Karmakar among others.

Inter IIT Sports Meet started in 1961 with IIT Bombay as the first host. With the increasing number of participants, the number of disciplines in the games have also increased over the years. This year, chess has been added as a competitive event. Squash for girls has also been added as a demo event.

IIT Kharagpur has completely renovated its Sports Facilities. A new synthetic track has been built at the Jnan Ghosh Stadium. New floodlights have been also installed both at the Stadium and the Tata Steel Sports Complex. The tennis and basketball courts have been given an all-new look.

The competition has started taking shape right from day one with the march past following the flag hoisting ceremony. IIT-ISM Dhanbad secured first place in the event. Prof Rajeev Shekhar, Director, IIT-ISM Dhanbad, hoped the participants would compete with the never-dying fighting spirit.

The opening ceremony was celebrated by several professional performances including rhythmic yoga performance by Majida Khatun, second runners-up for Rhythmic Yoga at the Under-17 category for 2019 National School Games, football juggling by Amit Biswas, a young football juggler, with speech and hearing impairment and a medley of folk songs and dances across all states of India, ending with the anthem of Atletico-De-Kolkata.

Pictures – Click KGP, Inter IIT Sports Meet Facebook Page

Evolution of Office Automation – A Personal Experience

“I was a naïve, confused 21-year old when I joined IIT Kharagpur in 1982 through an open advertisement. Having appeared for a three-step test which included written, typing and interview, my first posting was at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences. By 25, I graduated to the secretarial post from clerical cadre by clearing set of internal examinations.

It was the time when predecessors of computers ruled office work.

What am I talking of? Typewriters.

Typewriters manufactured by companies like Remington, Godrej, Halda and Facit , were mostly used in this Institute for preparing a typed document. Carbon papers were used for making 3-4 copies of the same.

Guess what was the most challenging part of typing? Manual correction.

You had to have an eye for detail, coupled with skilled mental calculation ability for adjusting the paper and roller of the typewriter. We used correcting fluid for correction.

In case of an examination or a seminar / workshop, multiple copies of a single document were required. This involved manual typing on Kores Stencil papers. These stencil papers were fitted on the inked roller of a Gestetner Cyclostyling machine. Papers were placed on its tray.

A stencil paper was a combination of a translucent type paper on the top and carbon paper below and thereafter a hard cover on which the impression of the typed matter could be seen. While typing, the translucent paper got perforated by strokes of the letters of the typewriter and thereafter when placed on inked roller of the Cyclostyling machine the impression got printed on the copying papers. Around 1984 or so, a small black and white photocopier machine was added as office equipment.

Possibly by the end of 80’s the Rural Development Centre was given two desktop PCs mainly for students and faculty members. So, when in 1986 I was posted there, I touched a keyboard for the very first time! Slowly, students there, helped me learn this whole new technology. As far as I remember, MS-DOS was the operating system and WordStar and Chi were typing programs.

Six years later, I was posted at Materials Science Centre. Besides manual typewriters there, a Network Electronic typewriter was inducted sometime later. This had a display screen and the option to correct a typed document by an internally fed Eraser. The storage capacity of this electronic typewriter, however, was very less. Sometime around 1996, a desktop PC with a deskjet printer was installed in the office. My joy knew no bounds! I practically started learning the nuances of the computer from then on. Manual and electronic typewriters gradually faded out with the induction of computers at the Institute.

My journey in administrative sections started in 2006 when I was posted at the Director’s Office where I stepped into a new world of technology. Here, I learnt to use the scanner, fax machine and network connected photocopiers. The colour printer and colour photocopier with a scanner are the recent add-ons to a modern approach to office automation.

The Director’s Office maintains a computer registered filing system with a unique file code which helps locating a document kept in a coded file. Simultaneously, we also keep a hard copy of the same document in physical files, like previously.

Talking of evolution of office automation, IIT Kharagpur has developed the unique ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system which is the most significant part of office automation across the Institute. e-Office is also an added advantage.

So you see, with over three decades of service, I have witnessed the evolution of office automation from a very close proximity. I have had the scope of working from typewriters to computers. Today’s GenY might not have even heard of a manual typewriter leave alone working on it. However, at the same time I feel they are more fortunate as they are exposed to sophisticated gadgets of office automation from a very early age.

Tell me honestly, have you seen a typewriter?’’

Deshla hits the road

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IIT Kharagpur lived up to the ‘Make in India’ challenge by launching Deshla, prototype of a fully indigenous next-gen electric auto, on September 11. The vehicle was designed and built from scratch by Electric Vehicle Group (EVG) of the Institute. Deshla, when commercialized, is bound to give the makers of both Totos (e-rickshaws) and autos a run for their money for the rare combination it has been able to produce.

With its powerful motor, lithium ion battery that can last up to 6-7 years, high load carrying capacity, sturdy frame and yet easy manoeuvrability, Deshla is a better option than diesel-guzzling, polluting autos and even the flimsy and high-maintenance Totos. It is not only clean and green, but it also steals a march on both when it comes to the issues of safety, reliability, performance, and comfort.

Why is Deshla a better option in every way? Here’s how.

Battery: It uses lithium-iron-phosphate batteries that last for 6-7 years. Totos have lead acid batteries that have a life cycle of 9-10 months at the most and need to be replaced at a cost of Rs 20,000-25,000 every time. Deshla’s batteries are more expensive but given their long life, it gains in the cost-benefit analysis. Besides, they provide uniform power delivery unlike lead-acid batteries. As a result, the pick-up and performance of Totos get consistently sluggish, while Deshla gives uniform performance.

Motor: Totos’ lead acid batteries provide less amperage and they can serve only up to 1 kW motor. Deshla’s battery can provide a higher amperage and easily powers the 3.5 kW motor, which in turn provides more torque and therefore higher speed. Deshla can travel at a peak speed of 50 km/hr.

Suspension: Deshla’s back wheels have independent suspension, as in cars and unlike in Totos, which have rigid axles, as in trucks. This means that the Deshla is far more stable and jerk free on bad roads.

Steering wheel: Unlike the handle bar in Totos and autos, Deshla has a steering wheel that works on gear mechanism with high mechanical advantage. This was a conscious decision of the team to make it impossible for the vehicle to make very sharp turns which autos are infamous for. The gear mechanism allows for only one way motion. So bad roads will not automatically turn the steering wheel of Deshla as they do to the handle bars of Totos and autos.

Brake: Hydraulic braking instead of mechanical braking is used for more effective braking.

Director, IIT KGP, congratulating the team

Easily serviceable: Unlike the Totos, which have their mechanical and electrical components shipped from China and assembled here, Deshla is completely indigenous. The EVG team of IIT Kharagpur has created the embedded and power electronics subsystems like BMS (battery management system), Motor Controller, Battery Charger, GPS and 3G Cellular connectivity modules in-house. This means the Deshla will be more reliable, easy to service/repair, and customizable.

As Prof. Vikranth Racherla, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and PI of the project, put it, “Instead of retro-fitting an existing vehicle, we thought we would build one up from scratch, especially because the design is so important for an electric vehicle. It was also important for the students to learn to do things from scratch… Each design has been conceived, analysed, prototyped and the cycle repeated many times before the actual product came out.”

Prof. Baidurya Bhattacharya, trying his hand on Deshla

The project is the brain-child of Life Fellow of the Institute, Shri Bijoy Chatterjee, and funded by another distinguished alumnus, Dr. Purnendu Chatterjee. So far, funds to the tune of around Rs 46 lakhs have been provided for the project.

Around 50 students from various backgrounds have been associated with this project since its inception three years back. Two students who graduated in 2018 have even stayed back on campus to steer the project together with Prof. Racherla. Shyama Agrawal, who worked on the motor controller and worked on the mechanical side along with Prof. Racherla said, “The fact that the vehicle is now on the road is an exhilarating experience. I am so glad that we pulled it off in the end.” The project has also attracted interns from various engineering schools across the country.

Prof. Sriman Kumar Bhattacharyya, Director, IIT Kharagpur, who both rode and drove the Deshla, said, “The ride was beautiful, jerk free and the drive was smooth. I thank and congratulate the whole team and hope that the Deshla team will go on improving the product.” He also pushed for the commercialization of Deshla.

Prof. Partha Pratim Chakrabarti, former Director, IIT Kharagpur mentioned in his social media post that the ride was excellent. He also said, “… going from here to a start-up is the way to go…. we must develop technology which is very good and spawn as many start-ups as possible.”

Prof. Partha Pratim Chakrabarti, former Director, IIT KGP, giving a thumbs-up to Deshla

Prof. Suman Chakraborty, Dean SRIC, who also drove the Deshla, said, “Let us have many of these vehicles on the campus so that they enhance both campus life and livelihood.” Equally impressed with the achievements of the team was Prof. Baidurya Bhattacharya, Dean, International Relations, who said, “This is truly ‘Make in India’ and a remarkable achievement of the EVG team.”

Among the bunch of Deshla’s admirers are a growing number of Toto drivers on campus. One of them who has already tried out riding Deshla concluded, “I would be the first one to buy a Deshla when it hits the market.” Two others who hung around on the day of the launch, longingly looking at the Deshla, said, “It would be great if IIT Kharagpur could arrange for us to get loans from the bank to buy a Deshla.”

Prof. Racherla, Shyama Agrawal, and Manuj Agrawal (leaders of team EVG) have already floated a start-up for commercialization of the vehicle. Manuj Agrawal said, “We are now looking for angel funding so that we can take it forward. We have the concept model ready and now we need funds to make a production worthy prototype that can be certified.”

Photographs: Suman Sutradhar