Beyond the horizon… Beyond expectations too!

If you are a first year student at IIT Kharagpur, you’ve heard all the publicity quotes from “it’s your wildest fantasies come true” and “the only chance IITians have of some serious bird watching” to “the biggest socio-cultural fest of eastern India”.

If you are a first year student at IIT Kharagpur who, after one of the

dullest Spring Fests in recent years, still believes all of this, you’re probably

not very bright.

The fact is that in all respects this year, from sponsorships to prize money to

external participation to quality of star-nites, SF lost out badly to Kshitij, which

until now used to be the neglected step-brother in Kgp’s Fest culture.

Scholars’ Avenue attempted to gauge student sentiment about the fest by holding an opinion

poll for the final years. The results are there for all to see. While the title of best SF was a close-

run thing with both 2003 and 2004 vying for top spot, 2006 was the clear winner of the dubious

distinction of being the worst SF. And why not? With two out of three star-nites flopping miserably,

an eminently forgettable Fine Frenzy, the lowest participation in literary events since God-knows-

when and peanuts for prize money, Spring Fest 2K6 was a paragon of mediocrity. The only saving graces

were the Shankar Mahadevan show and the Hasya Kavi Sammelan, but then if star performances and concerts are the only reason Spring Fest retains some measure of popularity, why go through the fracas of organizing the innumerable literary and cultural competitions? For tradition’s sake? Or plain lure of lucre?

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The True Spirit of Youth......Is it on the wane?

You know, Kennedy may have said, “ask not what the country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country”, but still, allow me to ask… “What more could Kshitij '06 have done for us?”

Yes, the laser show could have been better, the events could have started on time and Techquila and Kspeak could have been less makhau… but apart from that, Kshitij '06 was as good as it could have got!

Sky high prizes, copious yet competitive participation, brilliant guest lectures and commendable organization… hats off to Team Kshitij. No other fact brings out the success of a fest better than a measure of the participation and the sight of packed-beyond-capacity Vikramshila auditoriums for Atelier, El Matador, the lecture by Mr. Gopalakrishnan and even for the workshop on 3G technology were ample evidence of what a runaway success Kshitij '06 was. Nay, the very sight of teams sitting in the dim connectors joining the two entrances to V1 making their machines for Nirmaan bore ample testimony to the place in sun Kshitij enjoys.

Looking back, Ideon '03 was a fest in which the nerve center was none other than the Exhibition Hall in the insti main building! (INSET BOX). Just three years later the scale of the event has sky-rocketed to such an extent that same Exhibition hall wouldn't be able to host even the smallest Kshitij event!

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Inside: The Big FightKshitij vs. SF, behind the scenes

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GC Predictions

...Turn to page 6

Scholars’ Avenue Forever

...Turn to page 2

forthrightly yours, fortnightly yours

IIT KHARAGPUR VOL II ISSUE 614 FEBRUARY 2006

”

“The policeman on the beat moved block the policeman suddenly eyebrow. His scarfpin was a large up the avenue impressively. The slowed his walk. In the doorway diamond, oddly set.impressiveness was habitual and of a darkened hardware store a not for show, for spectators were man leaned, with an unlighted few. The time was barely 10 cigar in his mouth. As the o'clock at night, but chilly gusts policeman walked up to him the of wind with a taste of rain in man spoke up quickly.them had well nigh depeopled “It's all right, officer," he said, the streets. reassuringly. "I'm just waiting for Trying doors as he went, twirling a friend. It's an appointment his club with many intricate and made twenty years ago. Sounds a artful movements, turning now little funny to you, doesn't it? and then to cast his watchful eye Well, I'll explain if you'd like to a down the pacific thoroughfare, make certain it's all straight. the officer, with his stalwart About that long ago there used to form and slight swagger, made a be a restaurant where this store fine picture of a guardian of the stands - 'Big Joe' Brady's peace. The vicinity was one that restaurant.”kept early hours. Now and then "Until five years ago," said the you might see the lights of a cigar policeman. "It was torn down store or of an all-night lunch then.”counter; but the majority of the The man in the doorway struck a doors belonged to business places match and lit his cigar. The light that had long since been closed. showed a pale, square-jawed

face with keen eyes, and a little When about midway of a certain white scar near his right

10-15 bucks per semester. was started by Mr. Sandipan Deb et by time. al. This one too perished within a

That's all it takes to get each one of couple of years. We propose that every hall include you a personal copy of every issue of in its budget a sum of Rs. 15 for The Scholars' Avenue, delivered at Amongst others, if there was one every student per semester in your doorstep every fortnight. reason why these newspapers did return for which we deliver a

not stand the test of time, it was personal copy to each one of you. Scholars' Avenue was started with the the fact that they were not an This amount will easily come down as sole intention of cultivating the ingrained part of the system. They Scholars' Avenue gets sponsorships newspaper culture in Kgp. A culture weren't a part of the essential Kgp and ads. that exists in various other colleges culture they way SF, Alankar and now but, sadly, was missing in dear old Kshitij are. Think about it. The cost of helping Kgp. Not that it never existed here the IIT Kgp student newspaper but that it was never able to sustain We don't know if its sheer survive and stay on forever is, in itself before now. coincidence that once again, twenty the worst case, nothing more than

years later, a newspaper has been one paltry cup of coffee per month. In the 1960s, a newspaper called started in Kgp. What we do know is Impact was started by a few Kgpians. that if YOU are willing, this one will We study history so that we may Amongst them was Mr. Farrokh not suffer the same fate as its learn from it and avoid the mistakes Mistree, the same gentleman who predecessors. made in the past. Right here in Kgp, recently gave a guest lecture during two newspapers tried to ride the Kshitij. That newspaper went out of Here, now, is our effort at making storm… and failed. This, now, is your print within a couple of years. Scholars' Avenue an indelible part of chance to write a different script in

Kgp life. Our effort at ensuring that Kgp history. We might just be third Twenty years later in the 1980's, a this time, the Kgp student time lucky.newspaper called Auds and Events newspaper does not get worn down

E d i t o r ’ s A v e n u e

W r i t e r ’ s A v e n u e

A Call for Authors

Everyone’s Invited

The Scholars’ Avenue creative writing competition

THE SCHOLARS’ AVENUE, IIT KHARAGPUR 14 FEBRUARY 2006

The Scholars' Avenue Team

Executive Editors: Amit Gupta, Sandeep Rath

Editorial Board: Chintan Thakkar, Nitin Basant, Sunny Somani, Swati

Creative Editor: Varun Kishore

Assistant Editors: Aneesh Jain, Aravind R S, Riti Mohapatra, Rohit Shankar, Samya

Mandal, Shishir Dash, Umang Jain, Saahil Bhanot

Reporting Team: Aditya Marathe, Anuj

Dayal,Biswajeet Guha,Sheekha, Sreeja Nag, Suvrat Bafna

Jr Reporters: Anup Bishnoi, Deepshikha, Pranesh Kr. Chowdhary

Cartoonist: Arish Inam

Complete the story your own way! Send in your entries to scholars_avenue@yahoo.com and see your story in print in the next issue. Of course, there are prizes to be won too.

These are the opening lines of O. Henry’s “After Twenty Years”.

2

Moving on to the guest lectures, the one thing that stood out about all the speakers was the fact that they could all hold their audience captive as l o n g a s t h e y s p o k e . M r. Gopalakrishnan, Mr. Partha Sinha, Prof. Von Klitzing and the panel members for Bizmeet, all waxed eloquent in their respective lectures.

Of course, no one who saw the Robosoccer show will forget it in a hurry, if at all. Entertaining and inspiring in equal measure, the show was made all the more remarkable by the fact that one of the three presenters was a guy who had just graduated and wasn't more than a couple of years senior to most of his audience!

But what's decidedly the most enticing thing about Kshitij is the prize money. The big stories about the 40k level prizes are many but consider this: in the workshop on 3G technology, a seemingly impromptu and totally unpublicized quiz had a prize of 3k! That, folks, is three times the total prize money given away in any single lit event in SF.

The feeling that had started creeping in last year has re-enforced itself resoundingly this year: the tech fest ain't an underdog to the so-cult fest any more. Way to go Team Kshitij (or The Kshitij Family… as the latest fad goes). For all those who think that the sky is the limit, take a clue from Kshitij… look beyond the horizon!

Beyond… (Contd. from Page 1)

F e s t A v e n u e

The need for public appreciation can calling it a "sirf naach ganaa affair", be demanding. To keep the viewers or a "non entity with only a token enraptured to their programs, participation from outside kgp". Amitabh had to do a rap and Jassi had Joint attempts have not shown a to get married, when KBC and Jassi good track record as organizing team Jaisi Koi Nahi were pitted against members show high levels of each other. suspicion bordering on paranoia,

leading to joint deals more often Two totally different programs with than not falling through. The different tastes, but unfortunately situation in recent past was there is only one TV set in most interpreted by a sponsoring company homes, and thus each had to pull off as the fight between two student a gimmick to pull the audience to "unions".itself.

There have been instances where I bet there is one more conflict every negative publicity was done in Kgpian is thinking of right now, SF outside colleges, the logic was if and Kshitij. Two totally different someone doesn't come to kgp for one fests with different tastes, but at the he will for the other, as nobody will end of the year only one will be come here twice. In worse times, called the better of the two. there have been instances of one

tearing out the publicity material of Kgp population is as, if not more, the other.demanding as the Indian TV viewer. The slightest goof up in a fest and it Vice Presidents in the past years have will go down in history as a makahu. made attempts to keep such in That put together with two very fighting between two Gymkhana passionate teams, putting in bodies at bay, but this requires a continuous nights in the Gymkhana, complete change of mindset rather is a potentially explosive mix. than attempts by any single person.

Attack at the other team ranges from The process of induction of Kshitij harmless jibes to actual cloak and into the Kgp system is still underway dagger tactics. Pulling off a sponsor and there will be teething problems from the other side into one's own is and occasional spats. But there is a looked at as an achievement. change of mindset required from

both the organizing team as well as The major fighting arena is the the junta. Advantages can be drawn sponsorship rink. The simple reason o u t f r o m t h e c o m p e t i t i v e being that there are only so many of environment, each tries desperately them to go around, and very few are to out do the other and this will only wont to cough up money for both the lead to both the fests becoming big fests. The amount of sponsorship is on a national scale, but this of course one major indicator of the competition is not war, and rules scale of the fest. need to be imposed. No logic should

justify painting a sister organization There have been reports of one in bad light.sabotaging the other's chances by

The Big FightThe battle of the Fests

Many alumni hold the view that SF is (Atelier Unrehearsed). After the as well) added to the general feeling no longer the platform for inter- immensely enjoyable and inspiring of ‘dampsquib-opia’.collegiate camaraderie that it used TN Seshan Star Talk of SF’04, what to be. Ask yourselves: how many non- followed in 05 and 06 was a no-show. Yes, SF still is THE biggest so-cult fest Kgpians did you know before SF? How Anubhav, which last year saw the in Eastern India and will continue to many after SF? charismatic Rahul Sharma regale be so the foreseeable future.

Netaji, was barely noticeable this Undeniably though, most events Get the point? year. And the standing joke during having a general feeling of being

Fine Frenzy was that the much hyped w a s h e d u p a n d e x t r e m e l y The same competition that attracted “Fashion Parade” was all-Parade-no- monotonous. It is time we redefined a crowd which filled less that a Fashion. That the home team what the true spirit of the youth is, quarter of Raman Auditorium (Ad couldn’t even muster a second- and made SF the fun fest it used to Spoof) ran to packed houses in Kshitij runners-up (and this goes for Wildfire be.

The True Spirit...(Contd. from Page 1) WO

RST

SF

POLL RESULTS

BS

T S

FE

3THE SCHOLARS’ AVENUE, IIT KHARAGPUR 14 FEBRUARY 2006

Everybody wanted to find a room at large numbers of alumni were seen the Alumni or the Tech. Guest House. reading The Scholars' Avenue, full of For some alumni, this was a return to praise and the like (Really!). their youth after as many as fifty Immediately after the registration, years. The largest turn out was from there was a panel discussion on the the 1981 batch and one could really topic - "Whom do the IITs serve?" feel all the years fading away, as they which was supposed to be followed had some good old kgp fun. Hallwise, by an interactive Q&A session which RK and Patel witnessed the maximum turned out to have a thin number of alumni returning for the participation. Tours to Gopalidham meet (Patel ka tempo high hai?) and Kalaikunda airbase (NCC

anyone?) were organized for the No matter how much we hate Kgp at The Friday night dinner was spouses of the alumni. After lunch, present, at the end of the day the organized by the Vinod Gupta school the Alumni General Meeting was truth is that a few years down the of Managment. As the spouses organized in Gargi Seminar Hall at line we will ultimately succumb to crowded on one side and interacted the Vikramshila complex. nostalgia and cherish these amoung themselves, the alumni memories. The 3rd annual alumni were busy sharing their past with A cultural programme was organized meet was held on the 7th and 8th of students. Mr.B.C. Mondal, the first by the TSG in the evening featuring January, 2006. recipient of the President's gold our own ETMS and a band named Lok

medal in the year 1956, was also Shakti from Kolkata. The turnout for The event was under the immediate present and full of stories from his the cultural evening was good and supervision of Prof. M. chakraborty, good old days at Kgp. Some golden the performances were well Dean of Alumni Affairs, with the staff ratios apparently never change. received. The alumni proceeded to of IIT foundation handling all the There was also no proper conveyance their beloved halls of residence after paper work. The students' body, during their time and they had to the entertainment and soon drowned headed by Gymkhana V.P. Arindam walk to the station to catch a train. themselves, along with students, in Mukherjee contributed with high Even more surprising is the fact that rivers of nostalgia. The nostalgia was tempo and gusto. The guests started digging the new swimming pool was carried forward to the next day when pouring in on Friday afternoon, with part of their curriculum. He was also they went to visit their departments. students shuttling from the station interested in the increasing number The alumni meet ended on Sunday to the three guest houses to receive of female students (where??). afternoon as the alumni once again them. bid farewell to their alma mater.

Registration was on Saturday Most alumni had prejudices about morning and was followed by (With inputs from Erima Goyal & C. staying at the CEC guest house. inaugration. During the registration, Ramshankar)

N e w s A v e n u e

16th January, Netaji Auditorium: It world. never failed to touch on the most was amazing to see the composure of important aspect of science: its a septuagenarian scientist answering An audience comprising mostly of fundamental role in shaping and queries ranging from the mundane to school-children from Kendriya influencing human life. Questions the esoteric with all the aplomb of a Vidyalaya, Kgpians and Professors like “How do the social lives of 17-yr old. An entire Auditorium participated in what turned out to be farmers affect the agricultural chock-full of admirers of the former a virtual catechism in the scientific production of the country?” face of Turning Point (yes, some of us fields. Prof. Yashpal asked probing continued to educate the watching used to watch Doordarshan, too) got questions on various subjects, crowd. His insistence on the use of everything they were yearning for ranging from basic high school everyday examples and innocent when Prof. Yashpal regaled them physics (eg. why does clapping questions to impart scientific with fascinating insights into the produce sound?) to cutting edge stuff knowledge was a constant refrain world of science. A PhD from MIT, like relativity and cosmology. In throughout the session.work experience at TIFR and other between, his inimitable wit and prestigious institutions, awards and humorous one-liners kept everyone All in all, an extremely educative and encomiums from innumerable in splits. thought-provoking lecture by one scientific authorities only magnify the most interesting personalities his achievements as one of the Despite the frequent questions and ever to have graced the hallowed foremost popular-science authors almost incessant flow of banter Netaji stage.and speakers in the country and the during the session, Prof. Yashpal

Kgp wakes up to the real wonders of science

Q&A with Prof. Yash Pal

Back to Scholars’ AvenueAlumni Meet

4THE SCHOLARS’ AVENUE, IIT KHARAGPUR 14 FEBRUARY 2006

After rocking the technology scene January 2006 at the Birla Industrial So good was their model that the at IIT Kharagpur for several years and Technological Museum at judges announced publicly that their now, students from the Innovations Kolkata. As a preliminary round, performance had garnered far more Lab are winning laurels at other teams had to present an abstract of points than the runners-up, a team renowned hubs for scientific and their proposed model, which could from the Future Institute of technological advancement as well. be any application that could have Management. At the Engineering Fair 2006, possible industrial implementation organized by the Birla Industrial and way back in December 2005. The But wait, there's more. These guys Technolgical Museum, Kolkata, working model was shown during the were not the only ones to emerge Suryarghya Chakrabarti (3rd Yr. MF), finals held in January 2006. with their pockets full from a KGP Anshul Sao (3rd Yr. EG) and Rudra dominated result-board. Sumandeep Pratap (3rd Yr. MF) from Kgp blew the The objective of the project was Banerjee (4th year ECE), Shubham competition away with their unique something the junta here is quite chopra(4th year ECE) and Arnab combination of creative spark and accustomed to by now, what with Mitra(2nd year EE) won the award for technological expertise. Their Robotix now an annual event in Best Implemented Design for their project, entitled, “Real Time Robot Kshitij. Given an arena with project on “Web-based Control of Navigation in Dynamic Environments obstacles, their robot had to find the Home Appliances”. A cool Rs. 5000 in Using Micro-Genetic Algorithms” optimum path to a pre-specified cash is what they won. Not bad for a scored the highest points from a field destination while avoiding all day's work, right??of 16 teams, all from renowned collisions. While Anshul was the institutions from around the country. brains behind the Communication Wonder exactly how many GPL's The prize: a splendid amount of Rs. and Image-Processing parts of the these brainy guys got for all their 12,000 to each member to be given operation, Suryarghya handled the hard work ?as a monthly scholarship for a period research and implementation of of one year. Sounds good, doesn't it? genetic algorithms and Rudra was in The fair was held from 17th to 21st of charge of hardware.

N e w s A v e n u e

"If you have the ideas to stir up a Engineering College.revolut ion in the world of Engineering we have the platform to The major spotlight-hogging events make it happen”, says COMPOSIT were the Technosium, Colloquium 2006. and Tourindus and all three invited

energetic participations from the The Congress Of Metallurgical students. There were also the Professional involving students, B r a i n w a v e , M e t a l l o m a n i a , Industry and Teachers (COMPOSIT) Engineering Quiz (EQ), the School 2006, 28-30 January, was organized Science Quiz (X-Quiz-IT) and even a

Dr. Amit Chatterjee had come to by the Department of Metallurgical Cultural Programme thrown in to study at IIT KGP in 1960s as an and Materials Sciences inviting intersperse the tiring schedule of undergraduate for the course of student participation from colleges events.Electrical Engineering but since he all across India. There was a large was not as passionate about array of events arranged throughout Technosium, the paper presentation Electrical Engineering as Metallurgy, the 3-day period to whet the grey competition, invited students to he left the campus in seven days. At cells of all joining in. present path breaking scientific COMPOSIT, he unofficially revealed papers in advanced fields of plans of Tata Steel of taking in more COMPOSIT was first started as a Metallurgy, and to defend them and more graduates from IIT paper presentation and discussion before the judges. Brainwave asked Kharagpur into Tata Steel in near platform for students of the field of students to present innovative but future.Meta l lu rgy about sc ient i f i c yet unpublished ideas in the field of

innovations in important areas and Metallurgy.As a surprise package, a presentation latest buzzes in the industry.was given by Ravi Siddharth - a 10th Colloquium was an interactive panel standard student - on his idea for As history recollects, this is the 12th discussion by some of the most electromagnetic fuel for rocket year of the Student Congress. The eminent metallurgical scientists and propulsion in space.current edition of COMPOSIT invited engineers of India. Speakers

participation from JNTU Hyderabad, included Dr. Amit Chatterjee, Advisor Finally, the participating students MGIT Hyderabad, IT-BHU Varanasi, to MD, Tata Steel; Prof Gautam left Kharagpur in the afternoon of NIT Bhubaneshwar; NIT Rourkela, NIT Sinha, Professor at VGSOM; Dr. Y. 29th for a study tour of the factories Durgapur, BIT Sindri, Govt. Manahar, YZAG Steel Plant, of Tata Steel and Tata Motors in Enginering College Raipur, ISM Vishakhapatnam; and Mr. M. L. Jamshedpur as part of ‘Tourindus’.Dhanbad, PSG College of Engineering Bapna, GM, Technical at Tata Motors.

Coimbatore and SALEM Govt

Composit 2006

Sparks of Genius

5THE SCHOLARS’ AVENUE, IIT KHARAGPUR 14 FEBRUARY 2006

With more than a 1000 points left to roles to play in this event, play for in the Soc n' Cult GC and the keeping in mind that many current leaders on a mere 317.5, it people were unhappy to say seems more than a daunting task to the least about the rulings at guess the final destination of the GC. some of the events last year.Last year's Champions Nehru were heavily lagging behind the other halls There are three lit events left – at this time last year. It wasn't until Quiz, JAM, English Elocution. Nehru last year's trend its pretty obvious the drams and ent events that the and RP are favourites (not that Nehru will walk away with the Nehruites gradually picked up the necessarily in that order) for JAM, if GC. However, Azad and RP have in pieces and put together the GC of course the event occurs, keeping recent times stepped up in the drams puzzle. We can however make a few in mind that it has occurred just once events which without a doubt are the “educated” guesses with respect to in the last three years. Consistent most important ones for Nehru. It the remaining events and see how it with the result of last year's quiz, also appears that they might not do all adds up. Azad and RK seem to be the anything very significant in the ent

favourites, closely followed by Nehru events with their rookie ent team Azad and Nehru are the dramatics and RP, but then again a quiz is only (compared to the last year anyways). veterans with the latter having a as predictable as the questions on RP, RK and Azad will probably rely very significant impact on the same that day. equally on all the four categories of last year. They stood out amongst the events left. Quiz Golds have long pack with a clean sweep of all the Now, the writer sticks his neck out, become an Azad tradition but RK will three dramatics events and and makes arbitrary insensitive definitely have something to say Choreography where they set new predictions. Here's hoping I don't about that. If I were to put my standards. This year however it looks make any more enemies - Based on money, it would be very fairly put on like there will be strong competition the past record and keeping in mind Nehru or RK.. This year's GC races in the form of Azad and underdogs RP the events left, LLR, Patel and SN seems to be one of the closest in who have put in solid performances (even though they are 2nd right now) recent times and I guess only time in the Open IIT Events and managed shall be ruled out. No offense to any holds the answer as to which hall will some silverware in last year's events. of the above halls. It is hoped they triumph. The tempo is bound to pick Moving on to entertainment, RP and prove this amateur writer wrong and up, and with it the excitement as RK seem strong favourites while Azad further complicate issues. This well. Watch this space.and Nehru try to re-build their ent leaves us with RK, RP, Azad and teams after the graduation of the Nehru, within around 100 points, With contributions from Savi Kumar likes of Shayak and Pratap for AZ and which is basically the amount of Jain. (All data as of 7th Feb.)JD, Rana, Satyaki for NH. One feels points a hall gets for winning a group that the judges will have crucial event. From here on if things follow

The Race for Gold

Soc & Cult: Too Close to Call

A quarter of the Spring Semester with no particular hall with very Nehru’s way but competition from RK over, its time to look at the G.C. strong teams. MMM, with some very and LLR shall be stiff.scene and conjecture on the present talented first years can be termed scenario. The Sports GC at present is favourites. LLR having won the 6-a- Taking stock of all the events that are being headed by Nehru at 41 points. side also feature as contenders for a yet to take place we see that if Nehru RK and Patel follow at 27 and 22 position amongst the top 3. Nehru manages to take the gold in points respectively. Last semester with a strong basketball team has a basketball and football and RK take saw Nehru take Athletics and good chance for the gold in volleyball, TT and badminton gold Aquatics, whereas RK took Bridge basketball. In TT and volleyball R.K. the final tally comes to Nehru 56, RK and Waterpolo. A whole lot of events are very strong contenders for the 51. Badminton can get RK close are left in the remainder of the gold with ace teams in both. In enough for the killer move, and yet a academic year. weightlifting other than Patel, Azad few silvers and bronzes in cricket,

and LLR also look very strong. In tennis and/or hockey may give Nehru Chess and Cricket took place in tennis RP are a relatively strong the unassailable lead. It could turn January. Nehru won chess and Patel, team. RK and Patel seem to be on an out to be a very well fought sports GC cricket. equal platter as far as badminton is by the end of the semester. So here’s

concerned. The last event of the looking forward to some great Hockey offers an open playing field sports calendar, football could head sporting action.

Sports: Nehru Seem Set to Lift the Trophy

G C A v e n u e6THE SCHOLARS’ AVENUE, IIT KHARAGPUR 14 FEBRUARY 2006

We are half way through the 2005-06 future events, which include two 100 out to be anybody's game with no session, but the third ever Tech. GC is point events (Xi and Opensoft). Both team having a clear advantage far from even the halfway mark. Nehru and Patel had done well(gold beforehand. RK which hasn't scored With 6 out of 8 events to be held in and silver respectively), the last till now, can stage a fight back with this semester, the fight for the GC time Xi was held(2003-04), but that Bizquiz and Opensoft. The judges are has just begun. A good start is half was two years ago and there has still to decide , whether HJB should the battle won and the start RP hall been a change in their teams since lose their gold in Pi because of the have got, with a gold in Tech. quiz then. Azad will be hoping to do well plagiarism charges made against and a silver in Pi would do absolutely in B izquiz g iven that they them by some other halls. HJB’s loss no harm. HJB, the surprise winners have a good quizzing team but they here will be a huge gain for RP.of Pi follow RP’s 135 points with a 100 wi l l face st i f f compet i t ion points in their bag. Azad hall is f r o m R P w h o b e a t t h e m In totality, RP looks well on road to third(45),closely followed by comprehensively in Techquiz. RP also t h e Te c h n o l o g y G e n e r a lPa t e l ( 4 0 ) a n d N e h r u ( 3 0 ) . have an edge in Opensoft wherein Championship but they must look out

they had shared the top spot along f o r t h e b u m p s a h e a d .There is something for the trailing with RK last year. Ad-Design and Chi The other teams need to catch up teams to look forward to in the along with Maths Olympiad may turn fast!

Tech: RP Looks Good to Bag the GC

G C A v e n u e

What's the first thing that comes to strategies used to implement Bhattacharya covers the inevitable your mind when you see the words disruptive innovation at its early failures and sloth-like pace of “Disruptive Innovation” on a book's productive best. Questions like 'what deve l opmen t o f d i s r up t i v e cover? A l Qaeda ' s terror i s t are the actual dynamics of innovation strategies. As an strategies? A new James Bond movie? innovation', 'when can people example, take the advent of mobile IIT's professors striking for more pay? observe it actually occurring around phones in India. What started out as

them', 'how does the next line of a stuttering, elitist movement in a Well, that's why they say, never technology unfold before our very market beset by established norms judge a book by its cover. eyes', are tackled in subtle yet of class and income-groups, has now

educative prose. reached behemoth-like proportions, Prof. Jayanta Bhattacharya breaks and is still growing at an astounding new ground with his manuscript on Ideas we see and hear about pace. VSNL's vision in introducing Disruptive Innovation strategies everyday have been seen from the telecom as a luxury everyone could rampant in corporate, scientific and eyes of the disruptive innovator. For afford has been lauded, while at the everyday life. While the concept may instance, the concept of using an ATM same time, its failure to observe the not be a new one, the treatment as a fully functional bank is an disruptive innovation at work and certainly is. In his own words, “the example of how private banks capitalize on that has been book is not a self absorbed bible. It circumvented the monolithic denounced. can be treated both as a handy manner of looking at banking, and in reference and an enjoyable read for the process, created an institution in The book is exactly the kind of fare those simply fascinated by this itself. The revolutionary e-chaupal one would expect from an author increasingly crucial aspect of concept currently being established who revels in being different. An management.” by ITC is revolutionary simply ardent reader of Chekhov and

because ITC dared to break the Dostoevsky, Prof. Bhattacharya is The words “innovation” and familiar hierarchy of producers- also the editor of KGPian (the alumni “creativity” are nowadays so wholesalers-retailers and directly newsletter). He is also the author of routinely used in almost every walk targeted the producers, i.e the “ G l o b a l C o r p o r a t e of life, that there is a real danger of farmers. Hence the name Environmentalism”, a book which them losing their significance. “Disruptive Innovation” as opposed has now reached cult-status among Disruptive Innovation, in its clear, to simply “Innovation”. management students. Priced at just concise and fascinatingly simplistic Rs. 75, the book is sure to give us method, describes the why and how Even the evolution of “Disruptive IITians, renowned for our creativity, of innovation. Thirteen case studies Innovation” has been traced out some great food for thought.document in detail the various quite comprehensively. Prof.

A look into Prof. Jayanta Bhattacharya's new book

Innovating at Innovation

F e a t u r e s A v e n u e

7THE SCHOLARS’ AVENUE, IIT KHARAGPUR 14 FEBRUARY 2006

The story about to unfold may sound were used to going to bed hungry, started off and has come on its own. too good to be true. It was the vision now they get four square meals. The Neera farms currently boasts of of a place dreamt by a handful of They were too poor to attend school, copious growth of a variety of fruit Kgp- alumni. Things have come a long here they receive education and trees like guavas, mangoes and way since those utopian dreams first more. A medical check-up which lemons, vegetable crops, acres of surfaced-they have now turned into would earlier be branded an tea plantation and wood bearing reality. unaffordable luxury now features in trees like mahogany. This year saw

their daily schedule. Every ailment is them succeeding in cashew Mr P K Dwivedi and Mrs Hansa Nundy, treated, whether it’s the common flu cultivation. A rain water drainage two ex–IITians hitherto happily or a faulty heart which needs system has been set up and ponds settled abroad but wanting to give operation. They are even be taught have been teeming with fish. A something back to their motherland to work in the fields, to cook, to fish bakery was set up which would come back to India. Kgp welcomed in the in-house ponds and trained provide employment to poor village them back with open arms by about the practical aspects of life. A women, apart from churning out granting them six acres of land. This healthy, clean and hygienic nutritious and chemical-free bread was the birth of DISHA which would environment to live, learn and grow, and similar products. It worked well eventually change the lives of 100s of with hands on training on finding for a few years, but somehow destitute people. This piece of land, opportunities for employment, this couldn’t convince the hostels in the though barren and at first sight is a boarding school with a campus to buy its products on a seeming totally useless is covered difference, and with a noble purpose regular basis. Sadly this bakery had with a boundary wall and a green too. to be shut down in 2004. However cover. This would enclose a multi this didn’t affect the morale of these purpose building and a farm. Better The story isn’t over as yet. This people. DISHA is now on a mission to known as Seema centre and Neera model had to be self sustaining to replicate this model all over the farm, 100 children would be chosen survive, and it is. With sizable country. Going by the track record every year from the poorest of contributions from ex- IITians and and the zeal, it would be difficult to families. These children have their students (two notable patrons being stop them.own stories to tell. Some of them Arjun Malhotra and Lalit Behal), it

Disha for the DirectionlessDISHA - an NGO, set up in IIT Kgp by IITians

and funded by ex-students

F e a t u r e s A v e n u e

CSRG (CET Student Research Group) projects like virtual classroom, industry leaders in the educational has been formed under the aegis of virtual lab, video on demand, technology domain and other the Centre for Educat ional content representat ion and educational institutions to create a Technology, IIT Kharagpur to carry reusabi l i ty, computer a ided network which will drive the out research and development evaluation, etc. There are about 20 educational technology research activities in the area of educational second years and more than 60 first taking place in India.technology. This group has been years who have shown an interest in The people involved with CSRG feel founded by Amit Bhutoria, a final the group. CSRG team members also that working in this group will help year student of the department of conduct sessions on programming develop an environment that Aerospace Engineering, who has languages and relevant technologies encourages working in groups and been actively pursuing his interests for them so that they can get actively will help students to get a feel of in educational technology for the involved with the projects. what it is like to lead and organize last couple of years. This group is the A brave new venture, CSRG is projects, work according to first of its kind where the students working on creating tools and deadlines which they will have to set are encouraged to pursue their ideas technologies that will be used not themselves, and prepare them for a in the field of Technology-Enhanced- only here in IIT Kharagpur, but could career in industry. Learning. CSRG has a set of professor be deployed in other educational mentors who guide students in the institutions to which CET provides For more information about this various projects. consultancy in their bid to group, visit:

implement technology enhanced www.cetonline.iitkgp.ernet.in/csrglearning in their various campuses.Currently about 15 third year and

final year students, who form the [For any clarifications, contact core of the group, are working on The group is also into talks with the Amit Bhutoria-94343-68926.]

CET Students Research GroupLearn, Create Learning Technologies

8THE SCHOLARS’ AVENUE, IIT KHARAGPUR 14 FEBRUARY 2006

Winning the Inter IIT Sports Meet present one), a table tennis room, 8-lane track sprint track will be laid. held last year in Roorkee initiated a billiards tables (proposed) and a new TSC will get new galleries and a chain reaction, only this one wasn't gymnasium. The new gymnasium will changing room. The future of sports going to lead us to destruction. What be huge enough to let around 250 in KGP looks bright. Not many sports resulted from this unpredicted, people work out at the same time, colleges can boast of such facilities.unlikely victory was a new zeal in not and will contain the most modern only the students but in the equipments. The purchase of Although the plans for the administration as well towards equipment for the gymnasium will development of sporting facilities sporting in specific and extra- not be delayed till its building has have taken the spot light, Soc-n-Cult curricular activities in general. And been constructed, instead the enthusiasts have lots to cheer about in the aftershock of the victory, the process has already started and the too. After all KGP is the first and only Gymkhana reconstruction was equipments will be installed in the winner of the Inter IIT Soc-n-Cult suddenly getting everyone excited. existing gym or in the gymkhana. meet. The Gymkhana plans to take

Purchase of equipment for all other pos ses s ion o f new mus ica l A budget of Rs. 10 crores has been sports is also on the cards. instruments (WTMS and ETMS allocated for the reconstruction of members who had to rush to all the Technology Students' Gymkhana But what happens till the new places to get instruments for (TSG), of which Rs. 3 crores is complex comes up? Will the existing practicing will be breathing a sigh of scheduled to be spent in this gymkhana be allowed to rot? The relief). The Soc-n-Cult complex will academic year itself. The Ministry of renovation work has already begun. have enough room to hold dramatics Human Resources and Development The gymkhana roof is being checked and TDS practices, which will leave has provided a major portion of this for seepage, the broken floor being the institute foyer without the hustle grant. Long term plans have been repaired, the renovation of facilities it enjoyed late in the night before a made to spend this huge sum of is going on at full swing. The HTDS, ETDS, BTDS or TDS production.money over the years, but then a swimming pool will be getting a new start has to be made somewhere. On boundary wall and more new The plans have been made. The the cards is a new Gymkhana gleaming tiles by the end of March funds made available. The future is complex which will have the most this year. bright and it certainly is there. KGP modern facilities, another thing finally is turning world class!which the KGPians will be boasting of Jnan Ghosh stadium, Tata Sports in another 3-4 years. Complex (TSC) and the lawn tennis Our special thanks to Prof. N. S.

courts, all will be getting their own Raghuwanshi, President TSG and Mr. The new Gymkhana complex will lighting, with the possibility of Atul Kumar, Ayush Mathur, General have a squash court, 3 indoor holding inter-hall football and Secretaries - Sports and Games, TSG badminton and volleyball courts hockey matches and cricket for letting us have a view of the (anyone who has been to the practices under lights in the future. future.Gymkhana would realise the The viewing galleries of Jnan Ghosh problems associated with this stadium will be renovated and a new

N e w s A v e n u e

Gymkhana Reloaded

9THE SCHOLARS’ AVENUE, IIT KHARAGPUR 14 FEBRUARY 2006

H u m o u r A v e n u e

It was a clear and calm evening, like lines and encompassed the entire, In jur ies range any other, in the quiet town of hoary Indian history in roughly five from insulted intelli-Kharagpur. The TOAT was filled with and a half minutes and in an gence, affronted dignity, unsuspecting spectators, eagerly equal number of stun- great expectaions let down, anticipating a scintillating Laser n ingly mediocre this is not what I expected and Show. Nary a soul would have visuals. "I am whatta show, hooeey! This blatant thought that it would be the last quite lucky attempt to seriously under entertain laser show they will ever see. For, I made f o r t h e the KGP junta has been widely tragedy struck, the very lasers which exit when I condemned by leaders cutting across they came to see perfom perfectly caught the drift of party lines and from all over the harmless tricks went wild and the even t s , " s a i d political spectrum. The honorable spread death and destruc- Asambhav Kumar, frantically minister of SF with additional charge tion in the KGP junta. searching for the piece of his ear now of Kshitij, will visit the venue of

which is the only part to have been massacre tomorrow.In a tragedy of colossal separated from him. Others were not proportions, a laser s h o w so lucky. Yours lovingly had his The Director of Intelligence and of organized as a part of the inaugural gizzards neatly severed from his this Institute did not rule out the ceremony of Kshitij 2006 (Horizon person. Dhawansaab, on whose possibility of involvement of the and Beyond....) ended in a massive express recommendation yours Foreign Hand. The genius that loss of human life and hope. The lovingly attended the show, had his conceived of this idea of laser show is offending Laser Show, billed as the beak cleanly clipped. Such horror still at large, fearing public retribu-big cheese of Ktj, was a total tales abound. tion.disaster. Even as this report is being written, parts of bodies of innocent "The laser beams just went wild, Whatever be the body count, viewers and bystanders which have leaping from seat to seat, goring the yesterday will remain forever etched been cut up by the run away laser hapless humans in their way," a in our collective memory as one heck beans are being matched with their visibly shaken second year bandi said of a black day, yeah baby. Oops sorry.owners. dramatically, and rather impres-

sively, I must say, with her hands Our hearts go to bits thinking of what The event began on expected lines. covering her ears and all that. She all we could have achieved in those M. Sorcar went from one boring then proceeded to faint from an fateful forty minutes we spent sentence to another with practiced imagined horror. watching the ill fated laser show. ease. The audience groaned in a Destinies could have been altered, cultivated show of patience and "Precisely what went wrong is hard to history made. I could have bathed. polish. Testing the limits of hospital- pin down right now," the Director of Yet, an entire generation has ity, M. Sorcar frequently switched Public Safety and Hygiene said, perished in that freak accident. An from English to Bong, and this too adding, "we will get to the root of the entire batch of fachhas now live in was tolerated by the ever gracious matter very soon and provide you eternal dread of the five lettered junta. And then the mayhem started. with a convincing reason. Trust our word (L.A.S.E.R). The scourge of The lights in the open auditorium department on that.” technology in mismanaged techno-were dimmed in a dramatic fashion. management festivals can not be Audience' expectations leaped high. According to eye witnesses, immedi- highlighted better than through this There were a few moments of tense ately after recounting Indian history, tragic incident. The need of the hour silence. Has the light's man forgotten complete with a very poor and is a serious over haul of safety something? Has the power been cut? incomplete rendition of the national procedures to be adopted in open to These could be the questions which anthem, a snapping sound was air auditoria, a rethink of the whole might have run through the young heard, something like an untamed Kshitij idea and a general increased and inquizitive minds of the fachhas King Kong breaking free of its awareness of what damp squibs and fachhis. However, the audience bondages, and the first anguished shows in KGP usually can be.collectively sighed in relief when the death cry was heard from the first emerald green laser beam struck the seat in the central aisle. Visibility -- Kontham Sudhirpurdah that has been hung. Weird reduced to near zero because of the nakabandi.blogspot.compatterns emerged. And it went on for thick smoke that had been intro-quite some time. Then the show, duced as a part of the special which, according to a hapless soul effects. Soon people were dropping caught in the ensuing melee, looked dead like fleas and before one can much like a very crude PowerPoint say 'what the...' everything was over. presentation in monochrome, The damage has been done.jumped haphazardly across time

Laser Show turns into DisasterMillions Dead

Hear ye! Mid Sems cometh3 Days to go

Hear ye!

10THE SCHOLARS’ AVENUE, IIT KHARAGPUR 14 FEBRUARY 2006