Student Alumni Interaction Linkage, IITG, conducted a Panel Discussion on 25/08/19 with the alumni of its own institute. The panelists were Mr. Ravish Kumar(Acumen fellow, an agriprenuer, and IIMA alumnus), Mr. Kapinjal Kishore Sharma(Officer at Ministry of Indian Railways, Govt of India) and Dr. Nelson Muthu(Assistant Professor at IIT Guwahati). This blog is a compilation of the excerpts taken from the Panel Discussion to give the readers an insight into the event.
For the ease of the reader, the following labels have been used to indicate the participants in the Panel Discussion: M - Mayank Singla(General Secretary SAIL), R - Mr. Ravish Vasan, N - Dr. Nelson Muthu, K - Mr. Kapinjal Sharma.
M: How does it feel to be back to the campus as an alum and not a student?
K: Actually, I’m pleased to be back. The campus is nice and has developed a lot since I left. It’s a different experience altogether.
R: It feels really nice to be back. The campus has lost a bit of its greenery but is still beautiful and charming.
M: How did you decide your career path? How should one go about choosing it?
K: Times have changed. Times are fluid now, especially when it comes to careers. Initially, I had thought that I wanted to be in academics but was not very sure. So, I pursued M.Tech at IIT Guwahati itself instead of going abroad. And later, I also got admitted for a Ph.D. but didn’t join it. I think people don’t need to figure out all at once. Things can keep changing.
R: I had not thought of anything in my first year. I just explored a lot of events, workshops, festivals, and clubs. I still remember the engineering drawing classes and the mechanical workshop. All have become good memories now.
[ The alums have answered this question in detail later. This answer is a bit drifted away from the question. ]
N: I had joined the institute in 2004. Back then, there were only 4 hostels with a batch strength of around 150. I used to live in the Kapili hostel. Even up to the third year, I had no goals set about what career path I would take after graduation. Most of us(friends) found our passions after joining our first job which we ended up in. In that sense, the job was very helpful in finding out our passions and also in deciding our career paths.
M [to N]: How did you decide that you wanted to do a Masters and Ph.D. while at your first job? How did you accomplish it after quitting your job?
Placements are always a peer pressure. A handful of students drop out of sitting for the placements and actually pursue their interests. I got a very decent paying job along with 40 other students from all IITs. Although it was interesting, I didn’t find much satisfaction in my job. Most people found their passions while they were working there. Also, many of my friends discovered what they wanted to do in their lives. Some wanted to do a startup; others wanted to get an MBA [R smiles]. I figured out that I wanted to teach and so I decided to go for an M.Tech and Ph.D. as it is the only gateway to enter into teaching.
M [to R]: How did your life change after leaving your job? How did you become an ‘Agripreneur’? Can you share your life journey with us?
As I mentioned earlier, I explored all that was on offer in the first year. That exploration expanded in the second year. I came to know about a program called ‘Jagriti Yatra’ [1], which is a 15-day train journey that takes you to all parts of India starting and ending at Mumbai to instill an entrepreneurial mindset. My parents wanted me to take up a job and lead a safe and sound life. But after this yatra, I had decided that I wanted to do business. My goal was set there itself, and now only the path, the process, the journey was to be figured out. My B.Tech project was also on a similar idea (Improving Sanitation Methods, Mechanical Engineering).
Many of my hostel-mates were preparing for CAT. Looking at them, I also started preparing for the same. I wanted to begin a startup right after getting out of IIMA, but the education loan didn’t permit me to do so. I understood a lot of things in those years. I learned how big systems work and operate. I understood the processes and mechanisms which ultimately helped me when I found my own organization. Finally, I decided to go back to my homeland, Bihar.
[1] http://www.jagritiyatra.com/
M [to K]: What was your motivation for CSE [Civil Services Examination, UPSC] especially after pursuing an M.Tech?
As mentioned before, I wanted to become a teacher and hence, I went forth to do a Ph.D. after completing my M.Tech. After doing my M.Tech, I realized that although the research that we are doing at IITG was very good, it was not connected to the ground reality, especially in our nation. I wanted to do something related to solving actual problems than doing some fancy things like research. As I am an officer in the Railways, I can tell you that even today the timings of trains are noted by pen and paper over a telephonic conversation where we have taken leaps and bounds in terms of technology. But on the base level, it is impossible to implement it because of the disparity in our country. I feel that research should be more focused on these aspects. This fuelled me for CSE(Civil Services Examination) preparation.
M [to R]: What was your motivation to become an ‘agripreneur’ after having a decent job and being an IIT-IIM alumnus?
As I told you already that I come from the state of Bihar where there are no major industries except possibly — paper and sugar. Almost 80% of the population in my state is involved in agriculture and its related activities. So if something has to change it has to come from the agricultural space. [Asks the audience] Does anyone here want to become a farmer?
[No one raises their hand] How will this work that no one wants to become a farmer, but everyone wants food on their plate daily? My grandparents, both of whom were farmers, once said that you are studying so that you will not have to come back here again. This statement had an everlasting impact on me. So, I decided to go back and do what I am doing today.
M [to N]: What should be the overall attitude and personality of a student who wants to pursue research?
I remember that once during my Post Graduation, I was working on a project for which I had written a fair enough code but it was not working at all. Every day I would correct it and run it and hope that it would work out. Two months went by, and after roughly a thousand attempts, I was still not able to rectify it. I decided to go on vacation. And while I was at the airport waiting for my flight to Coimbatore, I suddenly realized something and I knew I had got it! As soon as I went home, I opened my laptop and made the changes and the code did run this time. So, you need to have the right kind of mindset to be in research. If you do not have a holistic approach, you will get frustrated and burnt out soon.
M [to K]: How did you prepare for CSE[Civil Services Examination, UPSC]?
I had cleared the prelims in the year 2013, after which I started the real preparations. I actually couldn’t prepare in 2013 and hence was not able to clear the Mains that year. In 2014, I cleared with AIR 256 after covering the base very extensively on my own. People will recommend many standard methods and procedures to study each topic, but that is where my preparation was unconventional. I did not follow the standard procedures. That self-exploration and figuring out the things by myself helped me differently. But if you want to take something out of this discussion, then it is that the coachings have fixed a proper course of action or set methods and procedures to crack this exam. If you follow any one of them you are bound to do well.
M: What clubs and activities did you pursue during your stay here?
N: The number of clubs and societies at that time was very less, not more than 20, but now it is very close to 100, I guess. At my time, the first Inter IIT sports meet was held at IITG in 2006. I was the Tennis Club Secretary then. It was then that the new Tennis Courts were built near the Subansiri Hostel which we see today. Earlier, the courts were there where the Design Department is today. Similar developments happened for other sports. The movie club was very active. We used to watch movies on the weekends. It feels nice to have served the institute.
R: I was the MESA(Mechanical Engineering Students Association) president. In my third year, I became passionate about automobiles and I am very happy to see a proper automobile club on the campus. Kriti, the inter-hostel technical competition began during my time. I was the leader of the Robotics module in it. We represented IITG at Robocom, Pune.
K: I was a national level quizzer, I had won TATA Crucible for straight four years. At the time of announcement of the winner for the fourth time, everyone had predicted us to be the winners, and yes, we did win it for the fourth time too.
[2] http://www.tatacrucible.com/
M: What exactly is Imposter Syndrome[3] according to you? [M explains]. I have talked with a lot of IIT Alumni, and I feel that most of them have this. Did you feel something of this sort after your stay at IIT?
K: I would say that this is not the case with me, but I find it to be with many others. This happens because initially there is a fixed path, class 10, 12 and then IIT, but now you are like what more? What next? There is no defined next step in the ladder to climb. Most people find this weird. You might feel wrong when an IITian and another college student working and earning together but IITs help you in a different way. It improves your thinking and problem-solving skills. I find it particularly useful in my government work.
N: Outside college, academics play a very less part. Your other skills will matter more. You must be open-minded. The IITian tag is not of much significance after leaving the campus.
R: I agree with Nelson. A lot of people are envious of the IIT-IIM tag. So don’t waste it. Don’t do anything that tarnishes the image of the institution.
[3] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/real-women/201809/the-reality-imposter-syndrome
M: How do you tackle comparisons, competitions in your career?
R: First of all, each one should remember what priorities they have in their life. I remember a very good analogy from a TED talk. That your career is like a car, what speed you want to drive your car at is according to your comfort. But you should know your car and your path. If you don’t know where you want to go, then you are in the wrong position. Everyone is in their own cars. Different cars are different career paths.
M [to R]: How would you describe startups and the features that set them apart and your experiences with startups?
The primary feature of startups is that they have to grow fast and solve problems efficiently and do social research and build new systems to deal with everything. People should be motivated and ready to explore. You should decide what you want to do. Also, what I would recommend is that don’t go with the flow. Just because everybody is doing AI, Analytics or Blockchain doesn’t mean you should also do that. This is wrong. Even the agricultural sector has a lot of opportunities. Know your interests and take MOOCs from reputed universities like MIT, Stanford, Harvard, Cambridge, etc. Learn soft skills, interpersonal skills, social skills, and keep becoming a better person.
M : [to N] You have done your Post Graduate studies at IITB and Monash university, so can you elaborate on the differences and similarities in both of them and more generally Indian and Foreign Universities? There is also a mindset that IIT UG students should go abroad for their higher studies. How close is this to the truth?
N: Yes, definitely. This mindset has been there since long. These days the gap in facilities has become narrower. I would suggest that for experimental work one must definitely go to foreign universities because they provide much better facilities there. For computational and theoretical fields, I would say that there is no such need to go abroad. I feel that nothing much is different when it comes to talent, intelligence, and competition. There is a difference in infrastructure and systems. Like when I was at IITB, to get any equipment, I had to do a lot of paperwork, but in Monash University if I ask today for something it would be there at my table tomorrow but things are changing slowly in India.
M: Now, this question is for all. What were your most memorable moments in IITG?
N: I actually preferred to come back because of memories. There are many experiences. We(friends) used to watch movies together and study together two or three days before the exam. We used to go to the professor’s home during festivals and eat good food. The community was very small back then. [Now restricted only for BTP, MTP etc.]
K: Back then, Umiam food was very good. We used to avoid sleeping, not to miss breakfast. People didn’t sleep just to eat that Dosa!
M: What is the best strategy to get a good CV, and what are the sacrifices one must do?
K: You should be interested in what you do. You should not do something just for the sake of CV.
R: I took many leadership positions. My GPA even after graduation was less than 7.5. Other things compensated for that but just don’t do it for the sake of CV on the expense of academics being good in other activities is not quite justified.
M : [to N]What are some mistakes students often make, that you see as a professor here since you are a faculty advisor?
N: I feel that students get diverted very easily, especially in the second semester. They mess up with their grades. They get involved in too many clubs and activities and eventually loose interest in studies. Other things should be add-ons to academics. There should be a decent emphasis on acads. I remember that the VP(Vice President, Students Gymkhana Council) was given an opportunity during placement only because of his position. He had a very less CPI of about 6. Students should not think that just because he got an opportunity even, I would get one. This is not true. Also, this should not be the reason why you would become a VP. Most of the placements and internships are pro-Academics, others are just add-ons. So you should not compromise with academics; otherwise, it would be tough.
M: What changes in mindset do you expect for students because most of them keep thinking in terms of JEE, objectivity, and rat-race?
R: I feel students should learn to do deep work. There are too many distractions nowadays. If you keep checking e-mails, facebook, Instagram, you’ll get diverted from your goals.
N: I feel that there is a general cultural change among students. The students now tend to think differently. There is a lot of peer pressure nowadays. There used to be far less pressure and depression in our times. I saw that in Melbourne, even 8-year-old kids are depressed, we never had this. There is a major shift in the mindsets of children. In terms of IQ, intelligence, and smartness, they are at par or even better than us.
M: How important are academics while in college and after graduating?
N: They are not that important if you are in Consulting, Analytics or Managerial roles. But if one is inclined towards higher education, Research or Core Science and Engineering stream, academic excellence is everything. These statements should not become an escape-study justification. At no cost should you ignore academics intentionally.
M: What are your thoughts on the general view that IITs have outdated Curriculum?
N: In all IITs, the syllabus is updated every 5 years now[earlier used to be 10 years]. The most recent update was in 2018, the last one happened in 2013. The content is up to date with that of top foreign universities like Cornell, Harvard, Cambridge. Outside India, there is more emphasis on practical applications. Also, we should note that the campus size and population is very less compared to other top universities outside India. Cornell has four times the number of students in IITG.
K, R: Flexibility has increased. Like we didn’t have HSS or even open electives in our times. Also, the syllabus and teaching methodologies in IITs are way ahead of other institutes in our country.
M: One last question. What advice would you give to students here or let’s say to your younger self?
N: It is not the aptitude but the attitude that matters. Also, keep your integrity very high, because you are valued for what you are.
R: I agree with Nelson, you must follow what he said. Be open to all, be open to everything. Keep track of time, time doesn’t stop. Choose wisely.
K: Apart from what other two have suggested, I would say that don’t limit yourself, develop talents, keep exploring, and keep accumulating and acquiring.
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Compiled by Amey Varhade and edited by Somya Agrawal
