BITSAA Pune is glad to announce a networking meet with Jayan Ramankutty. Jayan is no stranger to BITSAA community all over the world and BITSAA Pune had earlier organized a networking lunch with him in December 06 which was very well received. Due to short notice this time we are making it an informal get together over tea/coffee. If you would like to join please respond to me asap along with your cell number. The venue would be decided based on response and communicated by SMS to all those who respond. Venue will likely be in Deccan-Shivajinagar area. If you have a venue to offer to host this meet, you are most welcome.

Jayan is a serial entrepreneur and it will be great opportunity to meet with him esp. for entrepreneurs - current or aspiring ones - and get a peek into how things work at the Mecca of tech entrepreneurship i.e. Silicon Valley. A brief bio of Jayan is attached below.

Date: Sunday, 9th November 08
Time: 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm
Venue: Trak Enterprises, Symphony C Building, Range Hills Road, Pune

Profile of Prof. Naresh Dadich: Director of IUCAA, Pune

D2D team had a chat with Prof Naresh Dadich over a cup of tea. A video clip of the chat can be viewed here:

This article is a reprint from D2D issue 3, dated 6th Sep 2008.

Prof. Naresh Dadich is a renowned physicist and heads Inter-University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) at Pune. D2D team caught up with him over tea at IUCAA. A physicist, a poet, an academician with social concern - he is a very versatile person exuding energy and intellect yet carrying a calm disposition that is instantly contagious.

Born in a small village, Sarsali in Churu district in Rajasthan, he used to walk 3 miles everyday to go attend a school. He went to Pilani to do his higher secondary and some part of B.Sc. and that is how he is associated with BITS. “It was really a cosmopolitan culture which gave me a big opportunity to learn things and learn to live with people from different background and make friends with them”, he adds. He went to Vallabh Vidyanagar to do his M.Sc. and then came to Pune in 1966 to do his Ph.D.. After his Ph.D, he joined department of Maths in Pune university and taught there for 17 years.

Prof. Dadich has been associated with IUCAA project since its inception in 1988 when Prof. Jayant Narlikar took up the challenge of building a world class institute. “IUCAA is an institute for promoting Astronomy and Astrophysics teaching and research in universities. Astronomy was not a part of Physics or Maths curriculum in universities and hence the students were not aware of the exciting work being done in astronomy. IUCAA was setup as a common facility for all universities to promote research in astronomy”.

Prof. Dadich feels that institute such as BITS can contribute in much bigger way. His message for BITSAA - “If Alumni association has to do anything, it is to impress upon management to promote research and make a mark as a good academic institution”. He adds “One thing I have been very unhappy with BITS and that is it has never grown out of school mode. I don’t see many research papers coming out. Management doesn’t promote these things”. He asks pointedly, “In last 50 years, how many scientists have come out?”. He thinks BITSAA events should go beyond the dinner parties and really engage the intellectual capital of BITSAA community for larger good of the society. He quickly offers all the support from his side for any such activities.

Prof. Dadich lives with his family at IUCAA campus. He shares, “My wife is a Maharashtrian and a devoted social activist associated with social and environmental causes such as Narmada Bachao Andolan, Nari Samta Manch, rural and water health issues. I have 2 children. My daughter is a statistician and working for a software company. My son is interested in movies and is pursuing a career in production”.

Before we conclude our meeting, Prof. Dadich shows us a simple science model showing a levitating pencil, shares a copy of his address to passing out NDA cadet and Hindi poem written by him.

Desert2Deccan: BITSAA Pune Newsletter

Desert2Deccan (D2D) is a BITSAA Pune newsletter published quarterly. The name was coined to denote the journey that begins in desert i.e. Pilani and brings a Bitsian to Deccan plateau where the city of Pune is located. Pune is also popularly know as Queen of Deccan. So far 3 issues of D2D have been out. All the issues are sponsored by either individuals or firms owned by Bitsians or their relatives. You can find soft copy of issues published so far at www.bitsaa-pune.org.

If you like to sponsor next issue, please drop an email to bitsaa.pune@gmail.com. The sponsorship money is used to print and distribute/dispatch about 300 copies to Bitsians registered with BITSAA Pune.

A Question of Convenience

Every year, BITSAA Pune organizes 2 annual events - one on 26th Jan and another on 15th August. While 26th Jan is a picnic-type outdoor event, 15th August event is held in a formal indoor setting along with AGM and elections . National holidays are chosen so that every alum can participate as every industry and establishment has a holiday on these days. Why, not a Sunday, one may ask thinking it is a holiday for everyone? Well this is Pune and here Sunday is not a holiday or weekend for every industry. Pune is known for automobile and manufacturing industry since long before it came to be associated with new age industries such as IT, BPO and Education. And that old industry belt (Pimpri, Chinchwad, Bhosari, Chakan) has its weekly off on Thursdays. Popular belief has it that Thursday is weekly off for old economy industries because it has industrial power cuts on Thursdays! Why Thursdays for power cuts, would be the next question from an inquisitive Bitsian? Let us stop this inquest here as I believe we are now transgressing into the territory of Archaeological Survey of India (and also my own closely guarded ignorance).

Since a large number of alums in Pune, especially from earlier batches are associated with the industry that observes Thursday as its weekly off, an event on Saturdays or Sundays is not convenient to them. Hence, since early days the BITSAA Pune annual gatherings are held on national holidays. Many people have time and again wondered why Independence day and Republic day are chosen for BITSAA Pune events. So now you know it has all to do with convenience and nothing to do with any misplaced jingoism.

Welcome to BITSAA Pune blog

This BITSAA blog is created to keep Pune alums aware about important information related to BITS, alums in Pune, events, visits, job opportunities, etc. Blogging is an effective way to keep people involved and up-to-date in a lively and non-intrusive manner. I hope alums will find it useful.