Excelsior 2018

�xcelsior '18

r=rom the Desks

Communication is the key to change.

The Director's Interview is our attempt to bridge the gap between the higher administration and the student body of MANIT. A view of the other viewpoint, some quick words of advice.

Also, the Survey conducted by Editorial Board (Pg. 93) corroborated some of the academic challenges that the college faces. Pead on to find what our Director has to say!

1. Tell us about your educational and career background.

A. I did my B.Tech. in Agricultural �ngineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Agricultural University. After completion of my masters from G.B.P.U.A.�.T Pantnagar, I worked at National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee for 4 years. I did my Ph.D. from University of California, Davis. I joined IIT Kharagpur in 7997 as a Professor. Since then, I have developed several techniques of information technology applications in agriculture and water management which are now being used in educational institutes and research organisations. I have completed several research and consultancy projects funded by

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various national (ICAR, MOWR, DST, SAC, MHRD, ITRA, CMC, D!=ID) and international (�U, DST DAAD, Volkswagen !=oundation) agencies. I have guided 72 Ph.D.s and currently 6 Ph.D. scholars are working with me. I am a !=ellow of Indian National Academy of �ngineering (INA[ 2016) and also !=ellow of National Academy of agriculture Science (NAAS, 2016).

2. How has your perception about MANIT changed throughout your tenure so far?

A. When I came here in MANIT, things were not in good order.

In my tenure of 8 months, I can see a gradual improvement in work culture and facilities.

�xcelsior '18

i=rom the Desks My first prio1·ity was providing internet facilities, which we have improved to a great extent and we are on the right track for further improvements. We have bought a redundant line of 600 mbps. Also, I round that there was no center for computer facilities in the institute. We are planning computer labs in NTB which will be used for teaching and will be kept open for students from 8 in the morning to 72 at night. �oweve1·, I found that the indoor sports and gym facilities were appealing, but we need some more amenities. We have given approval for the construction of a tennis court and also the badminton court will be upgraded. Sports infrastructure inside the hostels has also been irnproved.

3- The infrastructure in this college leaves a lot to be desired, can you list some of the measures that you have taken to improve it?

A. Road construction contract has been given to MPPWD. Most of the roads will be completed in 3 months. Class infrastrudur·e in NTB is being improved by constructing platforms for teaching, raising heights of boardsand making fan adjustments. Also, if the need for mies is felt, they will be installed as well. We are also planning a new girls' hostel with a capacity of 600.

We are renovating the guest house and there is a proposal for a loan. Street lights are being transformed to L�D in a

phased manneI·. We will also upgrade SAC by bringing AC, sofa, chairs, lights and projedor-s.

I also found that the condition of the library was shabby. !=or immediate action, I have asked ror a better· an·angement or books in the libi-ary. By December, we are hoping to have a digital library where students can access e-books from their room itself.

4- Moving on to academics, what are some of the significant changes that you have made in this area (apart from the attendance rule)?

A. We huve stur·ted cl unique program of funding 24 student projects with an initial grant of Rs. 50000. I huve also appointed senior· teacher·s to teach in 1st and 2nd yeaI· classrooms, so that they can motivate them for academics. I want to bring changes in the academic culture because in a residential system, 700% attendance is expected. We also had a session where r·esear·ch scholars p1·esented their research work through posters and models. I he idea behind this was that it will increase interaction among various disciplines and hence improve the quality of research work. opening up avenues for interdisciplinary research.

We are also in the middle of faculty recruitments and will recruit 50-60 faculty members.

We are looking for young professionals with good academic credentials. We have also invited proposals for improving the system from various faculties where remarkable proposals were

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received in smart energy management, creating brand value of institute, etc. I he proposal or improved transport facility requires a larger discussion because various stakeholders are involved in it.

5- Can you tell us more about this proposal for improved transport facilities?

A. Basically, the proposal is that the Bhopal bus service will also carry in campus transportation and maintain connectivity thrnughout Bhopal with a nominal fee. But the major stakeholders are students so nothing will be done without consulting them.

6. In your opinion, what is the most critical thing that NANIT needs to improve for a better ranking when compared to other institutes?

A. In ranking cr-iteria, r·esearch output is a big component.

Not by the number but by the quality of journals, how many works are cited by other researchers. While opei-ating as a college, we have to develop problem solving skills and bringa resear·ch cultme.

MANIT is an old institute but its perception is poor in the eyes of the media, the general public, alumni and the government. It needs to be changed as MANIT is compared all over India with the same criteria. A lower ranking of the institute has bad repercussions as good companies don't visit the campus, good students don't take admission here and good facu I ties don't join the institute.

�xcelsior '18

Cover Story

Those words saved me the mental agony that came with making such a decision. My legs could move again, and I got up and walked away as fast as I could without it seeming like I was running.

I got out of the lecture hall and stopped for a moment to clear my thoughts. They were completely hazy. Boggled by vague words and unrealistic ideas, the landscape of my grey matter turned into an arid wasteland, and the thought of escape meant losing myself to the mirage of materialism. I looked around as if still trapped in my imaginary world. If only you could see what I saw.

So many people, so many little worlds. All of them with some sort of definite purpose in their minds. They all knew where they came from, they all knew where they were going, and their clarity of thought never ceased to amaze me. Nor did their simplicity ever stop amusing me.

You see, the thing about studying at an engineering college is that the people you meet can be broadly divided into three categories7) The Conformers- They believe in the importance of a conventional education, and also think that studying and good grades will actually make some sort of difference in their lives. Or maybe they 're actually interested in what is "taught" (which I must mention is an incredibly rare, borderline non-existent case). They 're the sort of people who go to the same restaurant for every party, order the same crappy food, have the same painfully boring conversations, and more often than not end up in a painfully boring job. �ither way, they work hard, day and night.

2) The Politically tv1otivated Brigade- Their

life interests lie outside academics, and they are found to be more concerned with whether someone has disrespected the country by stating an opinion entirely different to theirs. They can usually be found organising or participating in protests about issues that they do not have first-hand experience of, are completely unqualified to speak about, and which also are entirely irrelevant to their lives.

3) The Realists- They recognise the futility of the lives that The Conformers lead, but they do so any way as they believe that it is the best way to put food on the table, no matter how tainted it may be.

They accept the taint, float in it, and swallow it whole.

Almost everyone who studies engineering is only doing so because they were told to do it. Nobody actually has any idea about what it is before they come to college, and thus before they're aware of it, they turn into one of these three types of people.

I belonged to a fourth category though. I didn't care. About any of it. I was stuck. I would just lie in bed and stare at the ceiling for hours on end, living in oblivion. And I would live there alone, whiling away the uneventful days, as my body made a weak-hearted attempt to survive.

But did I ever belong to the first three categories?

Maybe the first one, a long time ago when the world was much simpler. It often makes me wonder about what happened along the way. Did I lose myself, or were my eyes opened to the absolute banality that surrounds me at every turn?

The world was always cruel and unfair, and I always knew that. But it never really bothered me as much as it does now. But then again, I never really hated myself, as much as I do now. primary

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Cover Story

�xcelsior '18

f=or some reason I didn't hesitate, even for a second, in believing him.

"So how do you deal with it?" I asked, expecting one of those answers which would make me laugh again. Laughing and crying at the same time, wouldn't that be a wonderful sight.

"I don't," he said, with an air of conviction. "I don't need to."

That's new, I thought. Genuinely interested now, I asked, "And would you say you're happy?"

This time he laughed, and said, "No, I'm probably not. But I don't need to be. You don't need to be either. And you know why? Ifs because beauty, real beauty, is unhindered by knowledge. Ifs like watching a movie and not liking it, but only because the hype created for it was so great that almost anything would disappoint you now. That movie is ruined for you. �appiness is the same. Ifs not going to come down as a heavy downpour, but probably as scattered rainfall.

Don't expect it to be anything greater than it is. It won't answer all your questions, it's not here to stay, and the sun will most certainly burn you again, but always remember that rainfall may just be around the corner. And enjoy the slightest drizzles as well."

I looked away again. I knew all that. Of course, I knew all that.

"And you're smart enough to know that as well", he went on, "so cheer up man."

"Yeah," I sighed, "yeah. I just needed someone to

"I know it is, my friend. Look, it's fine. It really is. Not

tell me."

a long time ago, I had the exact same problem with the

"Don't we all? Ifs nothing to be ashamed of", he

world. And while we're on that topic, can I ask you a

said reassuringly.

question?"

I shrugged my shoulders again. It was really

"Sure, go ahead," I said, admiring at the same time

difficult to think of anything to say.

the way in which he talked to me. As if we were equals.

After a long, awkward pause, I finally said, "Well, I

"What makes you get out of bed every day?"

guess I'll be going now."

I looked away for a moment, and after what

"Where will you go? �ome?"

seemed like an eternity, I replied, "Need."

"Yeah, well, that's good. But need for what? f=ood,

"Oh no, not home."

"Then where?" he asked. �e seemed genuinely

money, love, what?"

curious.

"Validation," I said, my voice almost breaking now.

"Out. Somewhere. I have absolutely no idea

'All I want, all I've ever wanted, is validation. To hear

where. I'll be fine though, don't worry."

that there is nothing wrong with me, that I'm fine. The

"Yeah, you will. f=ly."

irony being that I'm seeking validation from a world which I absolutely hate and deride at every

And with that, we parted, each going our separate

opportunity. The tragedy being that validation from this

ways. I looked back to see where he was headed, but

world is kissing goodbye to everything that I am."

he had vanished, leaving behind nothing but a broken

"Yeah, I get that. I seek validation too."

mirror where he was standing just moments ago.

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f=un

�xcelsior '18

Ferris Bueller FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF

Mark Whitacre THE INFORMANT

AFFLICTION: This is the fun loving, happy go lucky clan of people. Rules laid by the administration do not apply to them.

IDIOSYNCRACIES: Their sole objective in life is to enjoy it to the fullest. Classes are like prisons for them. And, how can they be expected to handle class on days like these (all working days).

LOCATION: They are hardly ever spotted on the campus. There is not a single food joint or tourist spot in or around Bhopal that has not been graced by their auspicious presence at least once.

AFFLICTION: They suffer from an unknown condition as a consequence of which they find it rather painful to keep the information that they have been entrusted with, to themselves.

LOCATION: The informants lurk amidst us like an unstoppable force. Their natural talent for blending in makes them virtually invisible when part of a crowd.

IDIOSYNCRASIES: N/A A WORD OF ADVICE: It is advisable to exercise caution while spilling the beans about your darkest secrets to anyone.

Because if you unknowingly choose the informant to be the keeper of your secrets, it won't be long before everyone knows about it.

A WORD OF ADVICE: N/A

Charlie Dalton DEAD POETS SOCIETY AFFLICTION: They have a general

disregard for the rules set by the college administration and are not at all hesitant to demonstrate it.

IDIOSYNCRASIES: When the notices which function as bearers of bad tidings are plastered on all the walls across the college, these individuals rise from their dormant states and become active both online and offiine to set into motion a mutiny to put an end to the tyranny.

LOCATION: These individuals can be spotted on the porch or beside the SAC leading the revolts (strike) to bend the rules to their whims.

Harry Potter HARRY POTTER SERIES AFFLICTION: With their motto of loving service proudly emblazoned on their sleeves, these individuals seldom hesitate to lend a helping hand to all those who come asking for their assistance.

IDIOSYNCRASIES: These individuals can be seen working hard, day in and day out. Stocking up on enough workload to result in a breakdown is their forte. Selflessness maybe a virtue but it surely lands these individuals in trouble all the time.

LOCATION: These individuals can be seen all around the campus, dragging behind them the enormous burden of all the work that has been assigned to them and that which they have unwillingly taken up owing to their innate disability to say NO to others.

A WORD OF ADVICE: N/A

A WORD OF ADVICE: N/A

���

FASHIONISTAS (Regina George- MEAN GIRLS) AFFLICTION: For this group of people, fashion is not a choice but a way of living. They may not take a bath daily, but that does not deter them from looking sharp all-day long.

IDIOSYNCRASIES: Skincare consumes a major proportion of their time and they take up a lot of trouble to ensure that their wardrobe is up to date.

LOCATION: They can be spotted gliding gracefully across the campus in their best garb. Their entrance is the most anticipated at any event of major significance.

A WORD OF ADVICE: N/A

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Raja Afa Baro, Jayant Pareek, Nilesh Pratap Singh Chauhan, Sawai Singh Rathore, Niranjan Prajapati, Siddhartha Vikram Singh, Siva Kumar, Vikas Prasad, Sumanth Sai, Sunii Kumar Swami

�bsentees- Prateek Kumar Jain,Rahul Sinha, Ravi Kumar, Waqas IV1asood, Dipak Yadav,IV1anish Kumar, Ritu Raj Bharti, Virendra Rajput,Sunny Sambyal, l-larendra Kumar, Ashish Upadhyay, Subham Patel, Dinesh Kumar Shakyawar, Rahul Agrawal, Sachin Sharma, Neeraj Kumar, Ajay Kumar, Neha Chaplet, 1A nkita.

I Kumar,Gaurav Yadav,Ajay Kumar IV1aurya,Nishant Bhardwaj,l-lari Shankar Bhatt,Sagar Lohiya,Rajat Chauhan,Prakhar Jain,Sanket Jain,Shubham Verma, I Rohan Anand,Anupam Gupta,Deepak IV1ohan Gupta.Amit Kumar Baghel

I Standing 3rd Row (L to R)- Sachin Kumar,IV1anoj Shukla,Sunil Kumar,Nandini Swaraj,Priyanka IV1uleva,Vinya Kumar Verma,Abhishek IV1aur ya,Sushant

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Standing 1st row (L to R)- Rohan Khandelwal, Abdul Ahad IV1eizai, Ahmad Khalid Karimi, Amar Kaushal, IV1onika Reddy, Rashi Shah, lshita Singh, Prajwal 1Chaurasia, Shivam Patidar, IV1anglam Sharma, Prince Kumar, Yogesh Kumar, Satendra Singh �Standing 2nd Row (L to R)- K ritika Kharbanda, Irum J=aisal, Sambhavi Joshi, Priyanshi IV1ukati, Pramod Yadav, Isaac Thuomzawmlien, Ovais Siddiqui,

�Sitting (L to R)- Dr. Jai Trilok Chaudhary, Dr. Rajesh Wadhwani, Dr. P. K. Bhatt, Dr. Alok IV1ittal, Dr. N.S. Raghuwanshi, Dr. Namita Shrivastav, Dr. IV1eenu rhawla

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Standing 3rd Row (L to R)- Karlik Tiwari, Pa lash Lad, Vikram singh Thakur, �kansh Jain, l-larsh Gupta, Samyak Jain, Sudhanshu Joshi, Abhishek Chauhan, Dileep Kumar, Ashutosh Singour, Shaurya Sisodia, Amar Singh, Yogeshwar Reddy, Okil Kumar, l-limanshi Akhand, Manikanta Jayana, Ram Sameer, Atul Goyal, Krishna Varun, Ashwin Malaiya, Sunii Kumar Swami, YVS Abhinav

Standing 2nd Row (L to R)- Yogita Chaurasiya, Sarvesh Yadav, Jayti Goyal, Srishti Sharma, Rochika Garg, Sakshi Chaudhary, Mitali Bansal, Durga Patel, Saurabh Mishra, Yash Maheshwari, Shreyas Pratap Singh, Parul Shelar, Rohit Rajoriya, Anirudh Shastri, Ratnakar Singh, ShaliniMeena, !=algunee Dhumale, Aditi Pawar, Sushant Sanjog Sahu, Manasa Karnam, Pragati Kasera, K. Preethi, Aishwarya, Pallavi Ghormare, Manvir Kaur.

Standing 1st Row (L to R)- B. Srinidhi, Mayank Chaurasia, Damini Vyas, Shivam Raghuwanshi, Seethal Chandra Komapalli, Rajeev Baheliya, K. Sattwick, Akshay Digarse, Murlee Patil, Priyanka Mankar, Shrey Khare, Shubhi Mishra, Kimi Seth, !=iza Khan, Arvind Dhaker, Abhishek Mishra, Shashank Tadaiya

Sitting (L to R)- Gourav Shukla, Ash Iesha Goswami, Saket Patel, Aakash Jaiswal, Dr. Vinita Mahindra, Dr. Savita Dixit, Dr. Alok Mittal, Dr. N.S. Raghu­ wanshi, Dr. Namita Shrivastav, Nishtha Anushree, l-larsha Mittal, Dharmendra Khatik, Piyush Paliwal

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