We began with a bang in the search of a name, We did not disappear nor stepped back from the game, Here we are again, all set to ajar, The doors that kept us hidden, looking ahead to travel afar, To further what we dreamt of and initiated, We are making a home run this time, undeviated, We won't be away anymore, even closer than you could have bet, As "Beating With You Always" is what we never regret!
Hola amigos! IIT Heartbeat brings forth its first official edition. The wait was long, but we've made sure it was worth it. We have in it here the matter to enthrall you, to share with you what we know, to tell you what you don't. Our areas are diverse, and we've ensured everyone will have something to look forward to. So just swipe through the pages, stop where you like, go through where you want to, and let us know what you think about us!
Content Raghuram, the real superhero!
1
Anecdotes from Swami Vivekanand
2
Arunima Sinha
4
Start-Up, Up and Away
5
Fests and Facets
6
Catch-22!
8
End of an Epoch
9
The Alumni Connection
10
A perspective
16
Mangalyaan
17
Mass Mailing and Me
19
Fading Status
20
Paranoia
21
Essence of Gandhi
22
Peer Review Scams Artisens
23 24
ARUNIMA SINHA: A story retold! “When I reached the highest peak, I wanted to shout loudly and let the world know here I am.” She is a story of triumph and will. Here we are talking about the brave girl, 26-year old Arunima Sinha, who lost her leg in an unfortunate accident on April 11, 2011, but despite the fact that she lost a leg, she did not give up the spirit of life and defied all conceivable odds. An innocent smile, twinkling eyes and a will made of steel is what defines Arunima Sinha. Having recently met her at an interactive session organized by the Himalayan Explorers Club, IIT Roorkee one could gauze from her a zeal for life. Arunima was a national level volleyball player. Life took a complete change for her after she was pushed out of moving Padmawati express in 2011. In words of Arunima, I saw a train approaching towards me. I wanted to get away from the tracks. But till then the train was over my leg and after that I do not remember anything. Forty to fifty trains crossed on her leg the whole night. Arunima was hospitalized with serious leg and pelvic injuries and in a bid to save her life doctors had to amputate her left leg below the knee. Arunima says, “When I was undergoing treatment at AIIMS for four months I could not do anything on my own. Then I decided to remove this tag. And then one day I decided to climb the Mount Everest.” Arunima met Bachendri Pal, the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest, on the very second day after being discharged from the hospital, told her that she wanted to climb the Everest. Bachendri Pal had tears in her eyes after listening that. She trained her for over a year.
Arunima recounts to her audience the travails she faced on her way up the mountain, like the time when she got a call from the base camp to return as she was running low of oxygen. She pushed on nonetheless. They came across dead bodies- of perfectly able men who had died while attempting to conquer the summit but this girl with an artificial leg was simply not willing to give up. The memory of dead bodies, frozen for eternity, still haunts her. With diminishing oxygen supply she made it to the top of the peak along with her two Sherpa. In case of the eventuality of not making it back, she recorded a video message for the country which was praying for her success. But she was destined to come back alive. A fellow mountaineer decided to give up his trek and left behind their oxygen cylinder for her use. Arunima says, “I think more than physical strength, you need a lot of mental strength to conquer the Everest”. On the mountains I would be in situations where my body had completely stopped supporting me but the will power was there. It was this will power that pushed me out of the dangerous situations and kept me going.” On May 21, 2013, Arunima Sinha was on the top of the world, 8848 meters above the sea level. What goes through the mind at that moment? Is it a sense of exhilaration? Having conquered the tallest peak or of having conquered oneself, Arunima expresses with delight, “When I reached the highest peak, I wanted to shout loudly and let the world know here I am.”
Anecdotes from the life of Swami Vivekananda
Truth is purity, truth is all-knowledge, truth must be strengthening, must be enlightening, must be invigorating Name the person whose image comes to your mind when you hear of Hindu Monk? For many, it might be Swami Vivekananda. No wonder, he is the perfect example of a great Hindu Monk who played an important role in the introduction of the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the western world. The 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda (12 January 2013) was celebrated all over the world. Who was this man? How did he reach the shores of America? Let us explore and embark upon this journey. Throughout his childhood, Vivekananda displayed outstanding qualities of character, devotion, talent, a deep philosophical mind and a capacity for both meditation and intense compassion for his fellowmen. His childhood name was Narendranath Dutt. Swamiji lived the ideal of fearlessness even as a small child. One day as he was swinging from the tree, the grandfather told him that a ghost lives in that tree and he breaks the neck of those who climb the tree. But Narendra started swinging again. His friend cried out, “Naren! The ghost is sure to catch you and break your neck.” Narendra laughed heartily and said,” What a silly fellow you are! If the grandfather's story were true then my neck would have been broken long ago!” Swamiji later said, Do not believe a thing because you have read it in a book Do not believe a thing because another has said it so. Find out truth for yourself. That is realization.
In his adolescence, Narendra grew up to be a rationalist and became a member of BrahmoSamaj. He later met Swami Ramakrishna Paramhansa in Dakshineswar. He asked him whether he had seen God. Swamiji replied, “Yes I see him just as I see you in a much more intense sense.” Narendra was taken away by the Swamiji's direct response. During his visit to Rajasthan, Swami Vivekananda met a local king Mangal Singh who firmly believed that worshipping a stone or iron was foolish. To convince him Swamiji asked one of king's ministers to spit on the picture of the king. The minister was shocked by the suggestion and immediately refused to do so. Vivekananda told the king, “See your highness, though this is not you in one sense, in another sense it is you; one glance at it makes them see you in it. Thus it is also with the devotees who worship stone images of Gods and Goddesses.” This was a bold and direct way of Swamji that brought a change in everyone he met. Swami Vivekananda delivered his lecture in the World Parliament of Religions which was held on 11 Sep 1893 in Chicago. His starting words were, “Sisters and brothers of America”.Just with that the whole audience rose up in applause. Vivekananda continued, “The Hindu refuses to call you sinners. Ye are the children of God, the sharers of immortal bliss, holy and perfect beings. It is a sin to call man so.” Swami Vivekananda had captivated America. His sincere emotions and spirit of universality took the parliament by stone.
Once in America, Swamiji was watching some boys who were trying to shoot at egg shells that were floating on the river, but they always missed the target. Swamiji took the gun and aimed at the shells. He fired twelve times and every time he hit the target. The boys asked swamiji, “Well Mister, how did you do it?” Swamiji said, “Whatever you are doing, put your whole mind on it. If you are learning your lessons, think only of the lesson. In my country boys are taught to do so.” When Swami Vivekananda finally came to India in 1900, his health had started deteriorating and the end came quietly on the night of 4 July 1902. Before his Mahasamadhi, he had written to a western follower, “I have a message to the west as Buddha had a message to the east. I shall not cease to work. I shall inspire men everywhere until the world shall know that it is one with the God.” Swami Vivekananda's life was a tribute to Hindu Dharma, a dedication to the spirit of universal peace and inspiration to all. “Arise-awake and stop not till the goal is reached they alone live who live for others. The rest are more dead than alive.”
Fests and Facets For the first time, IIT HeartBeat brings a column, exclusively for its readers, focussing on the diversity of planning systems in making a fest successful. Any festival requires a good communication link between the two ends of the education system, namely the students and teachers. The year 2014 saw the inception of Utkrishta Bharat, a 4day festival on the occasion of Swami Vivekananda's th 150 birth anniversary, led by an organizing committee comprised of only teaching faculty as members and volunteers. In the same year, we are awaiting the arrival of Cognizance 2014, comprising of a student executive body. Which one has a better planning, execution and output; we don't know for sure. So let's have a look at both sides of the coin. Faculty-led planning saves time, enhances studentteacher relationship Dr. Anil Kumar Gourishetty, Volunteer Faculty, Utkrishta Bharat Motivation, Team and Funding: The motivation behind the festival, Utkrishta Bharat, was to instil a sense of belongingness among the students in IIT. There is a need to realize the essence of “Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinaha”. The team was headed by the Director and Deputy Director, nominal funding and zero sponsorship were required since the event was a social initiative and the committee was headed by the deputy director himself. The guest speakers were alumni, willing to come on zero expenses.
Student Participation: Our event was a low key event, catering to the on-campus students. The publicity was done majorly through flexes and on word of mouth basis. Considering these aspects, the participation in quizzes and essay writing competitions and lectures was indeed overwhelming. However, “Run for the nation” was one event which could have had a better participation. Advantages: Since the administration was itself the organizer, immediate cooperation and approval from the authorities was certainly an added advantage. Moreover, we got a lot of incentives in kind, e.g.: medical help from the institute hospital during the marathon. In my view, such faculty-led bodies bring about a sustained environment for a holistic lifestyle, by strengthening the bond with the students. Limitations: Certainly, the event was one of a kind and will need major enhancements. Collaborating with student bodies like NSS or NCC or even NSO would have bridged the gap between the teachers and the first year students, who have immense enthusiasm which could be channelized in a different direction altogether. The outreach certainly needs to be improved, and faculty can't do it all by itself. We require students to consciously be a part such platforms for brainstorming ideas. Each and every student member involved shares the same responsibility as the convener Mr Abhilash Jajoo, Convener (Administration), Cognizance 2014
Motivation, Team and Funding: Cognizance 2014 is based on the theme 'Imagineering Change'. The basic idea behind this tagline is to imagine an idea and utilize your engineering as well as technical skills to bring about a change in the system through this idea. The decision behind selection of student members for the core team for the same is based on the potential to contribute as well as past year experiences with the event, taken by the faculty advisors along with the past year conveners. Currently, we have a 38member core student body along with a large number of student volunteers. With regards to funding, we have a pool of past year sponsors, marketing agencies, personal contacts as well as firms and organization that were quite enthusiastic in the past years. Our sponsorship team also conducts cold calling, where HRs from random companies are called, and a proposal is made by the marketing team. We also approach faculty members and the administration for their generous support. Being the second largest technical fest in Asia, it is reasonable to state that we have a comparatively high requirement of sponsorships, catering to our budget, expenses and transportation costs. Student Participation: Every year we receive an overwhelming response from students across the nation, so yes we do have a quality participation which requires shortlisting entries. Our events are highly technical; problem statements are quite lengthy and complex. So, participation is automatically diversified and we do not need to do much in this regard. As observed last year, we had over 20,000 registrations, from which we shortlisted only 2200 participants/teams.
Advantages: To make Cognizance a huge annual success, we have an advantage of getting associated with other student organizations within the campus. By connecting at the student volunteer level, we aim to approach more colleges through our student partner programs and try to make Cognizance reach new heights every year. Limitations: Certainly, no festival can become a success unless it has faced some challenges. Delays in approval, approaching companies for sponsorship and funding, timely reception of funds and financial management are some of the bottlenecks that we face every year. Payments also need to be made for the services taken on credit basis before or during the festival. (To suggest an idea for our next edition, kindly mail your v i e w s o n t o g e e t ik a . n e hr a . 2 9 @ g m a il. c o m o r crudeansh@gmail.com)
Perspective Like a testimony to the rich past departed, I behold you a legend of how it all started. Some truths unveiled, untold until wrung, I've lived through years and still stand young, And stand still young for the years to come... I am the foundation to the institution, an outline to the technical aspects In the world which awaits an epoch of factories and machines' precepts. Wrapped in white, an architecture masterpiece adorns the holy Ganges I am the time-keeper, the visionary, channelizing the humdrum changes. Like a precious jewel on the mighty crown, The world, green-eyed, looks up on frown. What appeal of living, if jealousies unsung? I've lived through years and still stand young And stand still young for the years to come... The times of yore have witnessed the golden glory of my subsistence, They serenade utterly, croon to the marvels of my kith and kin hence. Change, the rule of the nature is merciless even to mine veteran hands The reason why the ruthless time deceased my worth, lost in the sands. Steadily everything's just greying around, Not compensated by the green surround. Why a question hangs on every tongue? If after these years do I still stand young? And stand still young for the years to come? Every human life experiences ups and downs, its hope that holds along. A hope for a far better future, a future where nothing would get wrong, Fear to fall into the curse of Oblivion, is what haunts me now and then, But now I know that the elucidation of my doubts lie where it all began My laurels had raised me to the zenith thither, Now it's time for history to repeat itself hither. With my disciples I can surpass any doldrums, I've lived through years and still stand young And stand still young for the years to come...
END OF AN EP CH Sir Alex Ferguson's Retirement Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, Britain's longest‐serving and most decorated football manager bade farewell to football after more than 26 years and nearly 1,500 matches at the helm of Manchester United, bringing to a close the most glittering managerial career in British soccer. Ferguson, a horse‐racing enthusiast and wine connoisseur, was not an overnight success, experiencing some difficult years before landing the FA Cup in 1990 and the Winners' Cup the year after. Ending United's 25‐year wait for the English title in 1992‐93 proved to be the catalyst for two decades of domination despite the challenges of Arsenal, Chelsea and more recently Manchester City. Famous for his so‐called hair‐dryer outbursts of rage at high‐profile players, his manic gum‐chewing and almost child‐like celebration of goals, Ferguson became one of the world's most respected coaches with his philosophy of attacking football and his ability to re‐build teams. His faith in young players launched the careers of David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs as he played the role of a mentor for them while his signings of players such as Rio Ferdinand, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney proved masterstrokes. He didn't merely manage teams, he created them. Many of the stars of the past twenty five years would, without him, have been regarded as too wayward ‐ too crazy even ‐ to make it elsewhere. What Ferguson understood is the need to channel their anger away from self‐destruction and towards their shared goal ‐ victory on the pitch. His decision ended a glittering era at Old Trafford in which the club won 13 English league titles, two European Cups, five FA Cups and four League Cups as well as the FIFA Club World Cup. The list of Sir Alex's wins is remarkable, spanning almost four decades, from humble origins at St Mirren. It's hard to imagine anyone getting close to his records. In his 26th full year at the reigns of the biggest club in England, Ferguson has become one of the most recognizable faces in sport after leading the Red Devils to a host of trophies. Ferguson was the leader not of a mere football team. He was the mastermind of one of Britain's leading brands. However, his achievements demand not just respect. They deserve to be studied and learnt from by those who think that leadership is a rare commodity and it matters.
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, Britain's longest‐serving and most decorated football manager bade farewell to football after more than 26 years and nearly 1,500 matches at the helm of Manchester United, bringing to a close the most glittering managerial career in British soccer. Ferguson, a horse‐racing enthusiast and wine connoisseur, was not an overnight success, experiencing some difficult years before landing the FA Cup in 1990 and the Winners' Cup the year after. Ending United's 25‐year wait for the English title in 1992‐93 proved to be the catalyst for two decades of domination despite the challenges of Arsenal, Chelsea and more recently Manchester City. Famous for his so‐called hair‐dryer outbursts of rage at high‐profile players, his manic gum‐chewing and almost child‐like celebration of goals, Ferguson became one of the world's most respected coaches with his philosophy of attacking football and his ability to re‐build teams. His faith in young players launched the careers of David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs as he played the role of a mentor for them while his signings of players such as Rio Ferdinand, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney proved masterstrokes. He didn't merely manage teams, he created them. Many of the stars of the past twenty five years would, without him, have been regarded as too wayward ‐ too crazy even ‐ to make it elsewhere. What Ferguson understood is the need to channel their anger away from self‐destruction and towards their shared goal ‐ victory on the pitch. His decision ended a glittering era at Old Trafford in which the club won 13 English league titles, two European Cups, five FA Cups and four League Cups as well as the FIFA Club World Cup. The list of Sir Alex's wins is remarkable, spanning almost four decades, from humble origins at St Mirren. It's hard to imagine anyone getting close to his records. In his 26th full year at the reigns of the biggest club in England, Ferguson has become one of the most recognizable faces in sport after leading the Red Devils to a host of trophies. Ferguson was the leader not of a mere football team. He was the mastermind of one of Britain's leading brands. However, his achievements demand not just respect. They deserve to be studied and learnt from by those who think that leadership is a rare commodity and it matters.
End of Epoch
PARANOIA As I sat on the floor of my cell, looking at the cobwebs on the ceiling and trying to ignore the dirt and dust around me; my mind was wandering into the past, into the memories which I had cherished once upon a time but which were now ripping my soul off and tearing it to bits and pieces… I am Mark, by the way, and I am accused of brutally murdering my dear wife Susan. It is extremely painful to think that, those lovely eyes will never meet mine and that pleasant laughter will never linger in my ears. But the most painful thought that tortures my mind, body and soul is that I did not kill her, and I know who did it but nobody will ever believe me… Susan was elegant, pretty and graceful. She was fun to be with; her laughter and her jokes used to erase all my worries. But there was one tiny thing that used to upset me in our relationship. An unusual sense of detachment developed between us, soon after our marriage. Though she never told me the reason behind her sadness, I soon found that it was some kind of fear beholding her. All this happened after I got transferred away from home. One fine evening, I saw something that made me fall off my chair. I came back from the office early that day. She was standing in the verandah, staring at the busy city roads outside. I greeted her, she never replied. I never found her so silent. I paved closer to gauge what had occurred, the eeriness kept growing as the distance between us decreased. “Susan”, I said. She turned towards me. It was a scary sight. Most of her face was covered with scars and wounds as though someone had tried to scratch it with their nails. The markings were all over her face. “What's the matter dear? What happened to your face?” I asked earnestly. Today, she couldn't keep the silence for long. “Mark, there is something I ought to tell you. It's been like this since I was 15. I didn't believe in ghosts then. Until, I discovered one in me. Every fortnight, I find myself awake at the wee hours in the morning. Sometimes, I gaze at myself in the mirror and find someone else present behind me. She is continuously watching me, and wants me to harm myself. Else she won't leave me alone. I am afraid dear, she'll never!” She was shaking from head to foot as she recounted this; as though she was reliving the experience.
“Her image is still engraved in my mind, face covered with blood and fingernails ready to pounce.” she said. I tried to calm her down and told her that I loved her in spite of her face and that we will try to forget her past and start a new life. We had started our new life and though sometimes the past memories haunted her and she used to wake up many times shouting and screaming; she was trying to get over it and slowly her nightmares decreased .After a long, hectic week, I had decided to take her out for a weekend.I did not realize then that this would turn out to be the biggest and the most fatal mistake that I ever made. We had gone to a nearby village bungalow where my grandparents once lived. It was located at a distance from the village and the crowd. The place was ideal for a quiet, romantic weekend. On Saturday, we spent the complete day in each other's company. We spent the whole day admiring the beauty of nature. In the evening when we returned to the bungalow, I got a call from my boss, asking me to come immediately as the situation could not be explained over phone. As Susan was tired, I told her to go to sleep and that I would try to return as early as possible.As I reached my office,I found it empty. I rang up my boss to remind him of the meeting. He denied having made any such call and told me that everything was okay. Puzzled, I made my way back to the village but got struck in a traffic jam,and by the time I reached; it had started to rain heavily and I had to wait for some time.Finally I was able to reach the bungalow by 12:30 am. I thought that Susan must be sleeping very soundly and so I did not turn on the lights and fell asleep soon. Next morning,even before I opened my eyes, I felt a deep longing for Susan's touch and tried to pull her close to me.I was shocked to find her hand ice-cold. Frantically, I opened my eyes & the whole world seemed to spin around me. Somehow I got up, shocked .I could not even scream. My senses had begun to go numb, my legs lost their power, and I fell down on the floor. On my bed,just beside where I had slept last night; lay the body of my dear Susan, lying in a pool of blood .The mirror in front of our bed was broken into pieces. I realized that Susan had made that call. As I glanced on the wall in front of me, a horrifying message written in Susan's blood pierced into my eyes, “Help me, Mark!”…
MASS MAILING AND ME: WE DREAM, WE SPAM, WE INTERN IITians are ambitious people and have their aspirations soaring to the skies. That is why, from the second year itself, every student dreams to cruise the world outside, and what better, if he graces it with the tag of a FOREIGN INTERN! Leave alone a few academic enthusiasts and research maniacs, majority of the students from these premium Indian institutes take up intern to avoid the otherwise blank state of their profiles. A simple rule that "bulkier the resume, heftier the package!" is popularly presumed by the students and believed to follow in the job bazaar too, pushing many to go on an intern hunt on the web. Such interns would help them adorn their resumes and they would have a better chance of securing good jobs in the future. Moreover, inspired by the successful stories of their seniors, recited with the added flavours of the fun they had on their 'free of cost holiday tours' to foreign universities, many of these students dream to win such holiday packages for themselves too, the cost being -nicely written, self-advertising e-mails to lure the foreign professors (an easy bid to win the jackpot). These mails, particularly flaunting the IIT tags of the students are written to make-believe the professors regarding their out of the world interests in the respective research fields. But this trend has become so popular among the Indian institutes that foreign professors have found their e-mail accounts being spammed by such requests. Jeffrey Shallit, a Computer Science professor at the University of Waterloo claimed on his blog named 'Recursivity' of having received mails of Indian students with interests in some other fields, not even close to his area of study. Astonishingly, one of the mails had incorrect names of his research papers in topics which had never been a part of his study. Many other professors of different foreign universities allege that receiving such mails is a regular affair for them and many a times they simply ignore and delete such requests. Another professor, David Kempe, who is an Associate Professor in Computer Science, in the University of Southern California commented,“ I think most of us get quite a few of these every year. I delete them (and have a note on my web page warning people that I do). Sometimes, I'm tempted to respond: 'I added your name to a list of students I will make sure will never get admitted to our PhD program'.
It seems like someone once wrote a script to scrape faculty web pages for names of random papers and research areas, and this script still gets used...� This is a very sad thing for the Indian students as, in this way many deserving candidates too lose a chance of securing the internships. The crux of the story is that there are two classes of people the type who want an all-expenses paid trip, and the type who genuinely want to do good work in a university of international repute to assess their suitability for further studies abroad, and/or to gain exposure in their field. Then again, there are two types of e-mails. There are the genuine emails from the genuine people, and there are the template style e-mails from desperate spammers or the genuine mailers who have gotten frustrated. There is a dilemma on both sides of the coin. On the side of the student, the student doesn't want to lose out on a potentially good opportunity to someone whom he is decidedly better than. On the side of the professor, there is absolutely no way to verify the authenticity and genuine candour of the e-mail he receives leave alone the fact that there are far too many to feasibly read. Where the solution lies, we really don't know. But it is unfortunate that good people lose out on genuine opportunities - both sides lose, the genuine student loses because he missed out on likely important exposure, and the university loses because it could have had a far more competitive researcher in the same position. The only way out of this is to have a formal Memorandum of Understanding with genuinely good institutes (which some institutes do have), and conduct a streamlined selection procedure, which may even involve a Skype interview. Like, recently IIT Kanpur opened their office in New York which is aimed at improving their association with foreign Universities in research as well as attracting foreign faculty. Also some institutes have collaborations with foreign universities which help the students in securing interns there. This has worked for some institutes, but until more Memorandum of Understanding come to the fore, the situation will only worsen on both ends.
Catch-22! One is in a big surprise if they ever thought that getting into an IIT was the last hurdle, or that clearing JEE was the biggest moment of their lives. Because once you step in here, it won't take you long to apprehend that what you perceived as the finishing line, is actually the starting point. Yes, the race has just begun! Of all the rat-races you must've run, the toughest are yet to come. You might already be running, since getting past the finishing line requires you to move fast and to keep moving i.e. the characteristic of both the rabbit and the tortoise, for only then will you remain in the hunt. But that's not all. In fact, that's the least of your worries. The first step is actually the most indispensable concern- to know in which direction to move. st
1 year is when you discover yourself, trying to make a nd mark; 2 year is all about rediscovering yourself, making certain that you're doing what you want to do. rd And it's usually not until the beginning of 3 year do you realize that what is to be done is not what you want to do, it's what you need to do. And it's then, that you start to ponder of the choices you have. Maintaining a decent CG throughout is not always enough; neither is having extra-curricular activities as backbone in your resume. Both need to go either hand in hand or one has to be best in either of these, or you just got to pray. Having the cushion of being in an unemployment-free branch like CS is something everybody wants, but that race is already over once you enter here. Sending thousands of mails for foreign internships, going for start-ups, spending each and every vacation under the nose of a prof. to get hold on a certificate
might give you some insurance but not any assurance. So how many options are you left with? Not getting recruited on-campus or getting a low pay-check is not the end of the road. Half a dozen options still lie open, and another sprint is just about to begin. Options like IAS, CAT, GRE, GATE etc. make more sense as the final year approaches; and you must concentrate your energy in the direction which is most likely to get you through.
Peer-review scams: What you must know!
Researchers need to publish because they need to let their work be known. Usually, this meant that scientists needed to prepare complex and intricate scientific articles, then send them to one of the most important publications and wait for a long review process. However hundreds of online and openaccess journals have emerged lately which has ensured quick and affordable access to the latest developments in scientific literature. These journals distribute their content for a reduced cost, sometimes even for free to the readers. Yet, higher numbers have led to degradation in the quality of work published. In a recent report published by the magazine Science, it was revealed that hundreds of open access journals, including those published by industry giants Sage, Elsevier and Wolters Kluwer, have accepted a fake scientific paper in a sting operation carried out by John Bohannon, a science journalist at Harvard University. The paper, which described a simple test of whether cancer cells grow more slowly in a test tube when treated with increasing concentrations of a molecule, had fatal flaws and used fabricated authors and universities with African affiliated names. Any reviewer with more than high-school knowledge of chemistry and the ability to understand a basic data plot should have spotted the paper's shortcomings immediately. Its experiments are so hopelessly flawed that the results are meaningless. The "wonder drug paper" as Bohannon calls it, was accepted by 157 of the journals and rejected by 98. Of the 255 versions that went through the entire editing process to either acceptance or rejection, 60% did not undergo peer review. Of the 106 journals that did conduct peer review, 70% accepted the paper. However, Public Library of Science, PLOS ONE, was the only journal that called attention to the paper's potential ethical problems and consequently rejected it within 2 weeks. Moreover, many of the journals which accepted the paper also demanded a fee to publish it, ranging from $90 to $3,100.
There has been another instance when a fake scientific paper describing the discovery of a species of bacteria, which contained arsenic in its DNA instead of phosphorus, was accepted and published by a renowned scientific journal. The paper involved elaborative experimental procedure but lacked easy and essential tests which could have easily proven the point. This study clearly raises concerns about how effectively peer review is being carried out. Peer review, which refers to the evaluation of articles prior to publication, is an essential component of scholarly publishing. It is supposed to guarantee that published research is carried out in accordance with established scientific standards. However one can infer from the current scenario that quantity is being preferred to quality. While majority of the journals do not even conduct peer review because it is slow and expensive, the ones that do conduct it happen to rely on reviewers who are either incompetent or barely understand the significance of the process. Their decision to publish a particular research paper is often influenced by their own mood and personal interests. The result is that many fake papers are published and their writers glorified. But usually even the readers can easily spot the shortcomings. It is ultimately the journal itself which has to pay the price since its reputation gets affected. All things considered, one cannot deny the fact that peer review, though flawed in its current form, is a process which is at the heart of science and journals. It is often compared with democracy: a system full of problems but the least worst we have. However, what we need today is proper implementation of a system that can ensure the authenticity of what is published. Only then can such frauds in publishing research work be avoided.
Fading Status? Alarm bells were set ringing when the following piece of news flashed in the daily news channels, 'Punjab University surpasses IITs in Times Higher Education Ranking'.
Moreover these rankings also depend on how cooperative are the institutes in supplying the data. The Times has agreed that some of data from IITs were missing while preparing the list.
Sounds gruff, but that's what the new Times Higher education Ranking has to say. In the latest rankings, the PU has been placed in the 226-250 band whereas goliaths like IIT Delhi and Kanpur are in 350-400 band.
While there is no denying the high standards of PU, we also have to accept that IITs have a global reputation and branding, that opens a good opportunity for getting admission for higher studies abroad. Although IITs produce finest undergraduates of the nation but the research work and the PG curriculum still needs to be sophisticated and modernized. Also the state of interactions between the undergraduates and post graduates is pathetic in IITs and many other colleges who hold the same reputation in India. All we need is diagnosing the actual hitches and taking suitable measures, rather than being unnecessarily worried by such rankings.
Questions are being put on the qualitative aspect of IITs. It is being considered as the failure of IITs rather than PU's success. The directors of various IITs are simply brushing off this formidable issue by stating it as an obscure ranking system. Many agree with this assessment. Intellectuals find it quiet insane to compare colleges that were established on pure technical grounds to a University that has several other disciplines of graduation. As Prof. Arun Kumar Grover of PU pointed out, “I think it's not correct reading of the situation...PU is not competing IITs in technology and science. It has a broader reach in all areas of knowledge, somewhere we lose but gain in other areas where IITs have an absentia.� Those areas include fields such as arts, commerce, literature etc. which are not part of the IITs' curriculum. Probing a bit we find that the Punjab University still lies behind the IITs on technical grounds. The elections, that have an active involvement of various political parties, are the darkest shadow on the PU engineering department. The qualification of the faculties at PU is also an issue.
If the verdict is asked, the answer is simple. It depends on the line one wants to pursue. Technology wise, the IITs are definitely a better alternative than PU but for other career options one may go for PU or any other college of the same status.
ARTSENS: Saves your heart as well as wallet!
Here's some good news to share about Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre (HTIC), a Department of Biotechnology (DBT) supported R&D centre of IIT Madras. Now what in the world is HTIC? The name itself is enough. However, it is a platform that brings together engineers, doctors and healthcare professionals, industry and government to develop healthcare technologies specifically addressing accessibility and affordability. It collaborates with more than 15 organizations in its goal to develop these technologies, thus evolving into a leading med-tech collaboration platform in the country. HTIC is driven by its vision to create impact and drive innovation in healthcare and be a leader in this area known for technical excellence and collaborative spirit. To understand as well as acknowledge the discovery let's get into our body, to the well networked circulatory system. If arteries go stiff or become slack, it indicates vascular injury, which happens with age. Sometimes, with contributing factors such as diabetes, hypertension, stress and high cholesterol, the blood vessels age faster than the individual. This alters blood flow and can lead to blocks in arteries and heart disease. Measuring arterial wall stiffness helps in early detection of such problems. State of the art methods use ultrasound imaging for this, which is quite heavy on pocket and not affordable to all sections of the society. Now, a two-minute procedure could well save your heart and your wallet too. HTIC has developed ARTSENS (Arterial Stiffness Evaluation for Non-invasive Screening) – an image-free technology for non-invasively measuring arterial stiffness in an automated manner. Pilot studies have demonstrated the ability of ARTSENS to measure arterial stiffness under in-vivo settings, even by personnel with limited training. ARTSENS' developers say the device has an edge over existing equipment as it is cheaper, and easy and quick to use.
Dr. Jayaraj Joseph, systems architect, HTIC, initiated the concept of imageless monitoring of vessel elasticity with his PhD project and stayed on to take the concept this far. On all the fronts, the new device scores over existing techniques. In that sense, ARTSENS, which costs less than a lakh, can serve as an affordable device for public healthcare settings, experts say. The device uses an ultrasound probe to send high frequency sound waves into the body. The echoes are picked up and analysed by a system that automatically identifies the artery anatomy. Then the intelligent algorithm kicks in, it measures vessel age, or stiffness, and in a matter of minutes, provides the results. In past few months, the function of ARTSENS was evaluated at three clinical settings, Sri Ramachandra University, MediScan Systems, and Thambiran Heart and Vascular Institute, all in the city. The largest of the studies is at SRU, working with about 500 patients. "Crores of money is spent on imported equipment. Since the indigenous device costs less than a lakh, it can be used in all the government hospitals, and will aid in quick assessment of vascular health in the population at large," said Dr Raja Venkathesh, head of the cardio thoracic department at the government general hospital. Now, all the weak hearted can take a breath of relief as ARTSENS comes to add more years to their assured life. Indeed, with early detection one can set in motion lifestyle changes to avoid a cardiac event or other emergencies ten years down the line. This discovery is the first step towards providing affordable and efficient healthcare to the world. A lot more follows hereafter. Till then, enjoy your healthy heart, rest lies with ARTSENS.