Prof. Padma Rajagopalan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Virginia Tech. She currently serves as director of the ICTAS Center for Systems Biology of Engineered Tissues. TSA : An introduction to the field you work in. Where it stands today and what impact it could have on society. PR : I work in the field of tissue...

Feb 26, 2012

An IITB alumnus, Dr. Ajay Shah is one of India’s most influential economists, something that has been recognized by the Business Standard and Indian Express. He has held positions at the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, Indira Gandhi Institute for Development Research and the Ministry of Finance, and now works at NIPFP where he co-leads the NIPFP-DEA...

The news of the unfortunate demise of one of our co-students was an unpleasant way to kickstart the new academic year. We invited Sangeeta Das Bhattacharya, Faculty Coordinator at the Counseling Center to clear the air on redressal and coping mechanisms available on the campus for students to utilize. Readers can also read a poignant letter written by one of...

Aug 22, 2011

On the bestseller lists for quite some time now, Geek Nation delves into the lives of the inventors, engineers and young scientists that are powering India’s scientific revolution. Cautiously optimistic, it contains an interesting proposition that India is steadily shaping up as a scientific superpower. We interviewed the author, British Science ...

Apr 20, 2011

Why does clearing the JEE garner so much respect from society? Because you believe that featuring among the top 8000 students of your age-group in a fair competition is proof of your academic merit and hard-work - essentially your skills. But, is excellence (in this scenario) a result of your skill or just a product of your upbringing and other socio-economic factors? Namit Aroroa, an alumnus of IIT KGP, asks the same here.

Mar 23, 2011

Two of the questions I’m commonly asked by students when I give readings or talks at universities is, “How feasible is a career in writing?” and “Does one need to have a literature or creative writing degree to become a writer?” My answers, I’m pleased to say, are “Quite feasible” and “No”...