An Ode to the Gen Z

 To my Students- Past, Present and Future

                                            

These two frames adorn a wall in my home, a constant reminder of who we are 

I have been teaching Gen Z for the last few years. I have always felt that when you create a space for them- a space where they feel seen, feel heard and feel valued, they bring in their super powers, uninhibited. They also voice their concerns honestly and sometimes brazenly. It is upon us to find the meaning and not get lost in the blunt tonality. 

It has been moments of discovering new things for me, while teaching them. I have also been a student in those moments, seeing reverse mentoring in action. 

The Gen Z in this country has truly raised the bar. 

Raised the bar on the power of conviction they carry, raised the bar on the thoughts they share and raised the bar on the 'empathetic human' they are. 

As I looked through those pictures, heard those interviews, saw them beaten- but not broken, a part of me felt despondent at the state of affairs and a part of me, felt hopeful. 

An ode to the Gen Z warriors, fighting for what is rightly theirs. 

You bring your indifference, we bring our passion

You bring your baton, we bring our unflinching strength

You bring your power to shove, we bring our undeterred resilience

You bring your barricades, we bring the newer paths

You bring your ruthlessness , we bring our courageous voices

You bring your deceit, we bring our integrity

You being your ignorance, we bring our rights

You bring your gatekeeping, we bring our inclusiveness

You bring your divisiveness, we bring our cohesiveness 

You bring your disdain, we bring our empathy

You bring your hate, we bring our unconditional love

Educate Agitate Organize.

Voices Speech- Orientation- Aug 7th 2009

Good Evening!

You like to dabble in writing, you have keen listening skills, your antennas get a whiff of the unwritten story, you have an investigative mind, you can slog your backside off, you believe passion and drama make sense; you do not deter from calling a spade by its’ name, yet refrain from the use of a blunt sword- then Voices is your arena.

We are the IISc newsletter on campus and exist, working mutually with the student’s council.The first issue of Voices was published on Feb 10, 2003. Today, we are a monthly and every IISc-ian is welcome to be a part of Voices.

Some of our humble feats in the last academic year include:

• Arranging interactive session with Mr Ratan Tata on May 27, 2009.
• Helping Archives and Publications Cell to setup the Valedictory Exhibition.
• Benchmarking surveys of IISc services in 2008, 2009.
• Students’ Council Election coverage in 2008, 2009.
• Daily bulletins during the Centenary Conference in Dec 2008.
• Centenary Special Magazine in 2008

We welcome you to IISc by dedicating our August issue to you- The Voices Freshers’ Special Issue. Each leaf will give you a glimpse of the world beyond academics, your opportunity to hone your skills and build your nest. The Voices team members are in the aisles will be distributing the copies to you. Happy Reading!

For those of you who want to make more noise with us, mail us at voices.iisc@gmail.com. Also, visit us at http://www.iisc.ernet.in/voices.

Welcome Home!

Editorial August 2009

This month of August, the campus witnesses a gamut of new faces, new courses, new ambitions and new dreams. While a whole bunch has graduated and packed their bags and their experiences here, a fresh batch walks in, anticipating those experiences. There will be moments of exhilaration, ideation; moments of doubt and disillusionment; moments of triumph and hardship; moments of sheer wanderings and revelations. The lab, the hostel room, the mess will encapsulate your life even before you have taken in the first whiff. You will soon discover your favorite corner in this 440 odd acres; your path to your musings.

Pep talks from peers, guidance from faculty will help you carve your niche; yet, this is a journey of self discovery. A journey in which we ourselves are responsible for the destination.

We wish every new comer lots of luck as you embark on this remarkable and enlightening journey at the Indian Institute of Science. It is lots more than just an MTech/MSc degree or a PhD thesis. The years here will change the course of your life.

Voices presents the Freshers' Special Issue, a glimpse into the world beyond the courses here. Let the moment of chrysalis arrive and let talent take center stage. Let the curtains rise. Ahoy!

It Is Done!!

Phew!
Strung my thoughts
Got into action
Picked the pieces
Updated all the Voices articles....to date...

Hold Vigilance- July 2009

In last few months, questions have been raised about the security
status on campus. Some issues have continued to plague the student
community and the guards. Students have raised concerns about lack
of action, delay in reactions from the security personnel and also at
times, lack of cooperation. At another extreme, concerns have been
raised regarding insufficient facilities for the security guards.
While we are delving into the student and the guard issues, we
thought it is imperative to talk to the person in question, who is in
charge of most decisions. We wanted to understand how the security
system works on campus before drawing some conclusions. The
study on the security guards and the problems they face is underway.
Mr. M.R.Chandrashekhar, Security Officer of the Institute in
conversation with Voices. He is a Science Graduate with a Law
degree from Mysore University. Before joining the institute in
1989, he was the Intelligence Officer at HMT. Has over 30 years
of security service experience.

1. Name of the agency.
UNIQ Detective and Security Services, Vijaynagar, Bangalore.

2. Who owns the agency?
Flight Lieutenant K.P. Nagesh

3. Since when is the agency providing security to IISc?
June 2008. Before that Shashi Security and Detective Services
served for three years. Every 23
years, a tender is called for and the
committee takes the decision. The new agency is well equipped to
provide training to the security guards and ensure good service.

4. Structure

5. Function:

The ISS (Institutional Security Services) manage, supervise,
delegate and execute all security functions at the institute.
The CSS (Contract Security Services) are posted to the departments
and hostels.

6. Selection Guideline:
ISS: More than 90% of them are exservicemen
and there is a
minimum essential requirement of serving 15 years in the armed
forces or the paramilitary
or the police forces. Their minimum
education is matriculation.
CSS: The Agency brings them and every new security guard
deployed at the institute is brought before the officers or supervisors
for approval.The parameters considered are they have to be above 20
yrs, physically fit. There are some exceptional cases wherein 810
guards are in the age range of 5560
who are posted to the ladies
hostels. Education is usually SSLC(Matriculation).

7. Work Shifts
3shift
duty for all guards. 6am2pm,
2pm10pm,
10pm6am.

8. Salaries and other benefits:
ISS: They are on the rolls of the institute and paid by the
government of India. They get all privileges like pension, gratuity
and health care benefits. They are also provided accommodation by
the Institute and all privileges which any employee gets. The
Institute security guards get paid a minimum of gross Rs. 8000 per
month as per the 6th pay commission, which goes up to Rs.30,000
per month if you are a head security guard.
CSS: The agency is responsible for the salaries paid. The institute
pays the agency a certain fixed amount. In this case, the institute is
not liable for accommodation, terminal benefits like pension,
gratuity and medical.
The institute pays the agency Rs.5,134 per guard on a monthly basis.
The Agency pays each guard Rs.3600 + 13.61 EPF (paid when they
leave services) + 4.75ESI. For every security guard, the agency gets
Rs.700 service charge per month.

9. Accommodation:
ISS: Institute provides accommodation.
CSS: Though as per the contract the institute is not liable to provide
accommodation, the guards are residing in erstwhile Prof. Vasu’s
house. We know it is difficult for them and not comfortable. They
have staggered breaks and so this arrangement. We are looking at a
proposal to construct some rest rooms with basic bathing and toilet
facilities. Currently, the guards use departmental facilities where
they are posted.

10. Language:
We look at the guards knowing Kannada, Hindi and English. Hindi
is the most widely used language by them as most of our students are
from other states and knowing Hindi helps them to handle the late
night calls at the hostels when parents and guardians call. 30% of the
guards have a knowledge of Kannada. This mix has worked well.

11. Most Guards:
Most guards are from Orissa. Almost 5060%.
They are loyal and
obedient and there have been no disciplinary cases against them.
They have also responded well to the training sessions.

12. Attrition:
10% a month as guards at times go for long breaks.

13. Any changes to security on campus in recent times?
The last three years, we have guards in civil clothes patrolling the
campus. They do a 12 hour shift; do their rides on cycles and report
to the security office 45
times during the shift. They are a group of
5 per shift, 1 supervisor and 4 guards. This is unobtrusive security.
They have mobiles and wireless. They are chosen after they have
served for 12
years as a general security guard, based on their
performance. They are well versed with the topography of the
campus and also know most people on campus. Their salaries are
higher than that of the normal guards.

14. Role of the Security Office for the welfare of the guards.
a) We personally monitor the welfare of the security guards and
attend to their grievances, both institutional and contract
guards. In case the agency is at fault in meting out wrong
treatment to the guard, the agency is taken to task.
b) We do training sessions for them on Gate issues, VIP visits,
tackling terrorist attacks.
c) Three time roll call per day and day to day briefing.

15. Role and Achievements of the security team
a) Prompt action during flooding in SERC and Mrigasira.
b) Also during fire breakouts at Organic Chemistry and MCBL
departments.
c) The driver service for the Health Center ambulance.
d) Help institute community for the verification of passport,
any police liaison, RTO work.
e) Issue ID cards for staff, PA, casual laborers, domestic
servants, retired persons.
f) Vehicle stickers for faculty, staff and students; maintaining
computerized records of all vehicles.

g) Last five years, more than 3 lakh fine collected from
trespassers and people misusing institute facilities.

16. Challenges faced
a) With the Tata Book House and Nesara catering to a large
number of outsiders, it increases the security concerns. The
banks and travel agencies also have a large number of
external clientele.
b) Academic and non academic areas not being bifurcated,
makes security maintenance difficult.
c) Departments like ECE, SERC, Nano Science and JATP are
high security areas.
d) Assessment of security is provided on a need basis and
consideration of threat perception.

17. Role of faculty and students
They should also be vigilant and aware. We bring consciousness
with regular broadcasts. If they provide timely information about
any activity undesirable for the institute, the security can
immediately come into action to make the institute more secure and
deal with the threat. e.g: the sandalwood tree cutting issues.

18. Your personal efforts in this regard.
I have conducted regular presentations for the guards teaching them
how to tackle situations, recognize dangers and threats. During the
Centenary Conference, special care was taken to train every guard
who worked on campus with regard to high level security. I am also
looking at having sessions for the mess workers who work with LPG
gas to teach them about their security and fire concerns. Important
to train the casual laborers as their work is also risk associated. I also
ensured that all construction workers wore helmets.

19. Message for Voices
We looked at our security service being rated with C Grade. I
immediately took action, spoke to a cross section of students and
worked towards improving the services. We feel good when our
work is appreciated or mentioned. It boosts the morale of the staff.

Editorial July 2009

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you
something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
The above statement underlines most happenings in the world.
Recently being the question on 'sibalism
of education', debate on
the 'right to your sexuality', the death of 'king of pop' bringing out
more questions about how he led his life, rather than just letting him
RIP; another budget for the country that had some questioning 'why
should senior citizens get more benefit?' and closer home 'entry to
hostels of opposite gender'. To wake up to a rational thought every
morning may be rare, but to wake up to irrational actions is a
common sight.
Voices in its little abode is working hard to keep up the pace of one
issue a month! A diligent set of Voiceians
have graduated and
some completed their compres successfully. Yet again, it was a
small group at work to bring out the following pages.
Having received appreciation for the newsy pages last issue, we
continue to focus on the news sections both from the Student's
Council and the Institute. Articles raise questions on security,
provoke a thought to keep the campus clean; personal instances of
hostel experience with the ape, and an alumnus writing how people
keep asking her about India. Some regular features and Green gang
being the toast of the month in Real page 3. A cover story on the
Student's Council to help all of us believe that every individual can
make a difference.
We congratulate all the passing out graduates and wish them luck
for their future endeavors. As the campus gets ready for a new batch
of students, we at Voices are also awaiting some new blood to infuse
more new thoughts, more quirkiness, more individuality and more
pitches!
Happy reading!

First five votes, first five notes... and the 100th!- June 2009

The first five voters for the Students’ Council Elections 2009
had different expectations from the SC and what is interest-
ing to note is that none of them had attended the soapbox.
The first voter, Ashvinikumar Patilb (MECHENG)
said that he wants more information about their activi-
ties and better performance than earlier SCs. Goutham
(CSA), the second voter, wanted a yoga and meditation
centre to be set up and said that the reason why he was
voting was that it is his duty. While duty beholds, our
third voter Mohammad Asadullah Khan (CEDT)
wanted better eateries and more badminton courts. The
fourth in line Srivatsa Bhargava (CEDT), did not ex-
pect much from the SC except that they should react to
issues promptly and deal with utmost importance. The
fifth voter was also the first woman voter, Mahua Ghara
(CES), who said that to get something done was difficult
and also difficult to deal with the administration. It is easy
to blame people but here there are students who are taking
the initiative, making effort and putting in their time. If
they get 10-15% done, it is ok.
The 100th voter came in around 11 am and shared his
views and expectations- Prasenjit Biswas (SERC). He
said and later in a mail wrote, “The main expectation is
that the distance between the SC and the students should
be decreased. Many do not know what they are doing and
so people are reluctant to participate in activities of SC.Sc
is just two terms in the dictionary, nothing more.As far as
the polling process is concerned, it is fair enough. But the
most unimpressive fact is that the whole arrangement will
lead to election for only one post. Office bearers for the
other posts are already elected unopposed. This should not
be the scene. There is no contest at all. So where is the
point of an election? Rather we can term it selection. What
I want to say is that the student community in IISc is too
reluctant to take part in the process. They considers it as
wastage of time. The response is not good if we judge it
from a voter’s perspective also. I know many people who
does not know even the name of the contestants. Today is
just like any Saturday to many. And they should not be
blamed for this. It reflects the inability of the SC that they
could not reach to every student’s doorstep. And this dis-
tance does create a mind set-up which says that SC is not
so powerful here and if one bad person is being elected we
are not going to affected much or if one really great person
is elected then also we will not be at the zenith. People
are not able to feel the essence of this common platform
of the students, by the students, for the students. So I do
expect from the next SC that they will try to eradicate this
distance. They should try to build the proper symbiosis be-
tween Student Community(SC) and Student Council(SC).
The crowd in a student council event should outnumber the
crowds in events organized by regional groups. Then auto-
matically the problem will come along with its solution.”

P.S: With inputs from Shyam

“IISc - a centre for human progress.”- Interview with the Travers Brothers

History of an institution carries in its annals numer-
ous names whose contributions have laid the founda-
tion for its being. Voices had the opportunity to
meet a part of history itself, the grandsons of the
First Director of the Institute, Morris William Travers.
This interview with Dr. David Morris William
Travers and Dr. Michael Daniel Robin Travers was like
turning the leaf of the past with them revealing some in-
teresting aspects about their grandfather. They bound
on a journey to see the school their grandfather started
and stumbled upon an institution completing 100 years!
Michael, the elder of the two is a medical doctor from
the town of Chelan and David, who holds a doctorate in
Philosophy is from the town ofWest Brook. With a twin-
kle in their eye, they recall how their grandmother was
an accomplished pianist and they are in fact a family of
doctors, musicians and researchers. Their father Robert
MorrisWilliam Travers was born in the year 1913 and his
older sister, Dorothy in the year, 1910 in the Directors
bungalow on campus. Their father was a well qualified
man who immigrated to America as an Indian and not
an Englishman.
Recalling their first understanding of their grandfathers
contribution, they knew he had started a school in India.
This was until the internet showed them what IISc was
and an Indian colleague told David that his grandpa was
the founder of the Harvard of India. They reminisce about
their grandfather and the beautiful and insightful letters
he not, not being a person who could do a lot of talking
to children. He would make bows and arrows for them and
also his lab equipments. He also did furniture designing.
Their grandfather was a very stern man who had his ideas
about how the world should work. From old papers, they
saw how he had a map about what he wanted to do with
this piece of land and wanted to start some specific and fo-
cussed departments to begin with. Though carrying out an
interaction was not his best strength, he was a strong per-
sonality. David and Michael feel that, that is where “Tata
and Grandpa fit in well together”, they had similar vision
and thinking.
Talking about their visit to the institute, they cite how
coming to IISc has been a humbling experience and that
they have never felt as warmly greeted anywhere as an out-
sider as they have here. They visited various labs and said
they saw a glow in the eyes of the students and faculty when
they were discussing their work.
They say that Ratan Tatas wisdom will underpin the
future growth of this institute. The students here have
a strong theoretical background and what is important is
that the Institute should teach them how to make things
and that would be their grandfathers legacy. Each time
students here solve a problem, some more questions should
arise from it.
In their message to IIScians, they say that we need to
keep doing what we are doing and also recognise what we
have here. In IISC, we have no choice but to move up-
wards. The difference between No.1 and No.2 is very small
and they said they hope to see some Nobel Laureates com-
ing out of the institute.
They closing remarks were that this institute should
be a centre where human progress is held forward. Their
grandfather would be very proud to see IISc like this today!

P.S: Shyam and I conducted this interview:)

Editorial June 2009

Not every path is traced, not every word is written,
not every action is taken, not every thought is thought;
yet there is news, yet there are incidents, yet there are
views, yet there are opinions.
Voices has witnessed some very eventful moments in
the last few weeks. The new Students Council was
elected, the Institute celebrated its 100th Birthday,
many IIScians came together univocally to save news,
to save trees, to save their rights.
We at Voices woke up one morning to some strong
criticisms about us not being newsy enough. We have
been accused of being elitist, of wanting to hold the
baton in the premise of being the mouthpiece of the
students. We welcome all the lettered criticisms. It
means you are reading us and giving those sheets more
thought than its 15 minutes of lifespan. We respect
your views, we respect what each and every student of
IISc feel, be it any issue on campus. Voices has always
yearned to raise the stake, improve the quality of work
and this is a continuous process. We are here to work
for the student community. Our grey cells are working
overtime on how to keep the news more updated. It is a
challenging and an enriching experience. Thanking you
all for those strong words and also those silent praises,
we bring you an issue that has focused on being more
news oriented. We do not claim to be the best news
portal in the country but even we could do with citizen
journalists. We request your support and guidance in
helping us take this mission of information further. We
want you to be a part of us and help us work better and
that is possible only when we work together.
In I, there is solitude...
In U, there is gratitude...
In We, there is magnitude!
We may work to create a magnum opus and make a
silent contribution, but believe me that little pebble will
change the texture of our thinking!
Happy Reading!

Editorial election 2009

Election 2009 is here!
Your chance to choose your representative,
choose your face, choose your voice.
Voices brings you the second annual Election Special issue! We will cover news, we will cover views. We
will keep you posted on whats happening in the election process!
We have the proceedings of the soapbox covered. The candidates speak and answer a volley of questions on
their USP, role of SC, role of protests and their vision if elected. Some make promises, some quote experience
profiles, some maintain brevity – yet they all take up the challenge to be the agent for change. They know they will
receive bouquets and brickbats and yet they stand on the pedestal asking for your votes. Let apathy take a holiday,
let conscientiousness rule! Come out and vote. It is your time to choose, utilize this moment.
Good luck to all the contestants.
May the best one win!
Good luck to all the readers.
May you choose the best!

Great hopes amidst dismal turnout- Election 2009

Satish Dhawan Auditorium, 13th May: Soap Box
2009 witnessed a dismal crowd of around 60 students trickle
into the Satish Dhawan Auditorium; the platform where
the contestants presented their manifestos and lathered up
their promises.
The contestants for the post of General Secretary took
on the dais next and spoke of their respective agendas.
Abraham Kurian focused on the duty and rights of a stu-
dent and the importance of communication between the
Student Council and students. He said that the Student
Council is a channel for students to raise their issues and a
service being done by students to the student community.
SC is ultimately the only voice of the students.
Alexander Fell, the other contestant for the post of
General Secretary exemplified his problem-solving skills by
sharing his experiences and showcasing his competency to
deal with issues. He said that a promise made has a high
value and we should promise only what we can deliver on
our own. Appala Raju, another contestant for the post of
General Secretary failed to attend the soapbox.
Srishti Shukla, the elected Womans Representative
mentioned the mantra of honesty, confidence and determi-
nation to deal with cribbing students and unsolved issues.
Brijesh Bhatt, the elected Chairperson while building
a strong case for co-panelist Abraham illuminated how ev-
ery student is a unit of SC and any blame to SC is blame
on self. He promised a smooth functioning and said that
responsibility is the keyword and the student community
should work on a mutual relation.
The session began with the acting chair of the outgoing
Student Council, Rohini Bansal presenting a testimony of
their achievements and short-comings. She stressed upon
the apathy of the students to issues which dont directly im-
pact them and in response to unsolved issues, commented
that the administration doesnt wish to talk about them.
In the Q&A session various questions were raised con-
cerning hostel amenities, administration, SC responsibility,
student issues, and general management of campus, child-
labor and security. The audience expected the contestants
to take the onus and make their votes worthy.
What is commendable is how the two General Secretary
candidates maintained the decorum and ensured an enrap-
turing debate answering the questions thrown at them with
lan. There was a consensus-building environment and a
show of mutual respect and dignity. However, low turnout
stole the shine of an excellent soapbox.

P.S: Shyam and i wrote this

Editorial April 2009- The Tabloid Issue

What are dreams made of?
Floating thoughts, snippets of
courage, cartloads of intuition,
palette of colors, day and night
of hard work, blank pages of
creativity, brush of technology;
graphs, pie charts and bars; and
a sprinkle of reality!
Voices found a new tune, trav-
eled a new musical note to mark
another noteworthy year gone
by. We do not want the ideas
to stagnate, we do not want the
pages to lose color, we do not
want the virtual world to wrap
our divergent thinking, we do not
want to set easy benchmarks, we
do not want to get complacent,
we do not want to be consistent,
we want to work harder, do bet-
ter, strive higher!
The result is for you all to see.
This is a journey that will tell
you how students have rated the
various services on campus, the
2nd edition of the benchmark-
ing exercise carried out by new
Voice-ians with elan. Thank you
IISc-ians for your valuable re-
sponses! Child labor is an is-
sue of concern world wide. Every
story has its shades and Voices
attempts to uncover those sepia
tones. Taking no stance or judg-
ment, we provide reflective pieces
on this issue.
IISc in its’ oxymoron duality is
presented through a conversa-
tion! Talk on football, the holi
celebration and the debut per-
formance of IISc Dance Club -
‘Thirkan’ that inspired more IIS-
cians to pose the question,”Shall
we dance?!” Humor is a satire
on reality; reality is a satire
on existence. Our Bhondoo in-
spired a Bhondoo tale from an
ex- Voice-ian; while one spoke
with J. N Tata, the other did
salsa. Ghonchu is from Bhon-
doo’s lab and has made his initial
footmarks in Voices with his ro-
mance on wheels tale. Insomnia
and a verse on coconut tree add
the punch of poetry.Lesson on
etiquette, anagram to wrack the
brain and some picture(s) perfect
complete this issue. The regular
aspects like featured blog, letters
to the editor find their space too
in this Pandora’s box. So open it
and re-discover Voices!
We present to you our new look!
First ever tabloid version promis-
ing more pictures, varied writ-
ings, a dash of color and whiff of
gossip! While we paint the cam-
pus red, we await your reactions
and look forward to many of you
joining Voices!

Encore- Feb 2009

Encore!
Creativity is not bound by pen and paper; today it enjoys the arena of
the electronic media like never before. The New Year rings in new
aspirations, new resolutions, new thoughts and new dimensions.
A student of Center for Product Design and Management (CPDM)
decides to carve a place for his days, his dates, his submissions; his
deadlines and what is initially conceptualized as a table top calendar
finds itself in the form of a desktop calendar. A piece of work that
reflects utility and a sense of space, yet hinges on myriad of designs
from across the world. With modesty he says, “It is a calendar with
nice graphics and tagline.”
This calendar has been featured in Smashing Magazine, under the
title “Global Village”.
So, mark your ‘dates’, make your mark! Download Anaska’s Piece
of Art from
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/12/30/desktopwallpaper-
calendar-january-2009/

Editorial Feb 2009

A Walk to Remember!

From Stalwarts was the inspiration,
From Professors was the dedication,
From Students was the motivation,
From Centenary was the invocation.
This was what we learnt from each,
In measures for us to teach.
The smiles didn't fade,
The tears didn't dry,
It was a moment in itself,
No one wanted to let it go by!
We welcomed the cribs and the cheers,
The pat and the cane with no fears!
Voices brings you a unique tale...
The final day story and the feedback trail!

Acknowledgment- 16th Dec 2008

Walt Disney said, “If you can dream it, do it!”. However,
the truth remains that it is the unflinching support of
some people that helps you realize your dreams and
reach your benchmarked goal. It could be some words
of wisdom, some positive strokes or just some moments
of patient listening!
One fine evening, Voices had dreamt many big things- A
Centenary Special Magazine and Daily News Bulletins for
the conference! The dream came true and how! We at
Voices take this opportunity to thank all of them who
made this possible.
We firstly thank Prof. P.Balaram, Director for his
immense support and encouragement to let Voices
have its say; and for contributing the foreword and
the article. We thank Prof. N. Balakrishnan , Associate
Director for all his words of advice and direction. We
thank Prof. G.K.Ananthasuresh for being the sounding
board to our first set of ideas. We thank Prof. Lawrence
Jenkins and the Centenary Publications Committee for
The Team
goading us to give our best to this venture. We thank
Prof. K.R.Yogendra Simha, Chairman, Department of
Management Studies for giving Voices a nest to build
its dreams- 203 was our control room and actually our
second home during the conference. Our heartfelt
gratitude to the Archives and Publications Cell, for
sharing with us the hidden treasures of the Institute. We
thank Sudha at the Centenary office for always having
an answer to all our questions and helping us with all
the paperwork.
We profusely thank Prof. Y. Narahari and Prof.V. Nagaraja
for giving us wings to fly, bearing with our trivial
clarifications and decibel raising demands. This would
not be possible if not for the fact that they shared our
enthusiasm and our sincerity.
We also thank the Volunteers who helped us with all
Voices related work. Finally we thank all our readers
for being the reason why “We raise our Voice and let
ourselves be heard!”
Our heartfelt gratitude to many unnamed friends and
well-wishers for being that little spark which guaranteed
a glowing flame!

The Harmonious co-existence of Paradox- Voices interviews Prof. Ram Akella, President AANA.- 16th Dec 2008

He walks through the crowds meeting his old friends,
reliving those days of yore with a spirited enthusiasm
that would be hard to match. He has big dreams for
his alma mater; he goes misty eyed recalling his
childhood on campus; the manner in which it influenced
his growth as a researcher and the person that this
place made him. For him, the Institute is his extended
family. His twinkling smile cannot hide the pride he
feels for the institution and his eagerness to give back
to it in abundance. He is overwhelmed with all that is
happening and has immense words of encouragement
for the students for whom he is a fascinating alumnus.

He is Prof. Ram Akella, University of California, and
President, AANA (Alumni Association of North America).
Having spent his childhood amidst the campus greenery
as his father, Dr. A.K.Rao was a Professor at the Aerospace
Engineering; he reminisced about the 4.5 km walks
and his stay at Bungalow 8. Every tree, every stone,
every path seemed to sing a song to him, the song of
belongingness.

He is currently at the University of California, starting
a new department that is a confluence of Computer
Science and Management Science, called the Centre
for Knowledge Information Systems and Management
of Technology (KISMT). Prior to this, he had a stint at
Berkeley and Stanford. He completed his PhD (1976-1981)
from the Indian Institute of Science after graduating
from the Indian Institute of Technology. This was on the
insistence of his father who believed that the stringent
and rigorous environment of the Institute would ensure
an overall development. From here, he moved on to
Harvard and MIT for his higher studies.

He feels that different educational institutions hone
the students’ skills differently; in fact there is a
difference in the culture. While some places are more
competitive and aggressive, building the students for
the rat race; he believes that the Institute focuses on
modesty and sincerity, the yarn that binds this fabric
to date. Over the years, the institute has retained its’
refreshing goodness and that has to also be tempered
with an intellectual aggressiveness that will ensure the
development of talented multidimensional individuals.
Focus on leadership and entrepreneurship across
disciplines will propel and sustain this movement. The
perfect combination is a business like attitude with a
hint of mellowness.

He notes how it is important to compete with self and
have a questioning nature. He says that students should
do research when they feel that it is fun, otherwise it
could just be a waste of time for them. He also urges
that research should be substantive and have an impact
on the world and bring about a change.

For the Institute, he feels that greater international
collaboration and industry experience will ensure that
it is on the top of the order and we will realize the
Alumni aspiration of seeing IISc as one of the top five
Research institutions in the world. He highlights the role
of the Alumni in this regard in garnering intellectual and
material support for the institute.

He expresses how the harmonious coexistence of
paradox is the identifying factor of IISc and closes with
few words, “IISc is the best!”

Self-education: Key for Research- an exclusive interview with Prof. Sidney Brenner, Nobel Laureate- 16th Dec 2008

Q. What was the inspiration for your research career
in biology?
A. Well, I have always been interested in nature and
finding out how things work. And you can say that, that’s
what I wanted to do and as far as I can think back, I
wanted to be a scientist. So that’s the driving force.
All the rest of it is a nuisance, like writing exams. Most
schools and universities kill the interest...basically it is
self-education where too many students do not have to
go to too many courses to learn something. So, I feel it’s
self-education that is the important thing, which allows
you to be independent in every field.

Q. Who are the people who inspired you in this
direction?
A. I have no inspiration. In short, there was not anybody
whom I liked, but basically it was reading books. A book
called ‘Science of Life’ tells about everything in three
volumes.
Q. How do you think research in biology has changed
over the years?
A. Too much. There is too much data without
interpretation. Undigested....it has to be resolved.
That’s a problem we have to face. It is not as easy as a
simple measurement. It is harder to think than to do.

Q. What do you think is the direction of research that
young scientists should take?
A. I can’t tell. But you should identify a problem that
is important - a big problem – which may not be solved
directly. But you cannot get a big problem directly so
you have to find an entry point and look at a smaller
picture to begin with while keeping the big picture in
mind.

Q. Genes and genomes are being patented today. What
do you think about it?
A. A patent is a monopoly given on the condition that you
divulge the information and not keep it a secret. Today
patents are simply used to exclude your competitors.
Nothing is exclusive about the human genome.
Sequences must be used for diagnostic purposes.
Patenting sequences is not immoral, given what the
world is today.

Q. What is your advice to the students who are entering
research?
A. The most important thing for all scientists is to
discover and ‘Tell the Truth’. That’s your business.
The second thing is you’re the representative of all of
humanity, not for a certain section of society. And you
must stand up for all of humanity.

P.S: This interview was conducted by Mukta, Deepti, Smrithi,Kumudhini, Shyam, Madhusudan and me

... Silhouette in Dream- 16th Dec 2008

The sacred and the sensuous,
Was in epitome, virtuous and meticulous.
The anklets created a rhythm of life,
The music soothed the heart in strife.
The danseuse was a silhouette in dream!
Her hands moved in the space around her in a fluid
fashion. Rhythm created by her footsteps that were
firm yet gentle. Expressions on her face conveying the
message of her performance to the discerning observer
of human behaviour.
It was an uncommon medium, a message timeless
and powerful. The simplest of human emotions and
feelings expressed in a form that takes a lifetime of
diligent practice. The contrast itself was not so obvious
to all around. Her subject was all too common, her
performance seemingly within the realm of human
possibility.
This is the beauty of dance as an art form. The viewer
sees life reflected back and the understanding is so
simple yet profound.
Is life and its experience so common that another can
express it so well? Or is there a common thread that
binds us all, one that she has touched and one that we
are searching for, or even worse blind to?

P.S: The prose, courtesy Abraham, the poetry, courtesy me!

I want to paint the town yellow- 16th Dec 2008

I want to paint the town yellow,
In hues that’s both bright and mellow.
All things beautiful are yellow in colour.
This is no frivolous assumption,
Just a focused observation.
The rays of the sun breaking the path of the clouds...
The sunflowers swaying in the wind...
The mustard fields my eyes bound...
The colour of friendship in my mind...
The road milestones that i found...
The top of an auto in the traffic signal i find...
The old taxis that from top look round...
The colour of turmeric on the new brides’ cheeks...
It is a colour of happiness, of hope, of aspirations,
of dreams, of expectations, of existance and pure
motivation...
Yes, I want to paint the town yellow!

This was printed to mark the Yellow T shirts of the Volunteers:)

A nation’s tribute to an institution of rare success - 15th Dec 2008

The 14th morning, 11 am saw the presence of some
distinguished guests at the J N Tata Auditorium. His
Excellency Vice President of India Shri Mohammad
Hamid Ansari released the commemorative Postage
Stamps for the centenary celebration of IISc. In his own
words he said, “A nation’s tribute to an institution of rare
eminence.”

The event was attended by Shri Rameshwar Thakur, His
Excellency the Governor of Karnataka; Shri V.S.Acharya,
the Home Minister of Karnataka; Dr. K.Kasturirangan, the
chairman IISc council; Prof. C.N.R.Rao, Chairman IISc
committee; Shri M.P.Rajan, Chief Post Master General,
Karnataka and Prof. Balaram, Director IISc.

The Vice President also delivered the Golden Jubilee
Lecture. His speech highlighted the importance and
excellence of IISc in the past hundred years and its duty
for sustaining its work in the new century.

Here are excerpts of his speech. The goal of India is to be
a knowledge society of ensuring access of knowledge to
more and more people and IISc must remain the “Torch
bearer” in this endeavor.

Even though much has been done in the past six decades
to create an infrastructure for science and technology
and endow it with the potential for advancement, it is
still inadequate. The recent years are seeing a declining
enrolment and an acute shortage of qualifi ed teachers
in basic sciences, engineering, technology and medicine.
This is indicated by the paucity of scientists, attracting
young minds to the domain of science, the methodology
of teaching science and the inadequate national
performance in the area of innovation and patents.

The need of the hour is Capacity Building in science. In
the words of Sri Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya: “To build
a better nation, build better individuals and action not
sentiment will be the determining factor.” He concluded
by saying that scientists have a special responsibility
and IISc needs to set the pace. As B.J.Marden wrote as
early as in 1921, “Science has made civilization possible
for mankind. It must now provide civilization with that
authority the lack of which is causing such wastage of
human energy today. Men of science alone have the
power, they alone are above suspicion.

P.S: Kumudhini, Vasanta and i wrote this piece.