- Professor Punit Parmananda
On the 24th of July, 2020, the regular batch of Class 11 students at Mushtifund Aryaan higher Secondary School had the marvellous opportunity of interacting with Professor Punit Parmananda, M.Sc., Ph.D., Senior Professor in the Physics Department of IIT Bombay. Professor Parmananda is a high-profile Chair Professor at IIT Bombay. He holds an M.Sc. and a Ph.D. degree, which he has acquired from Ohio University, USA under Prof. Roger Rollins, an American Physical Society Fellow. He received the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship to do post-doctoral research at the Max Planck Institute, Berlin along with Nobel Laureate, Prof. Gerard Ertl. He also won the Japanese Science and Technology Award, which enabled him to work at the National Institute for Materials and Chemical Research at Tsukuba, Japan. His research interest lies in experimental non-linear dynamics.
Immediately after his introduction, Prof. Parmananda noted that the word ‘chemistry’ appeared twice in his introduction, despite the fact that he is a physicist. He shed light on the fact that as humans have evolved, science has become increasingly interdisciplinary. In the past, science was divided into little ‘pockets’, or ‘spheres’, like Classical Mechanics, Chemistry and Biology. However, in the recent past, we have seen different branches of science unite, for example, multiple branches of science are involved in the ongoing development of a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2.
It is also noteworthy that Sir Piyush T., teaching faculty at Aryaan Study Circle, studied at IIT Bombay under Prof. Parmananda. Based on the example set forth by him, Prof. Parmananda advised us to not bother too much about marks, because they are of little relevance. Relentless, consistent interest and work are far more important. Prof. Parmananda said that those who think that they will know everything they wanted to when they grow up, are mistaken. He said, ”When you think you know everything, you get an Undergraduate Degree. When you are confused about whether or not you know something, you get a Masters Degree. When you realise that you don’t know much, but then again, neither does anyone else in the world, that’s when you get a Ph.D.”
Prof. Parmananda said that in the field of teaching, simplicity is the key. He always tries to explain concepts by imagining that he is teaching a ten-year old. The greatest example of this ideology in Physics, is Richard Feynman, who illustrated extremely important concepts in the form of simple diagrams. Prof. Parmananda then went on to elucidate the different branches of Physics, namely Nanophysics, Classical Mechanics (both static and dynamic), Fluid Dynamics, Solid State, Waves and Oscillation, and Quantum Mechanics. Based on this, he brought out the vast role that Mathematics plays in Physics, while mentioning the course organised for undergraduate students at IIT Bombay dedicated to this aspect of Mathematics. He also recommended various books that help simplify concepts.
According to Prof. Parmananda, the aforementioned topics form a foundation for the future. As we grow in our respective careers, we tend to discard topics that do not appeal to us, hence, it is important to have good basic knowledge in them. Coming from a family that had a largely military background, Prof. Parmananda (who was six at the time of the second Indo-Pakistan War) always wanted to take up Nuclear Physics. He took up multiple nuclear-related subjects and passed his comprehensive Ph.D. examination. He openly stated to his group that he wanted to develop a bomb, and was sent to Duke university, North Carolina, but soon left because he did not find it interesting. It was then that he chose to take up a course under Professor Rollins, an expert in superconductivity. He also mentioned an interesting book, ‘Chaos’ by James Gleick, which changed his perspective towards modern science. After that, he realised that he was working in a field that is largely related to Chemistry, upon which he went to a Chemistry professor at Max Planck University. Prof. Parmananda also gave the students a brief insight into Erdős numbers and their relation to the Nobel Prize. This concluded Prof. Parmananda’s address to the students.
Immediately following the address was the question-and-answer session, in which pertinent, detailed questions were asked by Sir Vyankatesh as well as by students. Sir Vyankatesh wanted to gain an insight into the four-year B.Sc. program in Physics at IIT Bombay. Prof. Parmananda stated that he thought it was a good idea, since India is the only country that currently offers a 3-year B.Sc. program. He said that often, students who desire a B.Tech. degree arrive at a standstill at the end of the third year, and join a dual-degree program for an additional fourth year. He mentioned IIT Bombay’s Engineering Physics program, which is often joined by students with extremely good IIT-JEE ranks. Prof. Parmananda mentioned, however, that due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of HRD, which controls all students, was aiming at deleting programs instead of adding new ones. He disclosed that the IIT Bombay Physics Department was proposing an exclusive Physics Degree because the current number of Physics courses are not enough, and the M.Sc. courses often cross over with the B.Tech. ones. However, he also stated that good grades at IIT are not a guarantee that one is a good researcher as well.
The next question, again asked by Sir Vyankatesh, was regarding Research. A lot of students, especially those who return from overseas, desire to take up a research-oriented field. Sir Vyankatesh wanted to know the possible options for such students. Prof. Parmananda admitted that he wasn’t sure of an answer to this question, primarily because of India’s poor support to research. India, being a third-world country, has a large number of computer-related companies, like Infosys. Indians even hold top positions at multinational software companies. Most of Indian Industry is service-providing. Less than 1% of Ph.D. holders from IIT actually take up non-academic jobs. Outside of India, research companies invest a great deal of money and give students ample time to discover their field of interest. However, Indian industry has extremely myopic vision with regard to research. The risk-dividend graph in India is non-linear. Prof. Parmananda also brought forth the fact that those who give up research for the sole reason of money, often end up suffering from anxiety or depression.
Sir Vyankatesh also requested further information regarding IIT Bombay’s Engineering Physics Program. Prof. Parmananda concisely answered this question by stating that an IITian will find it easier to get the job of his/her choice. He also mentioned that grades, however irrelevant, are required later in life. He also stated a few quotes, like one by a Russian dancer:
“You’re only as good as your next performance.”
and this one by an Indian economist:
“When you talk of the past, your shadow is longer than you and
it indicates that the Sun is setting for you.”
Sir Vyankatesh asked Prof. Parmananda to compare his research at the Max Planck Institute to that at the National Physics Laboratory or IIT Bombay. Prof. Parmananda explained how Europe expanded after unification and attracted foreign students through various programs. Prof. Parmananda stated that he found the USA better in this regard than Germany or Japan. He compared his research in Germany and Japan and noted the difference between their respective people as well as their attitude towards work. He pointed out the fact that Germans tend to adapt better to change. For instance, when they realised that foreign students overlook Germany simply because they do not comprehend German, they began to offer Ph.D. courses in English. Prof. Parmananda also compared this to India. He said that the problem in India is that many scientists desire to hold administrative posts, but not all scientists are good administrators and vice versa.
Sir Vyankatesh also asked whether more weightage was given to those with backgrounds in research, for promotions to higher positions at IIT or IISc, to which Prof. Parmananda replied that it was not always the case. He mentioned that in a third-world country, laws depend on the Government. The Ministry of HRD has different ministers from time to time, who have varying agendas and do not grasp the basic concept, “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” However, he also believes that it is possible to do both, teaching as well as research.
Sir Vyankatesh expressed his concern about dilution of the IIT brand due to the addition of multiple new IITs. However, Prof. Parmananda believes that this is necessary due to the growing population, as well as to aid some deserving students who get unlucky during the IIT-JEE examination. This will also stop the belief that getting a good score in the IIT-JEE is the end of the road. A student asked Prof. Parmananda his preferred organisation for research in India. Prof. Parmananda thinks that the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research is better than others in this regard.
Sir Vyankatesh desired to know what matters more while applying for a Ph.D. overseas: the rank of the institute in the world or one’s guide and the facilities available. Prof. Parmananda stated that both factors are just as important. For instance, given an option, he would have picked the Massachusetts Institute of Technology over Ohio University. He believes that, all said and done, pedigree matters and is an inevitable part of humanity, just like racism and elitism. Adding further to his question, Sir Vyankatesh asked why Brown University holds the 60th rank in the world but the first rank in Structures. Prof. Parmananda insisted that the fact that Brown University is part of the Ivy League says enough and it is an excellent institute regardless of its rank. The reason IIT holds the 137th position in the world is the lack of foreign students and faculty, and the fact that it caters primarily to undergraduate students.
Prof. Parmananda ended with a few important guidelines for students: Follow your passion; if you do not enjoy what you do, do not do it at all; get enough sleep and lastly, live life in the three-dimensional Cartesian co-ordinates instead of the virtual world.
The students of Mushtifund Aryaan Higher Secondary School are indeed privileged to have met and interacted with a high-profile person like Prof. Parmananda. The advice and recommendations given by him are of significant value and will inarguably be of great help to students. His work overseas in Germany, Japan and the USA, as well as that in India, has brought to light the tremendous opportunities available in the field of Science. His unique and interesting narrations, opinions, knowledge, ideologies and his numerous experiences have provided the students with a fresh perspective on academics, modern sciences, overseas education, teaching, research and many other relevant topics. His substantial achievements in his field, coupled with his consistent interest towards achieving his goals, sets him apart from others. On behalf of all students of Class XI, I must thank Professor Parmananda for spending his valuable time to enlighten us. We hope we receive an opportunity to interact with him again. We also thank Sir Vyankatesh Prabhudesai for frequently giving us such opportunities to interact with eminent people. This definitely helps us rethink our views and motivates us to keep working hard to reach such levels.
- Mr. Rayner Cardoso
After the session with Prof. Punit Parmananda, the students of the regular batch of Class XI students also got the opportunity to interact with Rayner Cardoso, an ex-student of Aryaan who is currently studying at AIIMS Jodhpur, a reputed institute for medicine. He is currently in the third semester of his second year.
The interaction began with a question-and-answer session. Sir Vyankatesh asked Mr. Cardoso to specify the differences between AIIMS and other medical colleges. Mr. Cardoso said that the primary difference was that the AIIMS campus was like a mini-world by itself. Life in the campus is a precursor to what students must face later in life, in the big world. In many other institutes, including but not limited to Goa Medical College, students go home after lectures and are not accustomed to on-campus life. On-campus life teaches students to adapt and react to situations like meeting hundreds of strangers in a very short time span. At AIIMS, there are also personality development programs. Mr. Cardoso found that students interact better and receive much more attention from teachers at AIIMS than at other colleges due to their limited numerical strength. However, he also clarified that students are not ‘spoon-fed’ and like other-fields, students must do the majority of studies on their own.
Mr. Cardoso was asked how he manages to cope with the hordes of transparencies covered each day. Mr. Cardoso emphasised on the fact that more than 50 per cent of learning takes place in class. During the first two semesters of his second year, he made changes to the amount of attention he paid in class and noticed a significant difference in ease of studying. He thinks Biology is like all about connecting the dots and for that, having a brief idea of concepts in class itself, is extremely important.
Sir Vyankatesh then asked Mr. Cardoso whether the claim that Medicine primarily involves memorising, was justified. Mr. Cardoso thinks that this claim is unfounded. In his first semester at AIIMS, he was required to study Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, which he found vague. However, in his second semester, he performed much better than earlier because he had a thorough understanding of these three subjects and understood the relation between them. He thinks that studying Biology by simply memorising, even in Class 11 and 12, is the incorrect method. Sir Vyankatesh mentioned that most concepts in Physics and Mathematics are like riding a bicycle—you never forget them once you learn them. He wanted to know whether the same applied to Biology, especially with the abundant terminology used. Mr. Cardoso mentioned that this is partly true. Most biological terms have Latin roots and there are standard rules for nomenclature. Hence, though there is some amount of memorising involved, it is not entirely difficult.
A student asked Mr. Cardoso for advice regarding last-minute revision of two years’ worth of syllabus immediately before the NEET Examination. Mr. Cardoso said that other than solving past papers, this is not possible. Hence, time management in Class 11 and 12, as well as focus on difficult topics, is crucial for preparing for NEET. Rayner found IIT-JEE papers to be of immense help for preparing for the Physics section of the AIIMS
Examination, which is particularly difficult, especially when compared to that of the NEET Examination. He also mentioned that last year’s NEET Examination was relatively simple. He recommended that students go through Physics and Chemistry formulae and reactions in Organic Chemistry, a few days before the examination. A clear understanding of the subject is always worth the extra effort. Perfection in topics is more important than speed. Mr. Cardoso mentioned that preparation for Physics and Chemistry till at least the Engineering level is required for Medical students, now that the AIIMS examination has been combined with NEET. Studying Physics and chemistry till the level of IIT-JEE Advanced is of great help for students answering the KVPY Exam, like Mr. Cardoso did.
A student noted that Human Anatomy was relatively interesting when compared to Plant Physiology, and asked Mr. Cardoso if there was any formula to make Plant Physiology seem more interesting. Mr. Cardoso stated that beside Plant Morphology (which requires a great deal of memorising), most of Plant Physiology can be understood by visualising and by using helpful tools like mnemonics. Visualising is of great help not only for Biology, but also for Physics.
A student asked Mr. Cardoso whether he preferred staying up at night or getting up early in the morning to study. Mr. Cardoso said that this entirely depends on personal preference, while noting that his own sleep cycle had been distorted for the past few years. In fact, he reduced his daily sleep levels to just four hours and had to be hospitalised for hypertension. Mr. Cardoso warned the students against drastic reduction in sleep levels because it can have adverse health effects.
A faculty member of Aryaan Study Circle asked Mr. Cardoso whether a slipped disc required surgery or whether physiotherapy was enough to cure it. Mr. Cardoso explained the cause of a slipped disc and also said that surgery is required only in extreme cases. Sir Vyankatesh also noted the safety factor that our body has and mentioned that we must take good care of it. Mr. Cardoso emphasised on the fact that maintaining good health during these crucial years in students’ academic careers is crucial. Besides, he also gave us important advice regarding combating addiction to mobile phones and social media. This concluded the question-and-answer session.
The interactive session with Mr. Rayner Cardoso was eye-opening and hearing his opinions answered many questions that all students had at the back of their minds. Despite the fact that he chose Biology, the abundant advice given by him is important for all students of Aryaan Study Circle irrespective of their choice of subject. The humbleness that he displays, despite his success, is indeed admirable and we look forward to interacting with him again. We would also like to thank Sir Vyankatesh Prabhudesai for organising these interactive sessions which help us gain a clear view of what lies ahead.
Written by
Ronit Kunkolienkar
Student, XI (Regular)