September 18, 2013
BIT by BIT
BIT BY BIT
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The News and Publication Society
www.napsbitmesra.com
Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra
Issue 02, SEPTEMBER 18, 2013
ONGOING RESEARCH..........................................2 FEATURED ALUMNI.............................................2 . PANTHEON ‘13 EVENT SCHEDULE.......................3 PANTHEON ‘13 EVENTS.......................................4 REWIND: THE MONTH THAT WAS........................5 EDITORIALS.........................................................5 INTERVIEW - DR. SATYAKI SARKAR....................6 INTERVIEW - DR. RAJEEV AGRAWAL..................6 COMIC STRIPS......................................................6
‘Robo-Billiards’, a popular Robotics event during Pantheon 2012.
PANTHEON 2013
Birla Institute of Technology presents Pantheon 2013, in association with The Times of India, co-sponsored by E-Merchant Digital Solutions. Our Radio Partner is 92.7 BIG FM, Food and Beverage Sponsor is Hotel Accord, and Hair Styling Partner is Calvin and Hobbes, and Education Partner is Chanakya IAS Academy.
of Bots” and “Lord of the Rings”. Coding geeks will have ample opportunities to showcase their talents in events such as “Bug Hunt”, “Codezilla” and “Byte”. For aspiring entrepreneurs, competitions like “OnSpot Case Study” and “Money Matters” have been planned. The spread of events has been planned in order to suit the palate of students from every department and discipline- no mean task in an institute that is home to more than twenty of them.
Many cultural events, including ‘Debate’, ‘Scotland Yard’, ‘Chance Pe Dance’, and ‘Acoustic Alchemy’ will also be an integral part of the fest. To test the cultural sides of the participants, these events will cover all major forms of culture including music, dance, drama, fine arts, oratory, as well as literary skills. From “Counter Strike” to “DotA”, “FIFA” to “Most The first idea of a college-level fest to amalgamate the Wanted”, gaming competitions will also make their various events and competitions, which were previously presence felt through “Command and Conquer”. spread throughout the year, was incepted in the year 2010, and that is how Pantheon came to being. Four A highlight of Pantheon 2013 are the Guest Lectures, years since its inception, the fest has grown in leaps comprising of informative talks and presentations and bounds - both in terms of quantity and quality of from four eminent personalities. The lectures will the events, and participation. It is without a doubt one cover a wide range of topics like digital marketing, of the most awaited events in the academic calendar. corporate social responsibility and humanoid Being the first event of the year that is organised on robots. The eminent guests include the likes of a large scale, Pantheon has earned the reputation of Mr. Diwakar Vaish, founder and head of Robotics giving the new set of BITians every year, the first years, & Research, A-Set Training & Research Institutes, the opportunity to showcase their talent and prove Mrs. Praveena Kala, DGM, SBI Ranchi, and Mr. Sajal Chakraborty, Chief Secretary, Jharkhand Tourism their mettle. and Aviation, to name a few. These lectures will not This year too will be no different. With numerous events only help in educating the students in the wider ranging from technical competitions that serve as aspects of professional life, but will also introduce rigorous workouts for your gray cells, to the cultural them to the latest developments in technology, competitions that give the students the opportunity straight from the top people associated with each. to present their talents in the field of extra-curricular activities, students can be sure that Pantheon has At the end of all events, comes the final test of team events catering to everyone’s interests. With three work and compatibility, the Core Night. The finalists, cultural nights lined up at the end of the day filled with teams that have earned the maximum points in all mesmerising performances, Pantheon 2013 is all-set to events over the 4 days, take to the stage to be put through various tests to prove their mettle. An allbe a power-packed set of 4 days. out entertaining event, the Core Night is always With a focus on technical events, Pantheon 2013 will a huge crowd puller, as the team that survives host events ranging from “Codezilla” to “Up in the Air”, through all the rounds of impromptu tasks and “Analogics” to “Science and Tech Quiz”. Robotics, having stage events is finally crowned the champion. long fascinated students, will see a number of events and competitions including “The Thirsty Crow”, “Game PANTHEON, the techno-cultural festival organised every odd semester for the students and by the students of BIT Mesra, is back to enthral the minds and hearts of everyone present. After days andmonths of hard work, meetings and discussions, the campus is all set to come alive.
Counselor: Dr. Nina Agarwal Visiting Hours: 3 PM to 6 PM,Tuesday and Friday at the BIT Dispensary
Pantheon ‘13 will have a greater focus on Technical Events.
Dr. Agarwal is a Clinical Psychologist associated with Deepshikha Institute, Ranchi. She provides adult counseling to students and faculty/staff alike in the institute. With simple sessions based on non-judgmental sharing, she can easily be approached with any kind of problems. All discussions remain completely confidential, including names of visitors.
After a hectic, albeit fun-filled day of running about and garnering points for one’s team, everyone is entitled to an evening of fun, frolic and entertainment. For the same reason, Pantheon 2013 will host 3 Cultural Nights –Music and Drama Night, Razzmatazz (Dance Night), and Fugiya Night.Organised in the Fugiya Grounds, these nights are a result of weeks of practice and co-ordination from all participants. The dazzling performances on stage and foot-tapping music, together with stalls to keep the crowd occupied ensure an evening of complete entertainment. For any college, the days of its fests are perhaps some of the most memorable. A result of months of preparation and planning, the campus comes alive with activity all around, with every student involved as an integral part of it. The atmosphere seems electrified and the students seem to live on a never ending supply of energy. A lot is in store for you in Pantheon 2013; gear up and keep your arsenal ready for four days of productive hard work and revelry. The very first fest of the year is finally here.
PANTHEON OVERVIEW - TECHNICAL EVENTS - CULTURAL EVENTS-GUEST LECTURES-MUSIC AND DRAMA NIGHT: 19.9.13-DANCE & SPICMACAY NIGHT: 20.9.13-FUGIYA NIGHT: 21.9.13-CORE NIGHT: 22.9.13-
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BIT BY BIT
September 18, 2013
« ONGOING RESEARCH EEE Dept.
The Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department is abuzz with projects in varied fields of research. Smart Grid and Drive: The funding agency for this research is the DST and also the Government of India. The professor in charge of this project is Dr. T. Ghose. The “smart grid” is more intelligent than our traditional grid. It is a modernised electrical grid that uses information and communication technology to gather information about behaviours
Magneto-optic material based current sensors: Research is also on for the design, development and characterization of magneto-optic material based current sensors for industrial application. The funding agencies are the DST, Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. Of India. Health Care: Research on the Electroencephalogram and Electro-oculogram based Hand-Eye co-ordination system for hybrid brain-computer interface, funded by UGC, and the soft computing and phonocardiogram based automated system for diagnosis of heart valve dis-
Pharmacy Dept. The science of medicine is one that evolves every day. Every so often a new disease is discovered, and ten more remedies are invented. No wonder then, that
The pharmacognosy section is carrying out research in validation of traditional systems of medicine, and validated methodologies for development of new herbal formulations. They are also developing drug molecules from natural resources and are enhancing
Biomolecules
the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences is a hub for many ongoing research projects in its various fields.
A schematic view of Three Area Power Networks
of consumers and suppliers in an automated fashion to improve efficiency, reliability and sustainability of the production and distribution of electricity. The Italian University of Padova is also involved in this project. The department is also trying to develop feasible methods for integrating solar cells in the grid. Process Control: Research is also on in the Process Control Lab and the department has received MODROB grant for the same. AICTE is also a funding agency. A landmark field of research is the development of lightning prediction and protection system, which is being funded by DST, Jharkhand Government. This project is being carried out under the guidance of Dr. B. M. Karan and Mr. Prem Prakash. Hybrid Electric Vehicles: Another project that would interest many is the development and implementation of hardware of microcontroller based boot converter for hybrid electric vehicles. This is being funded by the UGC , Delhi and the professor incharge is Dr. P. R. Thakura.
Electrical Transmission Lines
eases funded by AICTE are the efforts of the department to contribute noble field of health care. Ongoing research in the field of voluntary event related brain signal classification, funded by UGC, is also a step in the same direction. Other projects: They are also working towards development of suitable pedagogical contents and e-learning, through ICT. The funding agency for this project is the MHRD. The department is also working towards developing the applications of power electronics in power system and drive.
A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV)
them by a biotechnological approach. They are also exploring natural resources for novel drug delivery systems. Another area of research is the micro computerized identification of indigenous drugs and the development of their standards. WATCH THIS SPACE FOR RESEARCH ACTIVITIES OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
Ayurveda
The pharmaceuticals division is carrying out research in the areas of new drug delivery systems and development based on nanotechnology formulation. They are also working on the thermodynamic approach to drug excipient interactions. Most of the industries now a days focus on manufacturing products from natural resources and taking this into consideration, the pharmaceuticals division is also exploring the plausibility of natural gum as pharmaceutical adjuvants. Ayurveda, although developed centuries ago, is practiced even today. The standardisation of the ayurvedic drug is another ongoing filed of research. In pharmaceutical chemistry the important areas of research are synthesis and evaluation of novel candidate compounds with special reference to heterocyclic moieties and small peptides in the field of antiviral, antimicrobial, antiHIV, anticancer, analgesic, cardiovascular, antidiabetic and other activities. Research is also on in the studies of synthetic neutraceuticals. The ongoing research in pharmacology revolves around the anti tumour and immunomodulatory studies of compounds from natural and synthetic sources, toxicological and neuropharmacological studies of bioactive molecules, studies of bioactive molecules on experimentally induced urolithiasis, nephropathy, neuropathy and diabetes in animal models. The other area of research is biochemical and molecular pharmacological studies of bioactive molecules.
RETRACTION: In the last issue of BIT by BIT, dated August 1, 2013, we incorrectly mentioned that the patent for the formula of the Benadryl cough syrup is owned by the institute , while in fact this is untrue. We regret any incoveniences caused.
A DNA Strand
September 18, 2013
BIT BY BIT
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« EVENTS: PANTHEON ‘13 BIT BY BIT
September 18, 2013
FANFARE (Promotional Event) Michael Jackson? Marilyn Monroe? Malinga? You could be one of them! Come and find out how. Change your look, your mood, your personality! And get a chance to go viral on the internet. Highlights include a memorabilia collection and exhibits of pop culture. BE THE NEXT SHAKESPEARE (Submission Event) Calling all Scriptwriters: Express your creativity and show your maturity as a writer. Contestants have to write Poetry or Prose in English or Hindi on any one of the topics provided. Top 3 contestants get a shot at writing a script for a play to be performed in BIT. E-PIC (Submission Event) A theme will be given, and anyone can participate, submitting a maximum of two photographs. Maximum number of likes will be the one criteria of judgment.
Day 1 ON THE SPOT CASE STUDY Case studies provide an unparalleled opportunity to know about the working of a business enterprise, its objectives, strategies, challenges, results, recommendations and more. The case will be provided on the spot and members have to answer questions regarding the case. BUG HUNT A technical treasure hunt involving coding puzzles, where the solution for each level points to the location of the next. CHAKRAVYUH Participants will be given puzzles having more than one possibility which will lead you to different paths depending on your choice of answer. It’s on you to choose the swampy path or the path of victory. JAM JAM stands for Just A Minute, and that one minute is bound to be the longest minute you would have ever lived. Try speaking, & the evil JAM-master ensures you get Jammed! An event with lots of fun, with wicked shades of evil. LORD OF THE RINGS To design an automatic robot capable of solving a maze in the shortest possible time. LITERARY WIZARDRY If you think you have the ability to connect the dots, this is the perfect platform for you! Come. See. Conquer. ANALOGICS The realm of circuit analysis can offer you so many challenges‚ right from analyzing mind- boggling circuits to debugging them to find errors. If you have the instinct and sense as to how little modifications in the circuit can produce significant changes in the output, this event is yours. COOK UP YOUR CAR Ever thought of making your own car? Well here’s your chance to build a theoretical one. You will be provided with various components (on paper) and other possible options along with their cost. All you need to do is choose the best option and make a high-performance economical car. UP IN THE AIR In this event, the student has to make a structure that can fly in air with materials provided.
The design is tested on the range it covers in flight as well as other parameters. The winner is decided on the basis of time of flight, distance covered and stability of their structure.
GAME OF BOTS To design a mechanical bot that can push the balls in the given zones as per the rules mentioned and switch off the alarm in the given time.
BITter@bit Combining ideas taken from induction ceremony of 2k13, this is an event involving various rounds of mental and physical compatibility tasks that will take you through an entertaining experience. Choose wisely!
POKER Welcome to the game of skills, chance and ever-changing strategies. Formulate your plans on the position of the table, the kind of cards you hold and the betting plans.
CHEM-E-BOAT To design a completely autonomous boat that is capable of moving on water surface only by a chemical reaction or by using a chemical fuel.
FRINGE Fringe is the test for everyday electronics. From Maxwell’s laws to Moore’s law, if you think you can crack it up, then you are the one we are looking for.
FACE PAINTING Zombies, fairies, clowns, convert your partner’s face into an amazing living artwork. Materials will be given on the spot, with a team size of 2 members.
CIRCUIT DESIGN Requires completion of a circuit using the given circuit component diagrams, with a limitation to the number of times
ENTERTAINMENT QUIZ Movies, music, sitcoms, romcoms, classics, just can’t get enough of them on DC? If you feel you’ve surpassed all that DC has to offer, we invite you to a rendezvous with some of the entertainment geeks on campus in the Entertainment Quiz this Pantheon. Can you beat these legends to become the new legend?
SUDOKU GEEK 3 different sudokus of different levels will be given to 3 participants of each team and these will be rotated within the team members in an order after every 5 min.
THE THIRSTY CROW Design a manual robot capable of transferring water from a large container to numerous small containers on its way while travelling on an irregular terrain.
AUTO QUIZ Do you have the auto-geek in yourself? An eye for detail when it comes to the auto industry? An insatiable appetite to know just about everything and anything on four wheels? The Auto-Quiz is the place for you, the auto lover’s delight!
ACOUSTIC ALCHEMY A stage which requires you to go unplugged, where the charm of acoustic and the beats of percussion mixed in the soul of music enchants the crowd.
BUILDER’S FATE Experience what it feels to be a builder, the ups and downs of the construction business. Get ready to enter a world of risks, luck, strategy and profits. DEBATE The Debate is one of the most challenging yet fun speaking events. Participants will be divided into teams on a random basis by the judges and a motion will be raised on the floor. Each participant will have a specified time frame to deliver his speech in view of the topic and will later engage in a rebuttal session with the opponent team. In the end the speaker with best speech having a strong content will win. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY QUIZ Is cutting edge technology the driving force behind your life? Are latest developments in science the fuel that drive your brain? We challenge you to a mind-bogling quiz on science and technology to test how updated you are!
Day 2 GENERAL QUIZ From Sports to Art, History to Tech, Politics to War, if you are intrigued by everything underneath the sun, then come test your gray cells in the biggest quiz of this Pantheon. REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE Run through the campus, collect any junk you can get and come out with a model made out of scraps provided and recyclable materials collected from the campus. Models will be judged based on creativity, utility and the three R’s: Reuse, Reduce & Recycle. CASH FLOW Cash flow is an event that resembles the present day money world with all of its components like liabilities, properties, shares etc., where students have to buy and sell with the limited amount of money given to them. The student having the highest property value at the end of competition is declared the winner. SAVE THE EGG Give wings to your chicken even before the egg hatches! As we embark upon a mission to destroy the world egg population by dropping eggs from great heights, come design parachutes to give wings to your egg and foil our evil plans!
ULTIMATE ENGINEER The Ultimate Engineer has to be a jack of all trades. Questions from all spheres of engineering will challenge your ability to crack any engineering problem that comes your way. DESIGN YOUR COLLEGE An amazing opportunity to design your college your way. This event gives you a chance to re-plan your college (BIT Mesra) your way. ELIXIR TO ELECTRICITY This is a technical platform to design a water turbine to produce maximum electrical power output, thus implementing the conversion of hydro energy into electrical energy. CODE ZILLA An algorithmic programming contest consisting of a written test followed by an on-site coding round. LOOK FOR IT This photographic extravaganza will make you discover places in BIT you’ve never seen before. Each team will be shown a few photographs and they are expected to get the same image captured in the given time. A test of both your memory and photographic skills. UNLEASH THE ACTOR WITHIN Where acting is reacting. An impromptu acting competition, where topics will be given on the spot.
Day 3 CHANCE PE DANCE Chance pe dance is an attempt to realize the concept of LYP (Live Your Passion) in the form of dance. Random couples will be formed on the spot, who will have to ‘rock n’ roll’ their way through 3 rounds to be crowned as the champions.
BUOYANCY The participants will have to design a boat using the materials given, and the boat will have to balance weights on water. The team whose boat balances the maximum weight, and also covers the maximum distance during this period will win. BYTE A unique subjective test in which participants are required to figure out real-world programming problems.
MONEY MATTERS Each team will be provided with a starting amount of Rs. 300. The aim is to maximize the given amount in a given span of time. The initial amount provided to the teams will have to be returned back to the treasury. AD-MAD Teams will be given a random ‘topic’, ‘concept’, ‘idea’ or ‘product’ to prepare a presentation on it. SHADOWS FALL Unleash your designing skills. Create a 3-dimensional composition so that the model has positive and negative spaces in it to create a story with the shadows that the model creates. The shadows can be contrasting or with similar theme as the composition itself. Required materials will be provided.
Day 4 BLITZKREIG This unique event tests the timing, coordination and management of the participants as a team of 5 has to distribute themselves among 4 venues with challenging events going on in all the different rooms. The team is supposed to redistribute themselves according to the rules of the game and successfully complete all the five testing events. SCOTLAND YARD The treasure is in BIT Mesra.Understand, solve and run. Contestants strive to arrive first at “Pit Stops” at the end of each leg of the race to stay at an advantage and to avoid coming in last. Contestants travel to and within multiple locations by foot within the campus. Clues provided in each leg lead the teams to the next destination or direct them to perform a task, either together or by a single member.
« REWIND: THE MONTH THAT WAS September 18, 2013
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EACH new month witnesses a bounty of 350 donors, including the Dean Students’ between the Sports Authority of India and seeing an unprecedented response from eager events taking place in the institute. The last Welfare and various faculty of BIT Mesra. the college team at the institute sports football enthusiasts, with a staggering 38 regiscomplex, which ended tered teams, of which 6 were all girls’ team. The month was no different. There was a in a goalless draw. flurry of tricks like Cruyff turns, Scissors, Rainwide array of events lined up from bows, Around the world, Feint, Dummy and Nutskill developing workshops to culDMTP megs kept the crowds engaged. ‘The Dribblers tural celebrations and social activiA Disaster Manage- Seamen’ and ‘The Sprinters’ won the event on the ties. A brief glimpse on cultural and ment Training Program boys and girls sides respectively. social events in chronological order: was conducted by the EPAC on August 24 and DANCE NIGHT DAWAT-E-IFTAAR 25, 2013 to guide the The Dance Club of BIT Mesra hosted the seaAn Iftaar party was organized on students on the various son’s inaugural Dance Night, titled ‘Dans L’avenir’ August 3, 2013 to mark the holy methods to cope with on the 1st of September for the freshers’ batch of month of Ramadan and was attendadverse circumstances. 2k13. With “looking into the future” as its theme, ed by the students and the staff The activities included boys and girls were brimming with energy and alike. It stirred the spirit of hospitalrappelling, monkey enthusiasm for their first evening of some serious ity and brotherhood, while spreadcrawling, Commando fun, as an enchanting evening ensued. ing moments of joy all around. Net, Commando Bridge, Burma Bridge, Ladder WORKSHOPS CLUB INDUCTION NCC Cadets standing in formation on Indepence Day Bridge, Archery and • The basics of MATLAB, by IET on 11th and The newest addition to the BIT 12th August. valley crossing. family, the 2k13 batch, was intro• Basic Digital Electronics, by the ECE Society QUANTUM QUIZ AND STAND-OFF duced to the operating clubs of the instion 13th, 14th and 15th August. The inaugural Quantum Quiz was conLITERARY NIGHT tute in the induction program. Conducted • The basics of C and C++ programming, by The Literary Society of BIT Mesra celebraton August 10, 2013 by the representatives ducted by UNESQUO on August 13, 2013 IEEE on 15th and by IET on 26th, 27th and 29th of various clubs, it was aimed at inform- to test the mettle of the 2k12 batch, and ed the dimensions of literature in the form August. ing the students about the club activities, introduce the fresh quizzing minds of the of Literary Night on the evening of August highlighting the past achievements and 2k13 batch to the active quizzing scene 26, 2013. Named ‘Thespian Expressions’, a • Recursive and Dynamic Programming, by setting forth the objectives for the forth- in the institute. A total of six teams quali- debate of a unique kind was organized in ACM on 28th August. fied for the finals and the quiz was won which all participants were assigned cer- • Pencil and Charcoal Sketching, by FAS on 29th coming year. by the team comprising of Abhi Pandey tain influential personalities, and not only August. and Rohit Chakraborty of 2k12. The inau- did they have to speak like them, but think • Introduction to Robotics, by Robolution on gural Stand-off Debate was conducted and dress like them too. A ‘Kavi Sammelan’ 31st August. by UNESQUO, the prelims of which were was held to recognize poetic creativity and • Illuminate, a B-Plan Workshop by EDC on 1st held on August 14, 2013 and the finals on lastly, the audience was treated to an enter- September. • The Art of Oratory, by UNESQUO on 3rd and August 15, 2013. The topic of the debate taining Literary Quiz. 4th September. finals was “Will the formation of smaller • PSOC conducted a Photo Fest from 30th states lead to better governance?”. A very DRAMA NITE August to 1st September, 2013. dynamic war of words ensued as the best The Dramatics Society of BIT Mesra introspeakers gave a fine example of both their duced itself to the fresher batch with much presence of mind and depth of knowl- drama, literally. The evening of the edge, in addition to eloquent oratory. 27th of August showcased the Namrata Gummalla of 2k12 was declared immense talent of 2k11 and 2k12 the winner. batches in the form of four plays, A participant rappelling during the DMTP ‘Nimansa’, ‘Panahgah’, ‘While the INDEPENDENCE DAY Auto Waits’ and ‘Murder by MidThe day was celebrated, as always, with night’. The effort put in by them BLOOD DONATION CAMP A Blood Donation Camp was organized great fervor. Chants in praise of the nation was appreciated to the highest by the NSS in collaboration with the Rota- could be heard at as early as 6 in the morn- degree and the performances left ract and Leo clubs on August 11, 2013. The ing by the NSS students of first and second the audience in awe. procedure was carried out by the doctors years participating in the Prabhat Feri. The FUTSAL and staff from the Apollo Hospital and unfurling of the tricolor, followed by the The Sports and Adventure Club RIMS, and the donated blood was sent to march past of NCC cadets and a cultural their blood banks. The camp witnessed program, took place in the Upper Lawn. have organized this event on the an overwhelming turnout of more than The day also witnessed a football match 31st August and 1st September, Performance during the Dance Night
« EDITORIALS
- A few accounts of first experiences of freshers in BIT Mesra Entering the portals of BIT Mesra brought my life to a complete halt. There were a lot of things that were going through my mind but the only thing that got me anxious was the fact that i had to stay away from my parents. I was struck by a sense of nostalgia and the memories of my childhood flashed right before me. Back then I had my parents to support and guide me but now I had to find my own way in an all new world. But the aura of this place drove away all those sentiments and welcomed me with open arms. - C. Ashmita, BE/10474/13
When it comes to staying away from home, in a foreign environment, I wouldn’t really be exhilarated. Who would? Especially when you are expected to share your room and private space with people you have never known before, the very first day on. But a month later, I can say I have adjusted, in ways I could have never imagined. From growing up in household as a single child, to sharing my washroom with 20 more people, I have come a long and rocky way, and am only looking forward for my zeal to continue all through my years here. - Debasmita Bhowmik, BE/10009/13
A fresher’s view of the campus. Photo Courtesy: Vaibhav Saxena, PSOC, BIT Mesra
H e av i l y loaded with ‘No-IIT’ depression, maddening rage against ‘Sibalisation’ and a suitcase, I set off from home for my alma mater to-be, where I was supposed to spend the four most beautiful years of my life. The main gate was a huge disappointment, but the main building blew my mind.
Two persons sharing a single room in hostel was again a shock, but then my roommate was awesome! Every class was a bouncer, but evening tea amidst trees was something we all waited for. The relief of not getting ragged after almost being certain of getting ragged was overwhelming. The first few days in college did justify the mad race to reach here. - Siddhant Sahoo, BE/10384/2013 “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” - John Hughes These were the words that flitted through my mind when I first stepped into BIT. Standing in front of one of the hostels, I felt ecstatic. The cool breeze, the mesmerising atmosphere and the white clouds flecked with orange rays of the evening sun added to the aura. Well, apart from thrill, I was also overwhelmed by a sense of foreboding. Though the thought of having to stay away from my family worried me, the feeling of meeting new people excited me. The days that followed were filled with sheer joy, enthusiasm and excitement with brief moments of anguish and sorrow. Thus my journey from a fresher to a sophomore year student was a roller coaster of emotions with life adding
occasional spice to it. - Anand Chatterjee, BE/10393/2012 As one takes a leap from school to college, with a bag full of expectations and hope towards a new phase of life, a completely independent student life in a place far away from home puts us in a confused state of mind. Hostel life initially was very dull and boring and home sickness haunted us, but once people opened up and the interactions began, it brought a whole new spark to life, be it the late night gossip/movie sessions or the shouting during power cuts. Soon we felt part of a big new family. Being a part of the activities and events enriched my initial days, while further attending workshops helped me gain immense knowledge on various technical fields etc. I would also like to make a special mention of our seniors, who are very cooperative and friendly. The campus with its lush green trees and beautiful flowers makes the environment so calm and serene that one instantly falls in love with it. The journey until now has been amazing, and my initial impressions of the college are great. I look forward to having some amazing memories here in the years to come. - Mujeeb Khan, BE/10198/2013
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BIT BY BIT
September 18, 2013
INTERVIEWS Dr. Rajeev Agrawal
Dr. Satyaki Sarkar Student Activity Coordinator (Cultural)
Student Activity Coordinator (Technical)
The administration has decided to make Pantheon more technologically oriented and BITotsav more culturally oriented. About two thirds of the Pantheon events this time are going to be technological ones and in BITotsav the reverse will be true. We did not want to have a fully technological fest because that would be too much hard work and we need a break which will be provided by the cultural events and the night performances. Basically, we should have one cultural fest and one technological fest and this is our step towards it.
3)Is this Pantheon going to be any different from its ancestors? This time, Pantheon is based on the theme “Droid”. This year’s fest is going to be more technical oriented and will require the societies to bring out quality technical events. This fest will be an excellent opportunity for the students to familiarize and interact with the various departments and societies of the institution and display their technical skills.
4) Sir, you mentioned that the student community is very active. Is it not feasible for the administration to either build a separate Students Activity Centre or allot some part of an existing building solely for the purpose of these activities?
1) Pantheon is in its fourth year now. How has it changed and evolved over time?
I feel that there is a need for a SAC. For the students to practice and sit and plan the various events. This matter was discussed with the administration but somehow it has not materialised yet. We had thought of allotting the first floor of the community hall for this purpose but for some reasons, it has not worked out. Hopefully, we’ll be able to have one soon.
The participation has increased over the years. This time the participation will be even more because we have removed participation fee from events. Although the time for preparation is less and technological events will be more 5) Do you feel that the cultural events in number, we hope to see participation we organise are up to the mark? from across BIT. Yes! Definitely. And the proof is the fact that our students have been winning 2) What is the necessity of having cultural laurels consistently in various fests-be it Mood Indigo or Spring Fest. events in a technological college like ours? They are very necessary because a break is always welcome. Even students don’t start studying immediately after going back to the hostel rooms. Boredom is broken by cultural events. It provides the grey matter rest and refreshes us. The student community is very active in all cultural events. There is a lot of talent in the students waiting to be showcased and cultural events provide them that platform. Organising these events also brings out the managerial skills of the students who, after all, are the future managers of the country.
3) Your views on this pantheon being more technologically oriented than cultural?
6) Your expectations from this Pantheon and the ones to come? Well, more participation from the students. More hidden talents must be discovered. The management skills of the students should improve. The most important thing that students must learn is working in a team and team spirit. Because ultimately, team BIT must win. 7) Your message for the students looking forward to first fest of the year? Come and experience it!
4) So sir, it is true this year Pantheon would be more focused on technical activities rather than cultural events? Yes, this year we will have approximately 70% technical events and rest would be the cultural events.
1) What would you like to tell the freshmen 5) Could you throw some light on the about Pantheon, which will be their first importance of technical events? And what is the motive behind making them a prime college fest? focus this year? Pantheon is the first techno-cultural Pan – BIT fest of BIT Mesra where students from all the extension centers of BIT will be taking part in. The first year students will experience for the first time the diverse cultural as well as the technical aspect of BIT Mesra.
A technical event will enhance the learning process of students because it serves as an opportunity to test in real life what they have learned in theory. As I said, some events require sound knowledge of the concerned field, hence a lot of new things can be learned and 2) Why should college students participate in this is a fun way to do it. We have various departmental clubs in our college and college fest at the first place? we want to give them an opportunity to These fests give the right exposure to the organize various technical events in our college students which help build their college. competence. The various events organized by the different clubs and societies of the institution provide a platform to showcase 6)Finally, what message would you like to their talents in the technical as well as in convey to the students? the cultural field. More importantly, these fests give an opportunity to the students I’d like to say that students must actively to understand how to compete in today’s take part in this fest! They will learn so world. Some events require thorough much about so many different things. knowledge of the concerned field for e.g. They should make full use of this fest the coding events, robotics events etc. The and try to develop their talents and students through teamwork will learn how skills. It is going to be immense fun and a wonderful learning experience! to win as a team.
JOY FEST ‘Joy of Giving Week’ starts from 2nd October and goes on till 8th October, and is organized by the Entrepreneurship Development Cell (EDC). In its thrid year since its inception, Joy Fest is a charitable initiative, where people all across campus are encouraged to contribute. The total amount collected is provided to the blind, handicapped and undernourished children, as well as to the old-age homes in Ranchi. Collection boxes will be available in every hostel, where people can freely contribute. Arrangements will also be made for receiving collection in departments and in staff quarters.
PUBLISHED BY: The News and Publication Society, BIT Mesra
FACULTY ADVISOR: Shri Mrinal Pathak
CHIEF EDITORS: Nitin Gupta, Naofel Nasim, Shravya Arya, Sugandha Chauhan. MANAGING EDITORS: Vishesh Dokania, Soham Ray, Roshin Mathew, Talib Wasi. REPORTERS: Namrata Gummalla, Saumya Bora, Deboshree Banerjee, Anuva Agarwal, Koushik MLN, Abhinav Goyal. DESIGNERS: Abhijeet P., Prithvi Raj Gayadri, Harshdeep Sagar, M. Uday Kiran.
EDITORIAL TEAM:
The News and Publication Society (N.A.P.S.) is the hub for all information and connectivity in the Institute, from the latest news and happenings around the campus, to interviews and opinions of the people who matter, to organization of the biggest fests and events in the college. It collaborates with the largest media houses to ensure all the important happenings in campus are brought to attention at a regional as well as national level. Being a completely student-run body, N.A.P.S. boosts college-level journalism, with regular publications including newsletters, brochures and batch souvenirs. Send us your feedback at naps@bitmesra.ac.in. For regular updates on happenings around the campus, follow us at our website: www.napsbitmesra.com. We also feature N.A.P.S. apps on the Android (Google Play) and Windows 8 Stores for ease-of-use.