A Talk With the Master......Prabhat Saraswat (aka papa bhaiya)

ok fellas here is what i promsed.....the interview wid our very own papa bhaiya....enjoy!

Did you always want to become an engineer?

Ya, it had always been my dream to become an engineer. In fact my dad himself is an electronics and communication engineer; so you can say that engineering runs in my blood. When I was young, all three of us that is my dad, my mom and me used to repair an old black and white TV every Friday, so that we could watch the Saturday movie. From my school days only I had an inclination towards science and have been taking parts in science fests since then.

What are your future plans?

Right now I am leaving for Switzerland, where I would be completing my PhD at ALARI (Advance Learning and Research Institute). It’s the second best university in the world for work on embedded systems. I am going there on a full scholarship, free accommodation and a handsome stipend. I would be working under Prof. Sammaria Giovanni and the duration of the course is 3 ½ years.

What do you plan to do after completing your PhD?

I plan to go for post-doctoral research at one of the leading labs say Bell Labs. After 2-3 years of research I would like a 1 year teaching stint in Argentina and then head back home.

Argentina; any specific reason for this choice?

I intend to make that 1 year a teaching and traveling stint. Also I have been inspired by Che Guevara (The Motorcycle Diaries).

After returning to India is there a possibility of you teaching here at DA-IICT?

(Laughs and says) Probably after enough raises and when I have nothing else to do! On a more serious note, yes it’s definitely a possibility. The new people that are coming, their attitude towards research is good, and it’s a healthy sign.

Your greatest passion apart from academics?

Music! No doubt about it.

Not many of us are aware of the rock star Prabhat Saraswat. Why don’t you throw some light about that facet of your personality?

When Prabhat Saraswat entered the college he had very short hair and this persisted till the 2^nd semester. It was during my 2^nd year that my senior Siddhartha Mohan made me enter the world of rock. I started growing my hair and during this year only I was gifted an electric guitar by my dad (it was the only real toy which I got!). Inspired by heavy metal and Rock n Roll, Chetan, Tushar and I formed a band called Igneous. We went to NIT Hamirpur and won the first prize over there.

However as happens with most of us, my mom had a problem with my long hair, but somehow I managed to keep them till the end of my 3^rd year when due to placements and stuff I had to cut them short. This marked the end of the rock star Prabhat and the return of the researcher. But now looking back I realize that most of my papers were written when I had my hair longJ.

What’s been the secret of your success?

Success is a subjective term. It depends on what kind of a success you are talking about. If one’s happy, one is successful. But if one can make other people around him happy, he’s more successful. Sheer hard work has been the reason for my success. Putting something like 10 hours in the lab and sitting alone, studying in the RC is what has made me successful.

Don’t you think luck had a role to play?

I don’t believe in luck, and it doesn’t really mater for me.

How important a role do you think a college plays in a student’s life?

College plays a huge role. You enter as boys and leave as men! It inculcates thought, reason, and a way of thinking. It enables us to take a stand on issues. For me, the college caused a drastic change of view. The humanity courses, especially the ones by Prof. Shiv changed my outlook.

Would you change your college is someone gives you the opportunity to do so?

No way! I won’t change even for an IIT. When I came here, there wasn’t even a cafeteria here. I have seen this college building. I know how well it’s growing and have tremendous faith in DA-IICT as an institution. And besides, I wouldn’t like to swap the friends that I have now for anything.

Which is your favourite book, both technical and non technical?

I am not much into reading fiction, but I do read some poetry and biographies. I particularly liked the biography of a mathematician named Stan Ulam and Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feymann!

Which is your favourite dish?

I am a foodie! I eat almost anything vegetarian. You can say that my favoutie is Italian and Mexican; since that’s what I have to eat for next few years, so better get used to it! And ya I love anything that I cook myself!

Do others love it as well?

(chuckles and says) they have to eat it! But then I am quite good a cook. When I was in 10^th I generally watched the culinary shows only on the TV. (that’s quite strange, isn’t it?)

have there been any setbacks or it’s been a smooth ride all along the way?

I won’t say that there haven’t been any setbacks. There have been a few like when I didn’t get placed for 6 days during the placement fair. I will never forget those 6 days! Then there was a sem in which I got really low SPI. But on the whole you can say that these past four years have been a good journey.

Now that you mention SPI, what do you think of the decision to shift from a 4point scale to a 10 point scale?

It’s bad! The 4 point scale was adopted because it put us at par with the US colleges in terms of grading. I guess that on large scale discrimination would be more which isn’t good. In my opinion an ideal grading scale should be fuzzy so that the guys who are lacking don’t feel all that bad; but distinct enough to clearly identify the cream. The 4 point scale set us apart from the other colleges and lent an international touch to the institute. Changing to the 10 point scale, in my opinion is a step backward.

The Design Project which we have to do in our 2^nd year is being made optional. Your comments?

It’s another bad decision! DP is our 1^st project and we learn a lot out of it! In my case, 2 of my publications were based on my DP only. DP is a good learning experience and shouldn’t have been removed.

Keeping in mind the steps the college administration has taken, can we say that we are moving backward instead of forward?

I won’t comment that hard but yes its moving in the wrong direction. People need to rethink their strategy. DP, the 4 point scale are some things which make us unique. Revoking them will make us similar to other run of the mill colleges.

Our new Director hasn’t been any of the promotional visits to the leading universities in the world, unlike his predecessor. What do you think about it?

This is indeed a serious problem. A lot of applications, despite good recommendations and GRE scores were rejected because the universities don’t know what DA-IICT actually is. The brand DA-IICT is still not established. In Florida, the situation is good because there DA-IICT is in the list of most favoured institutions; and all credit for this should go to Prof. Kutchedkar.

What do you have to say about the various faculty members leaving the college?

That’s very sad. Faculty and infrastructure are 2 things which we can boast of. When a faculty member quits, a lot of projects and research ideas go with him. This seriously hampers the growth of research.

How would you describe your experience as a Research Engineer?

It’s been fine. In the US, RE is meant for post-doc people. As a brand it’s very useful to have it on your CV. My work here basically involved checking new equipment, helping people with their projects and guiding interns. Basically it was to help in increasing the research potential of the students. However it could have been more challenging.

Which scientist/researcher do you admire the most?

Nash, John Nash! I came to know about him a lot before the movie. I really admire the way he talks about patterns and game theory. Even as a person he’s brave enough to face everything. Despite suffering form schizophrenia, he wins a Nobel Prize and that too for applied Mathematics! Whereas his colleagues involve themselves in derivative drivel, he looks for original research ideas. I would really like to follow his footsteps.

And what about our faculty? Whom do you think has inspired you the most?

Over the years I have worked with a lot of them. Prof. Shiv moulded me as a free thinking individual. And for research I guess, it has to be Prof. Prabhat Ranjan and Prof. Sanjay Srivastava.

Which sports do u practice?

Playing the guitar is the only sport that I know.

Which is your most prized technical possession?

My lappie! Even though it’s outdated I can’t live without it. He knows me and I know him!

Is research synonymous with happiness for you?

Hmm… well researching at 6 am in the morning in the lab with all the windows open and Beethoven playing in the background; it doesn’t get better than this.

What do you like to do in your leisure time?

I watch all kind of movies, especially the weird ones! I like listening to music and spending time with friends.

Your favourite movie?

Hmm that’s a difficult one! There are so many of those….Serendipity, A Beautiful Mind, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and all those Charles Coffman stuff.

How would you describe your stay at DA-IICT?

Time flies by so quickly! It feels like its been over in a flash. Looking back I would like to freeze the time at several places. I still remember those late night bashes! Its been a journey that has transformed me from a messed up adolescent to a free thinking person.

What has been your favourite hangout?

For the first 2 years it was the RC. For the better part of the 3^rd year in the night, it was the music room and after that it has been lab 202.

Something you couldn’t do in these past 4 ½ years?

(Thinks 4 a while and then says with a chuckle) so many people found life companions in college ;) and I…..

What tips would you like to give to students interested in research?

Although there’s nothing specific, there are some pointers that one can follow. Research is synonymous with thinking, thinking differently and uniquely. Feel passionate about what you are doing. Its should be more of a fun rather than a burden.

Linux or Windows?

Without doubt Linux! We customize everything, our clothes, our food, the way we behave. And if we can’t customize our OS, it’s a shame!

Your parting message?

4 years is a small time window! Time’s too less and there are a lot of things to do. We need to try everything and then identify what we are good at. Best if luck for it!