A life in pursuit of the monsoon The year was 1944. Across Poona (now Pune), then in the Bombay Province of British India, the call for Independence echoed through homes, streets, and public spaces. At the heart of the city stood a house that the locals called “Liberty Hall”. It belonged to Dr VD […]
Picture a typical morning at the Indian Institute of Science in the early 1980s. Three attenders set out on bicycles, each assigned to a different part of the sprawling campus. Their task is to collect the day’s mail. They stop at departments and offices along their route, gathering letters, handwritten notes, official messages, and […]
A day in the life of Geetha Ramaswamy A drizzle coats the pathway as Geetha walks steadily towards IISc’s Main Guest House (MGH). Today, she had commuted from her home in Benson Town to IISc by auto rickshaw. The previous evening’s downpour had left her scooter marooned on campus. She quickens her pace to […]
The scientist for social development One morning in the early 1940s, 12-year-old Amulya Reddy received a letter from his uncle and hero, CGK Reddy, a marine engineer and political activist. The letter, written on a rough piece of paper, had arrived from the Madras jail where CGK was imprisoned for his anti-British activities. In […]
Learning from traditional architecture Walking through the lanes of Majuli, the largest river island in the world, one cannot miss the characteristic houses, the Chang Ghar. Situated in Assam, at the heart of the river Brahmaputra and secluded from the rest of the world, Majuli has preserved much of its traditional heritage, including its […]
Tracing the history of IISc’s green pathways While casually strolling through IISc roads, one simply needs to look up – to be immediately immersed in the sight of the soaring avenue trees. Vibrant-hued seasonal flowers bloom on them as they merge into canopies, creating a breathtaking vista throughout the campus. The vibrant greenery of […]
CONNECT spent a day with Amita Sneh who coordinates international relations Amita enters her cabin with a hurried stride, carrying her big tote bag. Sanjeev, the contractor, was already waiting to have a conversation. He is in charge of renovating the new space for the Office of International Relations (OIR) at the Raman building. […]
Unique centre at IISc’s Challakere campus exemplifies sustainable construction The temperature was a sizzling 40°C on the morning of 24 April when I reached the IISc campus in Challakere. Summers in this area have become worse in recent years. The sweltering heat was becoming unbearable as I made my way past various buildings to […]
The importance of introducing traditional knowledge to young scientists Can complex scientific concepts and mathematical theorems have a dialogue with Indian folk dance? This was the question I posed as the end-term assignment for the course on ‘Mapping India with Folk Art’ that I was offering to IISc’s undergraduate students in 2015. I asked […]
Tracing the growth of a model training programme at IISc’s Challakere campus Smita Bala Panda is among the 112 teachers who have travelled from Odisha to participate in the Teachers’ Training Programme at the Talent Development Centre (TDC), in the IISc Challakere campus. She covered the journey from Ganjam district to Bangalore via train, […]
