Mythra Gangadharaiah joined IISc in 1969 and worked at the Institute until she took voluntary retirement in 2003. She initially worked in Unit III, the postal section in charge of sending and receiving the Institute’s correspondence with the outside world. After two years, she was posted to the office of the JRD Tata Memorial Library, […]
Author: Kavitha Harish
‘I was the umpire who said “Out!” when Kapil Dev took his record-breaking wicket in 1994’
AL Narasimhan joined IISc in 1965. At the time, he was 25, had just completed an MSc degree in statistics, and had also just fled from a job in Gulbarga, Karnataka, after only a month. Despite this false start, he got the chance to join IISc, and begin a lifelong career in administration. During the […]
‘If I say I am Sudha Sudarshan’s husband, people understand who I am’
Sudarshan KV joined IISc in 1966. He worked in the Budget Section before serving as Office Supervisor in the Centre for Sponsored Schemes and Projects. After opting for Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) in 1998, he served in the Pensioners’ Association at the Institute for over 10 years. Having been born on campus, his association […]
44 years at IISc and counting
K Nagarathna joined IISc in June 1977 at the age of 23. She was the only daughter of her parents, with five brothers who studied science and engineering. Nagarathna dreamed of joining the Institute ever since one of her brothers pointed out to her IISc’s ‘tower’ on the horizon from a temple in Basavanagudi. […]
From Glassblower to Technologist
Dwarakanathan R, a former glassblower, has worked at IISc for 47 years. Now officially retired, the 71-year-old self-proclaimed “workaholic” maintains machinery at the Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE). In this interview, he talks to CONNECT about what it’s like to be a glassblower, his love for the artistic possibilities of glasswork, and his […]
Memories of a Lost Art
Before computers and CAD design, depicting scientific concepts and results in graphs and sketches was challenging. CONNECT spoke to two retired draughtsmen from IISc, Sathyanarayana and Ramesh Babu, who translated these into detailed hand drawings. How did you come to join IISc? Sathyanarayana: I was an apprenticeship trainee in Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) […]
‘I No Longer Call IISc Tata Institute, but Thaatha Mane’
When AV Leelavathi joined IISc in 1964, her entry to the Institute was quite unplanned. While studying at a friend’s house one day, the friend received a visit from someone who had gone to IISc to pick up an application form for the post of Stenographer for his sister. He had been given three […]
‘I had developed an emotional attachment with the Institute’
GD David worked in various departments as an administrative staff for close to four decades. During this period, he was secretary to former Director Satish Dhawan at IISc as well as at the Department of Space. In this interview, he recollects his association with the Institute.
Thirty Years of Guarding IISc
MR Chandrashekhar was IISc’s Security Chief for nearly 30 years from May 1989 until his retirement in May 2018. Before joining the Institute, he had been in the Karnataka State Vigilance Commission as a Class II Gazette Officer posted to the Sericulture Department, and had been deputed as an Intelligence Officer to the HMT Watch […]
‘Working at the Institute Gave Us Recognition’
Polamada Lalantika worked at the Institute for 29 years. She joined on 21 June 1973, at the age of 27, working as a Stenographer, Supervisor and later Superintendent until her retirement in 2002. She worked through an era of advancements in technology, moving from typewriters to computers, Gestetner-cyclostyling machines to Xerox machines, and even sent […]