Beyond Brick and Mortar

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 […]

‘My time at IISc allowed me to forge enduring friendships’

Moving from serene Coorg to bustling Bangalore, Ranganayaki Mallur Krishnaswamy forged a career path unusual for women in her time. Born to a renowned veterinary doctor in Coorg in 1948, she finished her schooling in Pollibetta Taluk and later completed a Pre-University Course (PUC) in the small town of Virajpet, Karnataka. Despite the challenges of […]

Behind the Beams

Technicians at MBU’s X-ray facility are crucial to maintaining the high-end equipment   On pushing open the yellow door marked with a bright radiation hazard sign, a wave of cool air belched out by 20 year-old air conditioners greets you. You can hear the low-pitched hum of compressors and generators, also 20 year-old occupants of […]

‘In this Field, Every Day is a New Experience’

Parveen Kaswan is an officer in the Indian Forest Service, currently posted in Jaldapara National Park in West Bengal, home to one of the largest remaining populations of the Indian rhino (also called the greater one-horned rhino). Born in Mirjawali village, in the Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan, his journey to this position was circuitous. He […]

Red Rover

IISc’s UG students are designing a prototype that could help scientists explore Mars, as part of an international competition   In the Old Physics Building, tensions are running high. Tucked away in a corner of the first floor, the workspace is crammed with batteries, pipes and boxes. Amidst the disorganised and dusty shelves, a group […]