Sunday, December 31, 2017

Science is at a nascent stage in Assam



‘Science is at a nascent stage in Assam’
Passing Through / Gangan Prathap

He seems to be in tune with the tranquility of the atmosphere at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati. “It is the prettiest IIT I have seen. This place has a lot of potential but it is too early to gauge its performance,” says Gangan Prathap, scientist in-charge, CSIR Centre for Mathematical Modelling and Computer Simulation, Bangalore.

The bespectacled, soft-spoken scientist finished his breakfast at the dining hall of IIT’s spacious guesthouse and smiled. “I am looking forward to relishing traditional Assamese food, especially the fish. The food habits here are quite similar to Kerala, my home state.”
Prathap was in the city en route to Tezpur University where his organisation is providing help to set up a fast computing centre with high-performance computers.

“The university has recently acquired these powerful computers and we will assist the authorities with technical expertise. These computers can be used for weather forecasts, ocean dynamics, design of aircraft and earthquake study,” he says. “They will also be used to analyse economic data inputs from rural areas.”

Lauding the efforts of Prodipeswar Bhattacharya, vice-chancellor of Tezpur University, Prathap says, “This is my third visit to Guwahati and he is the magnet that draws us here. We were not even aware of this university before he told us about it. We hope that this institution will be able to fill the vacuum in the field of scientific research.”

He adds, “Research is the main parameter to gauge the success of an educational institution.”

A Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar awardee and alumnus of IIT, Madras, Prathap is one of the few brilliant IITians who preferred to work in India. He was born in Singapore where he did his schooling. On his return to India, Gangan was so fascinated with the Apollo space programme that he opted for aerospace engineering in IIT, Madras.

After securing a first class with distinction, he was awarded the President’s gold medal in engineering. It was during his PhD programme that the foundation for his future work on computational structural mechanics was laid.

A DAAD exchange fellow to Braunschweig, West Germany, in 1983-84, Prathap served as the honorary senior fellow, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore.

He was also fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences and the Indian National Science Academy. He is a life member of the Indian Society for Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Indian Society for Advancement of Materials and Process Engineering and the Indian Society for Mathematical Modelling and Computer Simulation, which he founded.

Prathap has written over 30 papers in non-linear structural mechanics and has over 90 publications in international journals. He was the guest editor of the special issue of Sadhana on computational structural mechanics.

He says, “Science is still at a very nascent stage in Assam. We need dedicated people to nurture it.” Quoting C.V. Raman, Prathap says, “It is like growing a garden. Not only must you water it, you also have to remove the weeds.”

He believes that the scientific temper has to be instilled in children at an early age. “It is not only the school curriculum but also the attitude of the teachers, which needs to be changed,” he feels. He also says that studying science should be made enjoyable in order to attract young minds.

Prathap recalls his last visit to the city when he had gone on a cruise down the Brahmaputra. Expressing disappointment, he says, “There is a lot to be done to harness the potential of the mighty river. In fact, a concerted effort needs to be taken to develop eco-tourism in the region.”

Apart from Tezpur, he has visited the Regional Research Laboratory in Jorhat. He feels that the existing infrastructure can be harnessed to percolate technology down to the grassroots.

He looks forward to coming back to this land of blue hills and the red river. “It is mostly the people and their hospitality which draws me to this place. And of course, the greenery and the picturesque environs here remind me of Kerala, which makes me feel like

Science is at a nascent stage in Assam

‘Science is at a nascent stage in Assam’ Passing Through /  Gangan Prathap He seems to be in tune with ...