Maitree 2022

œyœ ˜#œ ¢î%öì‹îû ö›œy îöì¢öìŠé

August 2022 | Volume 5
Children’s Special Issue



FROM THE DESK
OF WTD, HPL

This year’s edition of Maitree – our in-house magazine published in association with MCPI showcases the
enormous talent that our children have. That they are the building blocks of the future is reflected in their quality
artworks and literary pieces between the covers of this edition.
After a long resilient fight against the Covid19 pandemic, we have achieved a relatively safer and secure
world for our children. And our commitment to work towards a greener, healthier tomorrow remains constant.
However, we continue to attach due priority to the task of protecting our people to the best of our ability by
complying with the Bio-Safety protocols.
Our management is keen to foster a positive work-life balance for all our colleagues as we realize this is crucial
for enhancing productivity and furthering employee satisfaction. We believe that a happy family is the platform
on which successful careers are built. Therefore, we would continue our focus on engagement activities that
provide opportunities for children to develop their artistic and cultural talents and display them on different
forums.
Coming to the context of our business, I would like to inform that we are facing multiple challenges owing to
the volatility in crude prices causing many variations in the price of Naphtha. As you may be aware, the Global
economy is passing through a difficult phase that has been accentuated by the Russia-Ukraine war. The Indian
economy too has been affected in several ways, leading to slowdown in commodity markets. At HPL, we need
to continue to strive hard to ensure economic stability under these challenging circumstances.
I wish all our employees and their family members safety and good health and do hope that they will continue
to follow COVID19protocol for the wellbeing of all.I wish this edition of Maitree great success.

Subhasendu Chatterjee
Whole-time Director

FROM THE DESK
OF WTD, MCPI

We are extremely happy to note that the current issue of Maitree is dedicated to exposition of the artistic and
literary talents of the children of our employees.
In line with our focus on ‘People First’ policy, the managements of HPL and MCPI are endeavoring to intensify
engagement activities both at workplace and in the outside arena. We believe with more holistic engagement
with the employees we would be able to achieve higher productivity and improved ‘employee satisfaction’.
We all know that COVID related restrictions had minimized social interaction. Now that there have been
significant relaxations in the Protocol, our children have resumed outdoor activities and are able to pursue
their hobbies. Going forward, providing encouragement to children to participate in socio-cultural events and
contributing their creations to various magazines would be an important aspect of our Employee Engagement
Initiative.
As you are all aware, our employees gave their best during the difficult times of COVID Pandemic to keep the
business running despite severe adversities. Just when we were recovering from the adverse effect on our
business caused by the pandemic, we are now faced with a new crisis due to extreme volatility in raw material
prices. Moreover, we are also witnessing a major slowdown of the economy due to geopolitical uncertainties
in the wake of the Russian-Ukraine War. Thus we all need to renew our pledge to work hard to strengthen our
businesses so that they can withstand the impact of meltdown of commodity markets.
Before I conclude, I would like to pay compliments to the editorial team of Maitree for their untiring efforts
towards producing wonderful editions of the magazine in the recent years. I would also like to convey to
everyone greetings of the upcoming festive season and wish all of them good health and happiness that they
richly deserve.

Debi Prasad Patra
Whole-time Director

CONTENTS

Drawings and Paintings 2 Poems and Verses
Creative Writing 8 TCG Centres for Research
Travel Diaries 35 and Education in Science and
Events 47 Technology (TCG CREST)
Funzone 54 Informative Articles
65 Photo Gallery
70 PEM in Children
75
97
101

Poems
and

Verses

Verses =Y+¼U

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ÑFèF]-ÑF‡FU EF¡FF¼ ùY—
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ùÛFFÞF =+FÛF——
Heba Kashaf
EFEFW ùÛF PÛFáF=+Þ GÎùWk ÞFW=Wk+, D/o Md. Amanullah
P=+õFU ¶FÞù GÎùWk ©FWk=Wk+, Mechanical – Inspection, HPL
ÎFP¼ÜFFWk =+FW ÙF˜FFÎFF ùY,
šþ!vþü‚
EÑFÎFU ÍFÞF =W+ PáFJ =]+š =+Þ
P¼&FFÎFF ùY— ~„þ!”öì˜îû xyëû% ›ye ö“þyîû šþ!vþü‚–
~!”„þ ç!”„þ œyšþy¢ !“þ!vþü‚ !î!vþü‚Ð
My Brother îÄyˆ ö”…ö윣z œ%öì„þy¢ ¢î%‹ ‡yö좖
²Ìy˜ îy¤‰þyöì“þ vþz!vþü¢ xy„þyŸ ›yöìGþÐ
I have a little brother, ¢)öìëÅîû xyöìœy ö“þyîû „þy¤öì‰þîû ›öì“þy vþy˜yëû Gþ„þGþ„þyëû–
Ayansh is his name. ö˜öì‰þ ö˜öì‰þ „þyÝþy¢ ¢yîûy!”˜ š%þœ þ™y“þyëûÐ
He breaks all the toys, ¢îy£zöì„þ „þ# “%þ£z îõ%þ ¦þyîöì“þ ‰þy¢Ú
And I get the blame. “þy£z vþzöìvþü vþzöìvþü öîvþüy¢ ‰þyîûþ™yŸÐ
He goes to butterfly school,
But cannot read books. Jaagriti Ghosh
He eats chocolates, D/o Kallol Ghosh
And chocos with milk. Plant F&A, HPL
He shares all with me,
And I love him the most. 3

Advika Pandey
D/o Shashi Bhushan Pandey
NCAU (Mechanical), HPL

I want to be... Flower

I want to be an ornithologist Flower flower colourful
To study the life of birds They are very beautiful
The dew drops on them are very bright
I want to be an archeologist They capture light every night.
To find the fossils of dinosaurs
Flowers are all over the way
I want to be an astronaut They look colourful on the day
To explore the outer space
They all look black at night
I want to be a soldier The fire flies among them are bright.
To protect my country and people
Fairies
I want to be teacher
To learn and teach the students Fairies are caring
who are always sharing
I want to be a pilot They have lovely wings
To fly high in the sky Scared of human beings
I want to be ALL...
They are kind
Hard to find
They have magic wand
They play in little pond

Kanishka Yuvaraj
D/o Yuvaraj Elumalai

IOP-Mechanical Dept., HPL

Plea of a lost battle

Is the world really coming to an end, with distasteful choices and sufferings to lend?
Countless people have lost their lives, leaving children in the arms of lonely wives
I pray to God that this misery ends, so happiness emerges as the only trend
Mother Earth has bled in front of our eyes, let her now have some years of respite

You may be powerful with arms in hand, but where will you stand if there is no land?
With bated breath to you I plead, God sent humans to spread love and not to bleed"

Dr. Soumendu Dasgupta
S/o Mr. Nabendu Dasgupta
Functional Advisor, MCPI

Selfless Trees î”›y¢ „þöìîûy˜y

Trees are blessing from the lord, ™!vþü xy!› Nursery-2 ö“þ
Don’t cut them with a sword. !”˜Ýþy ‰þöìœ xy˜öì¨öì“þ–
£àþyê ~„þ!”˜ ~öìœy ~„þ virus
Trees give us fruits, vegetables and oil, “þyîû ˜y› „þöìîûy˜y virus,
And also hold the muddy soil.
ö”…œy› virus Ýþy ¦þyîû# î”›y¢–
Trees prevent flood and drought, ~Ýþy ‰þöìÍÔy xö옄þ ›y¢–
Birds lament when they are lost.
Trees are beautiful and happy, ö”…öì“þ ö”…öì“þ vþzöìàþ ö†œy› Class-2 ö“þ
Their number need to be in many. ›y îöìÍÔy ö”…!î ~„þ!”˜ ~£z virus
Tree have flowers in which honeybees come, þ™yœyöìî ö”Ÿ öŠéöìvþü–
They are one of the pollinatorsand butterflies are some. xy!› ¦þyîœy› ~ virus
Plant more trees,plant more tres, ëyöìî ˜y xy›yöì”îû ö›öìîû–
Make the earth go clean and green. ö”…œy› ¢yîûy !îÙ» vþzöìàþöìŠé ö¢öìvþü–
xy!› ~îyîû •˜Äîy”Ýþy ˜y !”öìëû
Tree are vital to us, þ™y!îû ˜y vþy_«yîûÐ
Their denial lead us to loss. xy!› îÍÔy› ò›y !„þ „þöìîû ¢yvþüyöìœy
Trees feel pain and sorrow, ¢î ›y˜%¡ì ~£z ~“þ îöìvþüy ö”ŸÝþyëûÚó
Which human need to borrow. ›y îöìÍÔy £öìî£z ö“þy
Love and care is what they need, !îKþy˜#îûy îy!˜öìëûöìŠé˜ î%ÜTyîûÐ
Start thinking and plant more seeds.
Trees are short trees and tall, xy!› îÍÔy› ëy„þ îyîy „þöìîûy˜yÝþy ö†öìŠé
their contribution to us need to be recall. ~£z ö”Ÿ öŠéöìvþüÐ
Cut cree less, Cut tree less,
Grow more trees to clean the mess. Saptarshi Roy
S/o Raghunath Roy
Md. Zimraan Abdullah Taxation & Payroll, HPL
S/o Md. Amanullah
Mechanical – Inspection, HPL

5

~„þ›ye ¦þyöìœyîy¢y

“%þ!› ö›yîû ¦þyî˜y– “%þ!› ö›yîû xyŸy–
“%þ!› ö›yîû ‹#îöì˜îû ~„þ›ye ¦þyöìœyîy¢yÐ

“%þ!› ö›yîû !îÙ»y¢– “%þ!› ö›yîû ¦þîû¢y–
“%þ!› ö›yîû ‹#îöì˜îû ˜îîöì¡ìÅîû î¡ìÅyÐ

¦þy!î!˜ ö„þy˜!”˜ ö”…y £öìî xyîû
¢!“þÄ ¦þyöìœyîy¢y £öìœ ö”…y £öìî xyîyîûÐ

“%þ!› ö›yîû !˜Ü™yœ„þ ú ö‰þyöì…îû ›•%îû £y!¢
ö“þy›yëû !˜öìëû ›öì˜îû ²Ì”#þ™ ‹µœöìŠé îûy!Ÿ îûy!ŸÐ

“%þ!› ö›yîû îõ%þ– “%þ!› ö›yîû ¢yí#–
“%þ!› ö›yîû ‹#îöì˜îû ~„þ›ye ¢yîûí#Ð

“%þ!› ö›yîû ¢%…– “%þ!›£z ‡%Šéyç ”%…–
ö“þy›yëû „þyöìŠé öþ™öìœ ¦þöìîû çöìàþ ö›yîû î%„þÐ

“%þ!› ö›yîû ²Ì”#þ™– “%þ!› ö›yîû ö²Ìîû’y
!îÙ»y¢Ý%þ„%þ ö„þyöìîûy– „þ¦%þ ö„þyîû˜y ²Ì“þyîû˜yÐ

“%þ!› ö›yîû xyöì “%þ!› ö›yîû !›“þ¦þy¡ì#
“þy£z ö“þy xy!› Ö•% ö“þy›yëû ¦þyöìœyîy!¢Ð

Rounak Halder
S/o Bablu Halder
NCAU Process, HPL

Lullaby for a Martyr

Sleep well, my friend.
Close your eyes in a restful slumber.

Now you must find peace;
Know that your fight is over.

No need to hold a gun;
No more should you need to toil endlessly till all goes numb.

You mustn't fear,
For your foes cannot touch you here.

Sleep well, my friend.
Let your restless mind find peace.
The sun will shield you with his fiery flames;
And the moon will soothe you with her heavenly embrace.

Surrender yourself to the pure
Now, your selfless soul is free from mankind's selfish gaze.

One must rise,
Rise must another
To take your place;
For men need a martyr
To realize their follies and ruthlessness towards their own;
Cruelty that is spread so carelessly across lands unknown.

Don't worry my friend.
Your blood hasn't been spilt in vain.

With every drop shed,
You have sown seeds of change.

Your heart may have stopped;
But it pumps your children's blood.

For a revolution starts with one,
And spreads like a flood.

Sleep well, my friend.
Don't let the world worry you anymore,

Know that you will live on evermore.
So, drown your sorrows and your plight;
And let your soul follow the ethereal light;

To your heavenly abode.

Krittika Basak
D/o Kaustav Basak
Strategic Planning, HPL

7

Drawings
and

Paintings

Aahana Medya
D/o Tushar Kanti Medya
HSEF, HPL

Abodhita Shrivastava
D/o Abhishek Shrivastava
Logistics, HPL

9

Advika Pandey Adwitiya Gupta
D/o Shashi Bhushan Pandey D/o Sramana Bhattacharyya

NCAU (Mechanical), HPL Materials, HPL

Ahana Mukherjee
D/o Indranil Mukherjee

Corporate Projects, HPL

Aniruddha Debnath
S/o Dibakar Debnath
Information Systems, HPL

Anurag Pal
S/o Raghunath Pal
IOP-Electrical, HPL

11

Antareep Das Arka Das
S/o Krishanu Das S/o Somaditya Das

Legal & Secretarial, HPL Human Resource – HO, HPL

Arinjoy Bhattacharya
S/o Artiman Bhattacharya

NCU- Process, HPL

Arnesh Barman
S/o Ashok Kr. Barman
Bagging, HPL

Arunakshya Bose
S/o Arunangshu Bose
NCU Process, HPL

13

Asmit Pradhan
S/o Arindam Pradhan
HDPE Mfg, HPL

Dhritisha Sen
D/o Saikat Sen
Finance & Accounts – HO, HPL

Heba Kashaf
D/o Md. Amanullah
Mechanical – Inspection, HPL

Ipsit Roy
S/o Indranil Roy
LLDPE (Manufacture), HPL

15

Ishan Raman Dutta
S/o Koushik Dutta
Commodity Business Team, HPL

Jasmita Das
D/o Jyotirmaya Das
Quality Assurance, HPL

Kanishka Yuvaraj
D/o Yuvaraj Elumalai

IOP-Mechanical Dept., HPL

Koushani Samadder Minisha Samanta
D/o Kaushik Samadder D/o Gourhari Samanta

LLDPE (Mfg), HPL Marketing, HPL

17

Pavika Sadani
D/o Keshav Sadani
Legal & Secretarial, HPL

Rupsha Roy
D/o Raghunath Roy
Taxation & Payroll, HPL

Samriddhi Bhaumik Saptarshi Roy
D/o Subhadip Bhaumik S/o Raghunath Roy

LLDPE Process, HPL Taxation & Payroll, HPL

Seshadri Chakraborty
S/o Himadri Chakraborty
Administration, HPL

19

Shirsha Saha
D/o Sarbani Mitra
Legal & Secretarial, HPL

Shreenjan Maity
S/o Sabyasachi Maity
NCAU Process, HPL

Shreyashi Sengupta
D/o Kajal Sengupta
NCU (MFG), HPL

Shriya Sarkar
D/o Sugata Sarkar
Polypropylene – Mfg, HPL

21

Snehal Sen
S/o Saikat Sen
Finance & Accounts – HO, HPL

Soham Panja
S/o Uttam Kumar Panja
NCU Manufacturers, HPL

Souhardya Samajder
S/o Sandip Samajder
Engineering, HPL

Suhanya Sarkar
D/o Subrata Sarkar
Plant HR, HPL

23

Swagata Ghosh
S/o Susanta Ghosh
Plant F&A, HPL

Vedant Shukla
S/o Shashank Shukla
Commodity Business Team, HPL

Aishani Bera
D/o Debasish Bera
NCU Mfg, HPL

Ipsita Maity
D/o Jhuma Maity
Administration Plant, HPL

25

Adrit Bhattacharya
S/o Amrit Bhattacharya
Electrical, MCPI

Akash Ghosh
S/o Debasish Ghosh
Administration, MCPI

Akshita Dutta
D/o Kaushik Dutta
Finance, MCPI

Anusha Singha
D/o Anup Kumar Singha
HP Process, MCPI

27

Arnadeep Pal
S/o Liza Sarkar
FSSC, MCPI

Asmi Chakraborty
D/o Soumyadeep Chakraborty
FSSC, MCPI

Ayushman Banerjee
S/o Abhijit Bandopadhyay
Marketing, MCPI

Deeptanshu Goswami
S/o Debraj Goswami
Information Systems, MCPI

29

Esha Ghosal
D/o Shrikanta Ghosal
Logistics, MCPI

G. Varshita
D/o Dr. Gandham Radha Krishna
HSE, MCPI

Hridhaan Datta
S/o Kalyani Bhowmick

Corporate Affairs, MCPI

Isha Parmar
D/o Ashok Kumar Singh

Information Systems, MCPI

31

Niharika Kar
D/o Goutam Kar
Strategic Initiative, MCPI

Rajanya Chatterjee
D/o Rajasee Mukherjee
Corporate HRD, MCPI

Sanjukta Dutta
D/o Kaushik Dutta

Finance, MCPI

Shoubhit Pal
S/o Gautam Pal

UTT, HSE & QA, MCPI

33

Sinjana Khanra
D/o Pathik Khanra
Instrumentation, MCPI

Swarnava Pal
S/o Subhabrata Pal
DP Process, MCPI

TCG INTRODUCES
INSTITUTES

FOR FUNDAMENTAL
RESEARCH

TCG Centres for Research and Education in
Science and Technology (TCG CREST)

TCG CREST, the first such initiative from the private/corporate sector in Eastern India, aspires to be a world-leading
institute that unleashes the untapped and true potential of human talent. Founded by The Chatterjee Group (TCG)
in 2019, TCG CREST, a not-for-profit organization, will pursue excellence in research and education in the niche as
well as cross-disciplinary areas for solving challenging problems of societal significance.

As an institution, TCG CREST is especially dedicated to the three Ks: Knowledge Creation, Knowledge Application,
and Knowledge Dissemination. The focus is on creating a strong network with highly-reputed knowledge centres
throughout the world- universities, research institutions, technology-driven global corporate entities, and academic
communities. The goal is to inculcate a strong culture of continual knowledge exchange through academics,
research, student exchange, faculty exchange, joint projects, collaborative workshops, participative seminars.

• To achieve its objectives TCG CREST will have a multi-prong strategy:
• Create a sustainable and globally-linked organization to conduct fundamental research at the frontiers of both

science and technology. An eco-system for sponsored research will be established right from its inception
• Provide a globally competitive, educational platform for graduate and postgraduate programmes in cutting-edge

technologies for which the demand-to-supply ratio is very large worldwide
• Attract reputed academicians and faculty to lead high-potential researchers and students in multi-disciplinary

areas
• Provide Executive Programmes (long-term and short-term) targeted at business executives via a hybrid learning

model of in-class as well as a distant learning mode

TCG CREST initially will be sprawled over multiple campuses across India starting with Kolkata, with state-of-the-
art laboratories in different knowledge application areas. The multi-disciplinary labs would infuse, from day one, a
culture of collaboration amongst the scientists from diverse research domains to flourish path-breaking contributions
towards the development of science. In future, there can be extended domestic and international campuses as
well.

TCG CREST Research Centres

Institute for Advancing Intelligence (IAI)
Research Institute for Sustainable Energy (RISE)
Centre for Quantum Engineering, Research and Education (CQuERE)
Centre for High Impact Neurosciences, Technology and Applications (CHINTA)

Institute for Advancing Intelligence (IAI): Leveraging data sciences and artificial intelligence to solve real-world problems
In the fast emerging and sophisticated technological world of today, highly skilled human resources possessing an
analytical mindset and proficiency in quantitative sciences, are an absolute must for the scientific and economic
progress of a region. IAI is directed towards providing the best possible environment for learning and research in the
areas of quantitative, computational, technological and analytical streams along with appropriate research tie-ups
with leading technology companies and universities of the world. The research has a major focus on Cryptology
and Quantum Cryptology, Adaptive Signal Processing, Algorithms in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning,
Financial Analytics and Risk Analysis.
Translational Research in Mathematics (TRIM), a specialized vertical within IAI, focuses on foundational research in
both fundamental and applied mathematics to translate research results into tangible contributions as is necessary
for the modern realm of interdisciplinary advances in science and technology so that mathematics can reinvent
itself by merging the long-term foundational impact of pure mathematics with short-term insightful gains from
mathematical applications.
Research Institute for Sustainable Energy (RISE): Sustainable energy for a greener tomorrow
RISE performs high-end research and student training in the field of clean and renewable energy with a potential
for significant positive societal impact. The research focuses on batteries and supercapacitors, hydrogen energy,
Carbon dioxide reduction and clean fuels.
The RISE Laboratory of Energy Materials and Devices, occupying an area of 8,000 square feet, is
compartmentalized into a materials synthesis lab, a device characterization lab and a device fabrication lab, all
conforming to the highest safety standards and one of the first labs to have all the facilities under a single roof in
India.
Centre for Quantum Engineering, Research and Education (CQuERE): Accelerating research and development in quantum
sciences, technology and education for the benefit of society
CQuERE is a dedicated Centre to carry out cutting edge research in the emerging field of quantum engineering, and
thereby train future researchers for academia as well as industry, keeping in mind the pressing need to foster strong
national and international collaborations between the two domains. Our vision is to establish CQuERE as a world-
class research centre on quantum science and technology by creating a stimulating research environment and a
highly advanced Quantum lab, involving experiment and theory, and bringing together researchers in this field from
India and abroad.
Centre for High Impact Neurosciences, Technology and Applications (CHINTA): Innovating and solving challenges in discovery
neurosciences
Neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases represent a major global and growing public health threat. Thus,
there is an urgent, unmet need for drug therapies that will prolong and will maintain/improve quality of life. The
continued failure to discover new medicines reflects bottlenecks at (i) pivotal stages of drug development, and (ii)
new, interdisciplinary approaches in neuroscience discovery. CHINTA, a niche Institute in translation neuroscience
will innovate and deliver an integrated approach to solving the above mentioned difficult challenges.

37

Besides these, TCG CREST aspires to establish multiple centres in other diverse areas. The following three Centres
are already a work in progress.

Research Academy of Juridical Excellence (RAJE): Technology interventions in the legal domain

Centre for New Media (CENEMA): Reimagining entertainment in the connected world

Food Technology and Science Institute (FTSI): Enhancing innovation in food production

Under the leadership of DrPurnendu Chatterjee, Chairman and Professor Sabyaschi Bhattacharya, Director, TCG
CREST, seeks to encourage cross-pollination of ideas and concepts among the various research programs of
the individual institutes within its umbrella and seeks a unique, evolutionary path toward building an Institute of
eminence dedicated to inventing a harmonious future for our world.

39

TCG CREST and IISER, Kolkata join hands to
work on frontier research areas of Science
and Technology

TCG Centres for Research and Education in Science and Technology (TCG CREST), Kolkata, and Indian Institute of
Science Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Wednesday, June 15,
2022 in the TCG CREST office at Salt Lake, Kolkata, to partner in advanced research in emergent areas of science and
technology. The agreement envisages joint research activities, participation in seminars and academic meetings, joint
Ph.D. program and supervision etc. The MOU has laid the foundation to build upon all these aspects by harnessing
the strengths of both institutes. The fields of current mutual interest are Energy and Sustainability, Artificial Intelligence,
Machine Learning and Data Science, Neuroscience, and Quantum Sciences and Technologies. The event has laid
the foundation for a platform to bring together researchers from both the Institutes to work towards building a thriving
academic ecosystem and nurture excellence, which in turn would have the potential to have a profound impact on our
society in the long term. Professor Sabyasachi Bhattacharya, Director TCG CREST and Professor Sourav Pal, Director
IISER, Kolkata along with senior academicians from both the organizations attended the event.

Quest for Knowledge starts with the freedom
to ask questions

Aritra Guru is doing Mechanical Engineering from BITS, Pilani. While in Kolkata during his
summer vacation he engaged Prof. Sabyasachi Bhattacharya, Director, TCG CREST, on the
value of doing a PhD and about TCG CREST.

Prof. Sabyasachi Bhattacharya – Did you actually like we begin, so, we begin with the premise that you just
Mechanical? People get into certain categories and there outlined, that people start at some point and they go
is supposedly a pecking order, regardless of who you by some kind of a pecking order of what is going to be
are. You have to follow that pecking order. Did something done. Now, this is obviously at fault, because people are
like that happen to you? different. They didn't all do the same thing. If they did, we
would all be very poor, in terms of the country, in terms
Aritra Guru – In most engineering colleges certain of what we can do. Historically speaking, we used to be
branches are preferred over others. But a student straight a colony. So our education system was meant to serve
out of class 12 hardly knows what exactly is Mechanical an empire. After Independence, our education system
Engineering, or what exactly is Chemical Engineering. I attempted to serve an independent nation, as opposed
was interested in Mechanical. I, therefore, applied for it, to, serving the interest of the people who ruled us.
decided to, you know, study it and see whether I like
it. And yeah, to a certain extent, I did enjoy studying So, therefore, one would have expected very large
Mechanical. changes in education. Now how do you change it? And
you can see that the kinds of institutions that we now
Prof. Sabyasachi Bhattacharya – So what is know of, engineering institutions primarily, the scientific
Mechanical? Just give me an example of something that research organisations, were all built around this. The
you thought, Mechanical gave you, which you thoroughly CSIR labs or the R&Ts, great research institutions, like
enjoyed? Is there a class or is there a course? the one where I spent a lot of time, the Tata Institute
of FundamentalResearch, all will be connected. So,
Aritra Guru – It was rather a project I did under a professor. what you would expect then is that these institutions
It was a project on super-capacitors. Not necessarily a will collectively produce a very substantial amount
Mechanical topic. However, we were researching how of knowledge that is now good for the country or the
supercapacitors are the future, and how we can improve nation and its speed. Because colonial structure, as we
their capacitance.And we did some initial review, studying understand it, was primarily to serve the interest of the
how supercapacitors have evolved. Empire. For example, raw material would go from here to
England, that’s where the steel would be melted, made
Prof. Sabyasachi Bhattacharya – Right, that’s where
41

and brought back here and sold. Why is Tata Steel such this pre-determined academic route, which is kind of
an iconic institution? Because they decided to go against global. Right? So, I feel that the Achilles heel of this entire
the grain and build steel here. And this was long before enterprise is the separation of research and education.
Independence. So, why do I say that and what does it tell us?

So, some individuals or private entities thought of the It tells us that, if you are a teacher and you are also a

country differently from their Imperial masters. Nobody researcher, then you see the value in teaching. Because

can be perfect. So, what needs to happen is from time students, since they do not know, what not to ask, ask

to time you review what you have done, you try to strange questions and the best questions are those that

understand things that have worked, things that have the professor cannot answer. The professor then says,

not worked, the ones that have worked in trying to keep typically, “you know you have raised a very interesting

them in place, things that have not worked, you tried to question; I want to think about it a little bit more and I will

adjust, so that it gets better. For a large country with a come back to you.” And history tells us that from these

diverse population and this is what I want to emphasise questions, from people, who do not know what not to ask,

over and over again, if you look at the diversity of India, comes inspiration, from which new knowledge sprouts.

from Northeast to Kerala, the variation in culture and So what is missing in our educational environment is the

language and history in many ways, the diversity is spirit of asking questions which are “not to be asked as

probably just as large as between Norway and Portugal, being out of syllabus or out of the curriculum”. They are

right? So, there is some sense of cultural diversity and told not to think about silly things but focus on what “your

theeducation which is so culture-sensitive must also book tells you”. And this is not a good environment for

acknowledge in some sense the cultural “We want people to ask original questions. I don’t
milieu in which the educational institutions know who said it; maybe Einstein said it,

are set. So, what do I want to say about to create an ‘Far more important than anything else is
what we are trying to do at TCG CREST? to formulate a good question.’

Is this just yet another place? environment So what do we want to do at TCG CREST?

No. So, what do we think TCG is going where people We want to create an environment where
to do? Now we have just started with an should ask people should ask questions without
extraordinary event. HPL and MCPI have worrying about whether a question is

committed a substantial amount to start questions” good.Or, do I only need to know answers.
a not-for-profit research institution of a In my time it was very clear that people

particular kind. It’s very very rare. You know, were afraid of asking a question. Because

this kind of a private entity investing in intellectual capital their classmates may think they are stupid. So the real

for education. It is called TCG Centres of Research & questions that were from the heart over mind, you do not

Education in Science & Technology (TCG CREST). The utter, because of peer pressure. So it’s a social factor.

name itself tells us what we are trying to do. We should be interested in asking interesting questions,

regardless of whether it is a “good question” or not a
We, in India, have institutionally separated two inherently good question. So at TCG CREST what we would like
interlinked activities. One is teaching and the other is to do is to create an environment where you should ask
research. It cannot be true, that every person is gifted to questions.
do computer science, maybe some people hate it. But

peer pressure says you know, that’s a marker of how good Is this all? No. In addition to this foundation of asking

you are. Not necessarily you will be able to do computer questions, which prompts an attempt to give an

science, but you are a social person, right? So similarly, in answer, you have to engage in research of some kind.

our educational institutions, undergraduate colleges and RESEARCH, the word is complicated, it is not re-search

universities, research as part of their activity essentially in the sense of searching again. But you are engaging

did not do well. Research was primarily carried out in in searching again just so you get something that was

research institutions,though some of the elite institutions missed in the previous searches. That’s why it’s research,

like IITs also carry outresearch. But undergraduate, rather than search. Research is searching for something

postgraduate, PhD, this I think is a seamless space. that has not been found yet. That’s what it is.

You put markers, that after, say, 3 or 4 years, if you The second key ingredient of TCG CREST is a recognition
are happy with a bachelor degree, you don’t want to that ultimately humans do research, as far as we know.
study much more but if you have acquired certain skill, Maybe Dolphins do too but we don’t know enough about
which will employ you gainfully in society, you choose Dolphins, to be very fair. So human beings do research,
an option. This is because we acknowledge that not therefore, you cannot expect that research that humans
everybody needs to do exactly the same thing along do can be divorced from the society in which they live.

And history tells you, that your smartphonehas not fallen which have not been thought through. Where are the
from the sky. A huge amount of effort has gone in, to more interesting problems for the sake of sustainability?
give you this extraordinary cool technology, which only It rests in current technology, current industry and current
15 years ago, was unthinkable, to do what you can now societal problems.
do with your smartphone. We can go back in history
and talk about the Industrial Revolution and how it has If you look at what problems need solutions, you will
enriched our lives. Has it only benefitted mankind, has see that the solutions are often hidden in the invasions
it done anything negative? It has, it has also been giving of success. So you have to extract solutions out of
us weapons, of mass destruction, and this is the society these problems that you think are difficult. Through
where the political system takes decisions, as to whether research find solutions, which takes you to the next step
or not you want to invest in weapons of mass destruction. forward. Then industry benefits, technology progresses,
However, I would think, that the ‘good’ scientific research and society is enriched. Without research, knowledge
has done, far outweighs in totality the bad possibilities, does not progress. So, what are we trying to do? We
the bad things it has done are not necessarily a product are recognising that research and education must be
of research but a product of political decisions that uses together, and together they will work with science and
technology. technology. There is, you know, another artificial barrier
that exists, that something is science and something
We live in a society and in order to be good members of is technology. But, for example, Curved Space-time
the society, which has nurtured us, it will be a good idea, sounds, oh my goodness, so cool, because it is so
that history tells us again, that every generation should abstract, it is almost impossible to understand. But you
know, your timing, satellites, everything; they correct
think of its responsibility to the society that nurtures them. using Einstein’s General Relativity.
And say, we shouldn’t just be taking for ourselves; we
should give something back. Because others have given Aritra Guru – So the question I had here was, should I
you. Are you giving something back? So that, I would go for research? Or should I go and work in the industry?
say, is a philosophical position, you might even say an Now this question has different answers. Different
ethical position, from where it started, to give something mentors answer differently and provide different rationale
back. in their answers. My question here is, is it not possible to
have an institute where you do research that benefits the
Now, how do you give something back and make it industry? And whether research institutes are trying to go
sustainable? You must have studied thermodynamics in this direction?
and the laws of thermodynamics, and it tells you that
you cannot get something from nothing. So, therefore, Prof. Sabyasachi Bhattacharya – Yeah, so what I
there has to be a source. For example, this planet would said is that research certainly benefits the industry and
have been dead, had it not been for the sun. So there therefore they already exist like institutes of technology.
has to be a source. So where is the source? And very If you look at institutes of technology, that’s what they
interestingly, the source of new knowledge and research, are meant to be. And I think that if you ask people’s
fed back into society often rests with known problems, advice, you will get a variety of advice because people
are different, their life experiences are different, they have
seen good things about what they have done, they will
alert you about the things they have seen. So you will get
a whole bunch of advice. You know, advice comes in a
statistical distribution if you like. And you have to figure
out; every individual needs to figure out through some
process, what is goodfor him or her. So, there is also this
matter of getting on track.

When I say that research is interesting and important, it’s
not across the board. Different people are built differently.
And my sense is that many more people would have
been happier, which is a strange word to use, doing
some research during the course of their life. Whether
they will take it as a vocation for the rest of their life
or after a certain point of time they think they want to
make a change, it’s for them to decide. It is not my job
to convince you against your will that you must do this.
So the central part of figuring out whether you want

43

to do research is, are you curious about stuff? About innovation?” And it was a very deep question. Very very

subjects. And subjects don’t mean here your physics, deep question. And this person is obviously someone

chemistry. Subjects are what you observe, the observed who is capable of asking deep questions. And you know,

world, and what to get from it. What I am trying to say, we looked around, there was a large number of people,

is that in post-Independence India, many people would and asking this question. We knew, in school, we were

have contributed far greater to society, been happier in taught that there are two kinds of things, one is called

the process and would have, you know, benefitted all discovery and the other is called invention. Discovery

of mankind in right kind of environment. And not just is you don’t know but it exists. And invention is, you

research in science alone, you can see connections. made something that didn’t exist. What is innovation?

For example, these days we are talking about artificial Innovation is kind of an intermediate between discovery

intelligence, right? And we have a vertical, IAI, Institute for and invention. Innovation is taking something which is,

Advancing Intelligence. And a very large part of it ought to begin with, a discovered object and doing something

to be that what people now call, Artificial Intelligence/ with it that did not exist before. So my definition of

Machine Learning. Well, how about natural learning? innovation is something between discovery and invention.

This is artificial and there is natural learning. What can When you innovate, you are not inventing. You are not

we do? Are we interested also in natural learning or only discovering. So innovation is not invention. And perhaps,

in artificial? The answer is we are interested in both. in some sense, you might say, innovation is perhaps a

Therefore, one of our verticals is in neuroscience which process. It’s not an act. Columbus discovered, I mean, of

tries to understand how natural intelligence works. Don’t course, is a false statement, people who lived there knew

we also have to understand how our brain works? Today, that it existed, but for the western world, the Europeans,

human natural intelligence is so far superior to anything they discovered that. As for invention, you know, Edison

artificial. invented the electric bulb. Now you know, innovation is

a process, for example,of electrifying the city. Invention
Now, there are certain things that machines can do much is great, it has to happen because you can only innovate
better than humans. Now the real champion
of chess is not a human. It’s a computer. “There are so much. But it’s a rarer event. And it’s an
event, it’s not a process. Innovation is a
certain thingsAnd I remember and all of us remember,
process. Discovery on the other hand is an
the first time a world champion is defeated. event. So this is my understanding.

Once the world champion is defeated, that machines Aritra Guru – Now that you have mentioned
it’s a win for the machine all the way. It’s can do much innovation, is that one of the core principles
only going to be getting more powerful

because you are allowing it to search better than that drives TCG CREST? That to keep the
more space. Have you heard of anybody process of innovation alive?

recently, beating the best chess-playing humans” Prof. Sabyasachi Bhattacharya –
computer? No. However, you also have
Absolutely, certainly. I said curiosity is a very
to remember that the best chess-playing
computer was programmed by human beings. With the important point. There is another point, which is called
power of what the machine can do, with some human originality. Originality is to think out of the box. And what is
being that built this computer. You know the people that the box? Box is a boundary, which keeps you from being
built this computer that beat the world champion, were free. Just being out of one box doesn’t mean you are set
thrilled. Because they think, they beat this person. So it free, there may be other boxes.For innovation to happen
is a complex activity where the industry comes, where there has to be an environment that will encourage them
human beings come, where knowledge comes, and we to do so, to ask questions.

want to play in that field. So, I will give you a slogan. You know, at one time, a very

Aritra Guru – So one core value is curiosity. In your popular word was ‘Jugaad.’ People have written books
words, what would an ideal student of TCG CREST look saying that ‘Jugaad’ was the salvation of a kind. You can
like? Considering curiosity as one of the qualities in there. look at it from another angle. Why do they say Jugaad?
Jugaad implies the innovativeness or the inventiveness of

Prof. Sabyasachi Bhattacharya – I would say that for people who are not very highly “trained”. And you can go

CREST students, there shouldn’t be a formula; this is out and see, people doing incredibly inventive, innovative

how you should look like. But I would say the desire to, things, because they hadn’t gone to school. They haven’t

you know learn, and discover. For example, the word been schooled to not being inventive. They are inventive

that’s very commonly used, and somebody I know very because they have to earn their living. So a tragedy or an

well, actually a very important person in TCG, in a dinner, irony is that the educated are not original and the original

was sitting next to me, asked, “tell me something, why are not educated. The net result is Jugaad which tells

do we no longer hear the word invention, why is it always you about almost an innate desire of people to invent,

to modify to do something. Here at TCG CREST, things Neuroscience, I had told you. Neuroscience again is

have started to happen. I cannot predict that it will all a very broad subject. And the fourth thing is artificial

happen and go into history books, but am just saying intelligence/ machine learning. Statistics, cryptography,

that I am beginning to smell stuff. Because people are cryptology, whatever the right term is, we also have

crossing boundaries, they are going from their comfort mathematics and there is again translational. So these

zone to their discomfort zone, discovering things, that are four things that we started with and now we are

we didn’t know existed, in that way. Some theoretical understanding, it’s becoming clearer every day, that

physics people while working on quantum theory have these AI, ML, this is going to cut across everything. So I

found, that their colleagues in math know certain things have started now on this habit of telling people that we

that could greatly enrich their work. And they walk over are three verticals and one horizontal. The horizontal cuts

for collaborative research. They can move very far this across all verticals. It’s almost impossible to think of an

way. area, where this AI/ML will not have an impact. I cannot

imagine a field where this will not have an impact. So
Aritra Guru – So wanted to know about what are the these are sort of things we are working on. We are also
interesting areas of research going on at CREST right working on certain other very interesting things. One of
now? That would excite a student to come and work them is new media. Last year was Satyajit Ray’s birth
there?
centenary, and we did a project which is already on the

Prof. Sabyasachi Bhattacharya – Okay, so these are, web.

you know, I will give you kind of names, one is we are We are actually talking about breaking chains. So
working on materials that will be good to work with underneath these buzz words, are very substantive
supercapacitors. So you know this problem of storagein thoughts. So if you say, I am no chains, and I am running
batteries. It is a huge challenge, a material science around like a mad elephant, that’s not the meaning of
challenge, what would make electric
batteries? If you really want to make a very being free. The free is to say, the free is to
good electric battery, you have to really “We are working say, that you set your boundaries of good
know the science of it. Supercapacitors social behaviour, but in your mind what
on materials you are trying to do, is you are trying to
are comparatively simpler. The process
of retaining charge in batteryis a very that will be good say that I don’t transcend these chains
complicated process. So that’s happening that you have put in, for good reason.
in this place in RISE, Research Institute to work with Because in order to not go haywire, you
for Sustainable Energy. So why are we
supercapacitors” also need a certain discipline. So inter-
doing that? We cannot do without fossil disciplinary doesn’t mean indisciplined.
It means multi-discipline. And most
fuels as of now realistically speaking. So just imagine all interesting thing that is happening, is moving these
totos running on electric batteries instead of lead-acid boundaries. People say that I am working in inter-
batteries! This is where country specificity comes. And disciplinary. Now I prefer, in my own way of thinking, that
maybe you know, if we decide to build a battery for toto, no, you are kind of obliterating this boundary and making
so that’s one kind of research which should affect climate it fussy. History tells us that mostly, redefining boundaries
through energy, research on energy. So that’s one point. is a very important element of intellectual properties. And

Quantum computing is another. This is very aspirational. TCG CREST wants to encourage this kind of thinking.

Because we are in infancy in this field. We know in Aritra Guru – I think this is a common notion, in a lot of
principle that this will work someday. But we don’t know young people, that, should I go in the industry and actually
how, what will be the exact final form of a commercially apply my skills to work or should I do go research? And
viable quantum computer that will be able to do stuff, this is a very curious question in my mind too. Why am I
that classical computers cannot do. And right now there not learning by working than doing?
is no comparison. But we know enough to know that

someday it will happen. We don’t know how but it will Prof. Sabyasachi Bhattacharya – This is a good

happen. That’s a bet. We are actually betting, that this question and I will give you my take on this question.

will happen, we are confident it will happen and you Actually, in many societies, a very significant percentage

have to be in the game. If you are not in the game when of people do their PhD after they have worked for a few

that happens, you will be left out. And I would say our years. For example, Harvard Business School, will not

experience says that young people are exceedingly even entertain your application, if you do not have “work

interested. Because their eyes light up if you tell them, experience”. Academic activity happens in a sheltered

that we are going to, because they don’t really know, but environment and it restricts your ability to think more

they can imagine. They can imagine. widely, and more promptly. So it is actually very common,

in my experience I would say, it is almost 50-50. Maybe

45

more than 50-50. That my PhD class had people who are saying is that people are now asking, do you have

had worked for 2 years. Maybe they had gone for the a PhD? What do they mean? Do they mean, you have

armed forces for 2 years; maybe they had done some done your time of 5 years? No, they have assumed that

other thing. They came back to do their course. in the process of getting a PhD, you have mastered a

way of analysing situations around you. It is a great thing,
I know somebody very well who did Physics, at B.Sc, because what you are saying is that your opportunities
joined IIM, Kolkata for MBA, and then became a are greater, more doors are open, as opposed to doors
historian. Probably the most famous Indian historian. I being closed. This is a misunderstanding. In the earlier
know of people who went into engineering, left it, and times perhaps, it was not so much, but in a globalised
went into literature. And when I see these kinds of things, world, somebody who has that credible skill will overtake
that, is another thing, that you may work in the world, you you in no time.
learn by doing, it’s a slogan. What does learning by doing

mean? Are you not learning by learning? Aritra Guru – So PhD does open doors for
you?
“PhD is not justOr doing only learning by doing. So if you
ask these questions, what does it mean,
Prof. Sabyasachi Bhattacharya – Yeah,
a degree. It’s anby learn by doing? It’s nothing but a
slogan. Learn by doing. As if, when you I think this is a critical thing that is not
advertised. PhD actually opens doors, than
acquired way ofare sitting in a college, you are not learning
thinking.” closing. And lets you go further. Higher is a
by doing anything. That’s false. You are strange word, but you know, I will give you
learning. Is that not doing? Learning is a
again a story. In my lifetime, I have seen a difference. We
verb, right?
could have gone to a university and been a professor.

But, I would say is, I have great sympathy for the position Instead, I went to a multinational research lab of an

you are taking, is that you learn by doing, essentially says oil company, Exxon. Then after a while, I got bored. I

that doing and learning are two different entities and we thought things are not quite working out. And then I

are trying to tell you that by working the real world, so here joined work for a Japanese multinational, NEC.It’s an

TCG CREST may do something different. That we are electronics company. And then they asked me to come

thinking very broadly and very seriously about providing, and join TRFI, to head TRFI. So it’s another thing. In my

an opportunity for somebody to simultaneously work into lifetime I have seen that nobody closed the door on me,

a culture. Now, PhD is not just a degree. It’s an acquired saying, ‘oh, you cannot do this.’ They just figured what

way of thinking by asking questions, more sophisticated, I could do.And why are people asking for PhD? Maybe,

if I may say. Can we create a model, where you can work you know there are lots of people who don’t have a

as well as do a PhD? You know very well, that your PhD PhD, have that skill. But the assumptions statistically,

will be longer than somebody else’s who will be doing somebody who has done PhD is trained in this skill.

PhD full time. But at the same time, you will not have

left your work. Even more interestingly, if we can connect

your research, to some basic stuff that you are working

on, then I think we are giving people an opportunity Aritra Guru

to win It’s not just a win plus win. It’s like win raised to Student of Mechanical

some power! So why can’t we do that? There may be Engineering

regulations, there may be rules, there may be various

other things but things do happen, we could do that.

Aritra Guru – So what is a possible career trajectory or
trajectories you foresee for a student at TCG CREST?

How can they utilise the research in their life?

Prof. Sabyasachi Bhattacharya – There are multiple
ways. One way is to be like their professors. Say, like me,

who have essentially devoted their entire life to research.

PhD is just a degree, what is it certifying? Does it certify
that you have spent 5 years as bonded labour? No.
It means that you have now endowed yourself with
certain skills that are not specialised skills as such. You
are acquiring a form of enquiry skill in your PhD. Then,
you know, you can apply that anywhere. And what you