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Document prepared with Gitbook and Microsoft Word 2013
The Techno India SPIE Student Chapter has just completed two years of its existence. While the
chapter has had its fair share of ups and downs, it has been able to live up to its objective of
enriching lives through the medium of science. The 2015-16 session has been a very eventful one
for the chapter, with a wide array of events ranging from outreach activities to science festivals
and industrial visits. 2015 was declared by the UNESCO as the International Year of Light and we,
in our own little way, have striven to promote the importance of optics and photonics in our daily
lives. The past year has seen the Student Chapter grow in both size and stature, and emerge as
one of the most sought after platforms for our college students. We would like to extend our
heartfelt gratitude to SPIE for their constant support and assistance in all our activities. We are
confident that with the support and active participation of our members, our chapter will be able
to scale even greater heights in the future.
BRIEF DETAILS:
Date of Establishment: 27th October, 2014 Chapter Advisor: Mr. Saikat Majumder, Assistant Professor, Department of Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering, Techno India Total No of Student Members: 21
CURRENT CHAPTER OFFICERS (2015-16):
NAME
POST
SPIE ID
CONTACT
ACTIVITY REPORT 2015-16:
AMIT KUMAR JHA
PRESIDENT 3642866 [email protected] +91 9804826266
DEBASMITA BANERJEE
VICE-
PRESIDENT
3652855
+91
8334933904
SANKHA SUBHRA
MUKHERJEE
SECRETARY
36430084
sankhasubhra
+91
8961039300
INDRANIL MALLICK
CO-
SECRETARY
3642888
indranilmallick40
@gmail.com
+91
8016450429
SANMITRA BARMAN
TREASURER
3716520
sanmitrabarman12
@gmail.com
+91
8017163085
AISHIK
BISWAS
CONVENER
3642854
+91
8334962623
DIPANKAR GANGULY
WEBMASTER
3641057
+91
8797669475
* New Chapter Officers (2016-17) to be elected soon. CURRENT STUDENT CHAPTER MEMEBERS:
NAME
CONTACT
ARPAN BANERJEE [email protected] +91 9804585290 DEBASMITA BANERJEE [email protected]
+91 8334933904 SUSMIT BANERJEE [email protected] +91 9874036778
SANMITRA BARMAN [email protected] +91 8017163085 AISHIK BISWAS [email protected] +91 8334962623
TANMOY CHAKRABORTY
+91 7890054651
RADHIKA CHATTERJEE
[email protected] +91 8274847705
APURBA CHATTOPADHYAY
[email protected] +91 9830935611
UTSAB CHOWDHURY [email protected] +91 9830311522
DIPANKAR GANGULY [email protected] +91 8697669475
CHIRANTAN GHOSH [email protected] +91 9007030819 ALAPAN GIRI [email protected] +91 9830949068
AYAN HALDER [email protected] +91 8100266484 AMIT KUMAR JHA [email protected] +91 9804826266
ALVIN KARKUN [email protected] +91 7890150690 INDRANIL MALLICK [email protected] +91 8016450429 SANKHA SUBHRA
MUKHERJEE [email protected]
+91 8961039300 DEBARPITA MUKHERJEE [email protected]
+91 9681306334 ABHIRUP NANDI [email protected] +91 9836361702 SHREYAN SADH [email protected] +91 8017245019
RAJ SHAIKH [email protected] +91 7501559133
ACTIVITIES: - A. Outreach Programme B. Lecture on Gravitational Waves by Dr Rajesh Kumble Nayak C. Scientific Light Festival: Wavicle 2016 D. Visit to San Diego for SPIE Optics + Photonics, 2016
E. Visit to the Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute, Kolkata F. Celebration of our chapter’s second birthday
A. Outreach programme (15th January, 2016):
On Friday, 15th January, 2016, the Techno India SPIE Student Chapter conducted its third outreach programme and the first one for this year at Jadavpur NK Pal Adarsha Shikshayatan. An educative presentation on optics was catered to hundred and twenty (120) odd bright-eyed 9th standard pupils. The event began with an introduction about SPIE and IYL 2015, followed by a presentation highlighting how Light and Light based technologies are pivotal to mankind’s development. Special emphasis was given on practical hands-on demonstrations, something
which the students did not have exposure to. The boys thoroughly enjoyed the experience, be it looking at the colourful spectra through the diffraction grating or playing with lenses. After the end of the session, we handed over a custom made questionnaire to the students, in order to get an insight regarding their interests and the impact of the programme. One of the students, Somyodip Singh wrote, “When I grow up, I want to build my career in the field of Light”. The overall response was truly overwhelming. We are eagerly looking forward to more such endeavours in the future. The SPIE funding was used for transportation (car rental), for buying chocolates for the school students and for the student members’ lunch.
Lecture Session With
Students
Practical Demonstration
B. Lecture on Gravitational Waves by Dr Rajesh Kumble Nayak
(14th March, 2016):
On the occasion of Albert Einstein’s 136th birth anniversary, our chapter collaborated with the
Physics Department of our college to organize a lecture on Gravitational Waves by Dr Rajesh
Kumble Nayak, Associate Professor, Department of Physical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science
Education and Research, Kolkata. The talk was held, just over a month after the announcement
of the monumental discovery of Gravitational Waves originating from the merger of two black
holes. Professor Nayak was a part of the LIGO and VIRGO Scientific collaborations, which made
the landmark discovery and was a co-author of the resulting paper titled, “Observation of
SPIE members outside the school gates after a successful outreach
activity
Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger”. It was indeed ironic that it was exactly a
hundred years back in 1916, when Albert Einstein had first predicted the existence of
Gravitational Waves in his General Theory of Relativity. The talk was preceded by an introduction
about our SPIE Student Chapter by our convener, Aishik Biswas, aimed at the two hundred (200)
odd first and second year students of our college, who attended the lecture. Dr Nayak delivered
a fascinating and easily understandable lecture which was thoroughly enjoyed by one an all. He
used a stretched cotton cloth and placed a couple of cricket balls to demonstrate the rotating
black holes and Gravitational Waves as ripples in the fabric of space-time. The talk was followed
by a long and engaging question and answer session, with Professor Nayak answering each
question with a smile on his face. Our chapter members presented a model of a simple Michelson
Interferometer, the core component of the LIGO detectors. Dr Nayak appreciated our endeavour
and gave us valuable suggestions on how to upgrade our model. The SPIE activity grant was used
to arrange for lunch and to buy a small token of appreciation for Dr Rajesh Kumble Nayak.
Dr Rajesh Kumble Nayak delivering his lecture
Dr Nayak explaining
Gravitational waves
with a stretched
piece of cloth
SPIE members with
Dr Rajesh Kumble
Nayak
C. Scientific Light Festival: Wavicle 2016(26th and 27th July, 2016):
On the 26th and 27th of July, 2016, the Techno India SPIE Student Chapter organized the inaugural
edition of Wavicle, a one of its kind Scientific Festival having guest lectures and student events
encompassing various aspects of astronomy, light and light based technologies. The tone for
Wavicle 2016 was set by a soulful classical rendition of a Raga backed by the pristine symphony
of the violin, performed by students of our college. The distinguished guests and dignitaries were
felicitated and seated in the dais. They included world renowned theoretical physicist, Dr Abhas
Mitra, Former Head of the Physics Department at IIT Delhi, Professor Bishnu Pal, Director and
CEO of Techno India Group, Dr Sujoy Biswas, Principal-in-Charge of Techno India, Dr Rina Paladhi
and the HOD of Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering at Techno India, Professor Debasish
Lahiri. Prof Saikat Majumder, the Faculty advisor of the Techno India SPIE Student Chapter
enlightened the audience about SPIE, the journey of our Student Chapter and what one could
expect from Wavicle. Our CEO and Principal delivered short but encouraging speeches which
boosted the morale of our organizing committee. This was followed by the all-important lamp
lighting ceremony. With this the inaugural edition of Wavicle was set and running, amidst
thunderous applause from the audience.
The inaugural talk was delivered by Dr Abhas Mitra, former head of the Theoretical Astrophysics
Division at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. Keeping in mind the name and theme of our
event, Prof Mitra’s talk commenced with a lucid explanation of Wave Particle Duality and the
immense applications of Light based technologies in Astronomy. This was followed by and
engaging talk on Indian Astronomical facilities and on the job and research scope of engineers in
astronomy. Dr Mitra then briefly explained his path breaking work on black holes and signed off
Inauguration of Wavicle 2016
with the line, ‘’Let there be light, even in black holes!’’ This witty one liner expressed the fact that
according to Mitra and his collaborators, so called black holes were actually balls of fire.
The second speaker of the day was Prof Bishnu Pal. Dr Pal, an elected fellow of SPIE and the SPIE Visiting Lecturer for the year started his talk with a presentation on SPIE highlighting the various opportunities provided by SPIE. Prof Pal, the nodal contact in India for the UNO declared International Year of Light 2015, enlightened us about IYL and how Light shapes almost all walks of life. This was followed by an interesting overview on Application Specific Specialty Optical Fibres and other optical technologies like PCFs. After a great lunch, we were honoured to have Professor A.N. Sekar Iyengar, Emeritus Professor at the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics deliver a captivating talk on the applications of Non Linear Dynamics. Prof Iyengar elucidated how Non Linear Dynamics was a very important and prominent bridge between Engineering and Basic Science. The talk started with the very basics of the subject and then moved on to more advanced topics with time. The diverse application of Non Linear Dynamics as enumerated by Prof Iyengar were in Biomedical Engineering, Stock Markets and pattern formation. The day ended with the prelims of PhyQuest, the quiz competition. The prelims saw a spirited fight among the eight teams, with the top six making it to the finals. Day 2 started with Prakash, the article presentation competition. Students from different city colleges showcased their skills by presenting a variety of topics ranging from Optical illusions to Nanophotonics. Alomoy Banerjee of Institute of Engineering and Management was adjudged the best speaker. This was followed by a talk by Dr Rajib Chakraborty, HOD of Applied Optics and Photonics, University of Calcutta. Dr Chakraborty, the treasurer of the Optical Society of India touched upon a lot of interesting topics during his talk including Lasers, Photonic crystals, electron microscopes and the Hubble Space telescope.
Seated from L-R: Prof D. Lahiri,
Prof Bishnu Pal, Dr Abhas Mitra,
Dr R. Paladhi
During the extended lunch session, the beautiful entries of the photography contest(Luminous), Poster Making(Spectrum) and Painting(Hues) were put on display for the students and guest to admire. The innovative optical models made by our chapter members were also displayed and were thoroughly appreciated by one and all. Post lunch, we had the finals of PhyQuest which was a thrilling affair. The quiz was divided into three innovative rounds testing the physics knowledge of the participants. Sub topics in the quiz included Theoretical physics, astronomy, optics, electronics, image processing and renewable energy. After a nail biting finish in the gruelling final rapid fire round, team deLight from the ECE department of Techno India, Salt Lake emerged champions. With the quiz, Wavicle 2016 came to an end. The winners of the various events were announced and their prizes were handed over by our faculty. Finally, a vote of thanks was given, highlighting the valuable contributions made by our chapter members and faculty. Both the days had seen more than a hundred (100) participants. The response and feedback from the students was indeed overwhelming with some students even suggesting that Wavicle 2017 be a three-day affair. The SPIE funding was used in arranging for lunch for the guests and participants, for felicitating the dignitaries and for their travel.
Wavicle 2016 logo
Prakash (Article
Presentation competition)
in progress
Winners of PhyQuest
receiving their prizes and
certificates
SPIE members with our faculty after the completion of Wavicle 2016
EVENTS SNIPPETS!
D. Visit to San Diego for attending SPIE Optics + Photonics 2016(27th August-
1st September, 2016):
This year, the Techno India SPIE Student Chapter was represented at the annual SPIE meeting in
San Diego, California by our Chapter President, Amit Kumar Jha and Vice-President, Debasmita
Banerjee. They attended the interactive and highly beneficial Student Leadership Workshop
facilitated by Jean-luc Doumont. They also participated in the annual Optics Outreach Games,
where they demonstrated the famous ‘Liter of Light’ project, the phenomenon of coloured
shadows and optical illusions formed by Moiré Fringes. Our beautifully crafted and unique hand-
made chapter activity poster was appreciated by one and all, including the SPIE President Dr
Robert Lieberman. They visited the various stalls at the SPIE job fair and interacted with
representatives of the world’s leading Optics and Photonics manufacturing companies. They got
the golden opportunity to meet and share ideas with students and scientists from all over the
globe.
INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE
Group photo with 240 fellow SPIE Student Chapter leaders from around the world
Participating in the annual Optics Outreach Games
With SPIE President Dr Robert Lieberman during the
poster session
E. Visit to the Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute, Kolkata (24th
October, 2016):
Seven members of our Student Chapter participated in a special workshop at the Fibre Optics
and Photonics Division of the Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute, Kolkata on the 24th
of October, 2016. The workshop was a part of the annual ‘Day of Photonics’ celebrations at the
institute. The day began with an introduction about the relevance of Photonics in our daily lives
by the Director of CSIR-CGCRI, Dr K. Muraleedharan. This was followed by a very enlightening
talk on ‘Optical Fibres: Fabrication Technology and Importance in our daily life’, by Dr Ranjan
Sen, Head- Fibre Optics and Photonics Division and Glass division. Dr Sen’s lecture highlighted
the different types of Optical Fibre, laying special emphasis on Specialty Optical Fibres, their
diverse uses and Photonic Crystal Fibres. He also explained the various methods used in Fibre
manufacturing and even showed us videos of the fabrication process at the CGCRI labs. This was
followed by a visit to the Fabrication Laboratories, where we were shown the various Fibre
manufacturing instruments and got to witness processes such as the Modified Chemical Vapour
Deposition Technique. We also got the chance to see and even hold freshly drawn fibres. All of
us had a great learning experience through this visit and we look forward to more such activities
and workshops in the future.
Dr Ranjan Sen delivering his lecture
Photonic Crystal Fibre
Modified Chemical Vapour Deposition
Process in progress
Fibre Draw Tower
F. Celebration of our Chapter’s second birthday (26th October, 2016):
On the 27th of October, 2016 the Techno India SPIE Student Chapter completed two years. A
day prior to this, on the 26th of October we had an informal meeting, followed by cake cutting
and celebrations on account of our Chapter’s second birthday. The day began with and
introduction about SPIE and our chapter activities for our new members, followed by a friendly
discussion with our new members, in order to identify potential Chapter officers, who will lead
our Student Chapter in the future. After the meeting, we cut the cake amidst great jubilation
and applause from all our members and especially, the new ones. We are confident that our
chapter will soar even higher in years to come.
Second birthday celebration of our Student Chapter
Our Chapter members and Faculty after the cake cutting
OBITUARY
Professor Debasish Lahiri
On the night of Saturday, 20th August, 2016, our respected Head of the Department of Electronics
and Instrumentation Engineering, Professor Debasish Lahiri, left for his heavenly abode. DL Sir,
as we affectionately called him, was a father figure for the students and faculty of the
department. He had an important role in setting up our SPIE Student Chapter and was always
there to encourage and help us in our Chapter activities. He will be sorely missed by all of us at
Techno India. May his soul rest in peace.
Chapter Bank Account Details:
Bank Name: State Bank of India
Account Type- Current
Account No:34645551215
Address: Salt Lake Electronics Complex (Kolkata)
XI, 8/1 E P Block Salt Lake Sector-V,
Kolkata, WB-700091
Income
Head Amount(INR)
Available Balance
9478.74/-
Activity Grant
46683/-
Banking Interest Credit 100/-
Banking Charge Debit 1400/-
Net Income 54861.74/-
Expenditure
Head Amount(INR)
Lecture on Gravitational waves
5000/-
Outreach Activity
8000/-
Wavicle 2016 26000/-
Awareness Drive
3000/-
Model and Poster Making 4000/-
Total expenditure 46000/-
*Available balance of INR 8861.74/
FINANCIAL INFORMATON: -
PLANNED ACTIVITIES FOR THE FUTURE: -
1. We would like to conduct more large-scale outreach programmes aimed at marginalised sections of
society and especially tribals.
2. We have recently received a set of ‘Foldscopes’, from Prakash Lab, Stanford University. These are simple,
but powerful paper-made microscopes that can provide magnification of up to 2000 times. Our chapter
members are eagerly looking forward to use it for different applications and share our findings on the
Foldscope Explore website. In the future, we will also distribute foldscopes among students from
underprivileged backgrounds, who have never got the chance to look through a microscope.
3. Our chapter members had demonstrated the famous open source project, 'Liter of Light' during the
Outreach games at SPIE Optics and Photonics 2016 conference in San Diego, CA. We are planning to
implement this novel idea at certain villages in India. Most of the houses in these villages, do not have
electricity and thus, by using this set up, houses can be lighted up means of refraction of sunlight by the
water present inside bottles attached to an opening on the roof.
4. We are also planning to organize an astronomy night later this year, where students would be shown the
various celestial bodies through a telescope.
5. We would like to host the second edition of Wavicle in an even bigger way by incorporating more
interesting events, guest lecturers and getting participation from students all over the country.
6. We are also looking forward to organise a free eye check-up camp in association with a leading eye clinic.
7. We hope to conduct a workshop for our students, related to Solar Energy and its applications.
8. Our chapter members are working hard to make our very own Chapter website, which will be soon
launched.
9. We are trying to build optical and renewable energy made models that are capable of improving the
quality of life.
10. In the future, we would like to take part in ISRO’s Student Satellite programme and work with them in
designing our own satellite and payload.
Content created By Aishik Biswas. Edited By Debasmita Banerjee and Dipankar Ganguly
Feedback provided by Mr. Saikat Majumder and Amit Kumar Jha
