GNDU
Physics Department: An Introductory Survey
H.S.
Virk (Founder Head Physics Deptt.)
When Gurtej Sandhu,
Topper of 1st M.Sc. (Hons.) batch, presently serving in the top echelon of
Micron Company, visited me in Surrey in mid-July, I was reminded of good old
days when we started B.Sc. (Hons.) in end of July 1979 with intake of 16
students.
Till my joining on 10th July as HOD Physics, the
department operated from Chemistry Block. The first task before me was to shift
to Physics block which was then housing Registrar Office and University
Library. We got just 2 rooms, one for HOD and the other served as a class room.
We were 5 teachers to begin with. Berkeley Physics Course was introduced at
B.Sc. level.
UGC had sanctioned a
total grant of Rs. 5 lacs (10,000 USD) for Teaching and Research Labs. But VC
did not allow us to spend the whole amount; I had to move all demands for
approval of an Advisory Committee of Senior Physicists. This was my first
encounter and foretaste of Indian bureaucracy and its tentacles. By nature, I
was a little rebel and faced lot of problems to build infrastructure for
teaching and research. Despite these hurdles, we could publish 3 Papers in area
of Geochronology during 1979 using a Student Microscope (costing 200 USD) for
study of fission tracks in minerals.
Our first batch of
M.Sc. (Hons.) and M.Sc. (Pass) was out in 1983. It took us 5 years to get the
Physics block vacated and set up facilities for research in Thin films
(Material Science), Ultrasonics, Radiation Physics and Nuclear Spectroscopy. During
the first decade, Physics Department was running 4 M.Sc. Courses; M.Sc. in
Geophysics and Energy Sciences were added to diversify our Physics Program. Our
faculty strength grew up to 22; Earthquake Research Centre was created on GNDU
Campus; Solar Energy Station became functional and an MOU was signed with ICTP,
Trieste, Italy for training of Physics Faculty. A Centre for Promotion of
Science was created in 1986, with the blessings of Professor Abdus Salam, the
Nobel Laureate, and Director ICTP.
I retired on 30th
June 2002. It is more than a decade when I moved out of GNDU; never to be
invited by its faculty or the VC, except once by Jai Rup Singh, then VC GNDU,
to speak on CV Raman on Science Day. I wonder WHY Professors are not allowed to
do research in India till they desire, as it exists in USA. Professors in US
Universities enjoy doing cutting edge research even during their 80s! I was
fortunate to serve DAV University in its formative years to create a Research
Centre in Nanotechnology; as a consequence, 2011 turned out to be year of my
highest citations in research.
According to my rough
estimate, Physics Department has produced more than 1000 M.Scs. during last 3
decades (1983-2013) and nearly 200 Ph.Ds. (my loud guess). Will any one inform
me, if GNDU Physics produced any Professor in a university outside India? In my
survey, I failed to find any! Our students are engaged in all other Professions
in India and abroad. RC Singh, present HOD in Physics may try to locate if
there are any students serving as Professors abroad?
Hello Prof. Virk
ReplyDeleteIt is was eye-opening to read your honest account of your years at GNDU. I am an alumnus of Department of Electronic Technology batch of 2014 and I had spent 4 years of my undergraduate degree looking for role models in my Alumni/Prof.s/ Teachers which would really inspire me to take up research. It was really hard to spot GNDU Alumni doing great work in terms of research especially Physical Sciences.
And this has definitely led to resentment in the minds of Alumni where they wouldnt want to associate they name with the institution. Going forward, it has become a serious concern when it comes to a partnership where Alumni- researchers, entrepreneurs, economists, etc. takes their alma mater forward as happened with the most illustrious universities of the world.
It is a sad truth but I can definitely see some efforts from university's side now.
Hope you are doing well!