Wednesday 10 June 2015

Reminiscences of My Visit to China (1992)

Reminiscences of My Visit to China (1992)
Hardev Singh Virk
Ex- Director Centre for Promotion of Science, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar

After joining Guru Nanak Dev University as Head Physics department in July 1979, I started my odyssey to universities of Europe for research collaboration. My friendship with Professor Abdus Salam (Nobel Laureate) helped me a lot. I was offered Senior Associateship of International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy in 1985, which covered my travel expenses. Later on, Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), Trieste, Italy extended this facility for my travel to developing countries under South-South Fellowship Program. My visit to China was sponsored under this fellowship for a period of 4 weeks.
I landed at Beijing airport on 2nd September, 1992. China Institute of Atomic Energy, Beijing hosted my visit and Dr Shi-Lun Guo was my research collaborator. I met Dr Guo in 1983 during an international conference in Acapulco (Mexico) and started research collaboration.
During 90s, China started on its journey of liberalization. Buddhist temples were opened to public and tourists were allowed access to mainland China. Perhaps, I was the first Indian Scientist who was allowed entry into Nuclear Reactor complex in Beijing. During first week, I was asked to Chair a session of International Conference in my field. I found Chinese scientists very shy as they failed to communicate in English. China was wriggling out of Maoist legacy; the ruthless massacre of students fighting for democracy in Tiananmen Square was fresh in my memory.  
My impressions of first visit are still fresh. Beijing airport was almost identical to old Palam airport of India. There were no foreign made cars on roads of China. Beijing roads were crowded with cycles. The Chinese workers and students used to wear old Maoist uniforms. Jean culture was totally absent in China. University students were not allowed to loiter or date openly; if caught they were asked to kill flies and mosquitoes on the campus! Entry to university was restricted and admission was strictly on merit only.
During the first week, my stay was arranged in Minzu hotel in the downtown Beijing. During Hindi-Chini Bhai-Bhai era, Pandit Nehru was also lodged in this hotel. From the hotel window, I could have a glimpse of Chinese workers going to their work places on their cycles as if locust swarm has descended on the road. There is no right to strike work in China; that is how China has maintained highest growth rate of economy in the world. Workers and engineers were bracketed in the same salary group; pay disparity was kept to the minimum in most of the establishments. Education, health facility and housing were provided to all in China free of cost. I found my collaborator and his driver occupying similar accommodation; a 2 bed apartment. It is need based, not status based as in India. There were no private baths in houses; all had to share common baths in the Atomic Energy establishment. There were no IAS, IPS, Military Generals or Business magnates lobbies anywhere in Mao’s China. All were reduced to mere entities along with proletariat.
I was a special guest in China under TWAS Fellowship. I was privileged to have a chauffeur-driven air- conditioned car at my disposal. My collaborator tried to keep my driver in good humour by providing some costly gifts. The boss mentality was totally absent in China. There were hardly any frauds or scams reported in China; during my sojourn a bank manager was involved in a foreign currency racket and he was put to death after a summary trial. Severe punishments were given to party dissidents, criminals and law breakers. In India, it is free for all; hardly any political leader or law breaker goes behind bars. Indians enjoy freedom in real terms!
What impressed me most in China was discipline. It was built into their genetic code; as we have corruption built into Indian genetic code (refer to Nirad Chaudhary’s famous quote: Indians are genetically corrupt). Beijing was found to be cleanest city with clean Metro stations underground and regulated traffic on roads. There were NO BEGGARS or mendicants (Sadhus) anywhere in China. Chinese ladies were not exploited by hooligans as in India. Bollywood culture was missing in China.
I visited some rural areas in the neighbourhood of Beijing. The presence of rich farmers was non-existent. Most of the farmers used mini-tractors (a contraption called jugad in Punjab) for transportation of goods. During my visit to Tangshan city, I observed the rural life on the way. Most of the un-employed rural youth were provided odd jobs, for example, sweeping of highways or main roads in the area. Dignity of labour is appreciated by the Chinese. My visit to a High School revealed that Chinese youth are provided skill training along with class teaching. The monster of un-employment was not visible in China. But the salaries were bare minimum just at subsistence level.
When I look back after 20 years, China has made a tremendous progress on all fronts vis a vis India, namely in scientific research, industrial production and economic growth. I learn from Chinese friends that jean culture has pervaded China but riches have not yet spoilt the Chinese as the Irish poet Oliver Goldsmith quoted: “Where wealth accumulates and men decay”.

       



How ICTP Shaped My Scientific Career in India

How ICTP Shaped My Scientific Career in India

Hardev Singh Virk
Senior Associate ICTP (1988-93)
Formerly Head, Physics Department &
Director, Earthquake Research Centre
Guru Nanak Dev University
Amritsar, India
Mailing Address:
# 360, Sector 71, SAS Nagar (Mohali), India – 160071
E-mail: hardevsingh.virk@gmail.com


            My schooling started in 1947, after India gained her freedom, in a rural one-teacher primary school with hardly any infrastructure. Learning was by rote and I mastered all the texts. I topped in Government High School Malerkotla (1957) and opted to study science (non-medical group) on the advice of my Headmaster. My interest and faith in science grew after reading a popular science book “The Universe and Dr. Einstein” by Lincoln Barnett, priced at Rupee 1(2 cents), awarded to me for scoring second position in First Year of College Physics. I was so fascinated by the Theory of Relativity and Cosmology that Einstein became my role model in life. After my Master degree (M.Sc.) in Physics from Aligarh Muslim University in India (1963), my interest shifted to the study of Elementary Particles. When I started teaching in Punjabi University Patiala, my favourite subjects were Theory of Relativity and Particle Physics. I could motivate my undergraduate students by narrating episodes from the lives of great physicists like Albert Einstein, Marie Curie and Abdus Salam. The latter belonged to my own province of Punjab in united India.
            My research career started in 1970 when I was selected as a ‘Boursier’ (Scholar) of the French Government to pursue my doctoral research in Marie Curie University of Paris under Professor Max Morand in Particle Physics. Our group was working on nuclear emulsions exposed to proton beams at CERN (Geneva) and Fermi lab at Batavia. My passion to find a new particle or a resonance in high-energy nuclear interactions was so great that I started working round the clock in my laboratory. For two years, I worked in perfect isolation and got frustrated in my research pursuits. A visit to Rutherford Laboratory in Cambridge in April 1972 brought me on the right track and I submitted my doctoral thesis rejecting the hypothesis of L-meson put forward by my own supervisor, Tsai Chu. My research career has been quite eventful but I bade good-bye to Particle Physics after failing to discover a new particle proposed by my own supervisor.
            During the seventies, India had no high-energy accelerators. I was given the choice to work under Indo-French collaboration at CERN but my family wanted me to return home. During my stay of more than two years in Paris I could not visit my family and was feeling homesick. Moreover, I wanted to serve India despite obvious handicaps in experimental research in my area of interest.
            ICTP came to my rescue in shaping my scientific career in India. It is no less than a miracle that a physicist returning from Paris was saved from utter frustration by the intervention of the ICTP. During 1977, Professor A.H. Cook of Cambridge University conducted the first ten-week course on Physics of Earth at ICTP and I was lucky to join it. It gave me an opportunity to visit some laboratories in Europe. In those days ICTP funded such visits and the choice was given to the participant. I also made a friendship with Professor Abdus Salam, which lasted till his death. We met frequently and discussed the problems of scientists from the developing countries. I advised him to start more courses of the applied nature, e.g., medical physics, soil physics, geophysics, and microelectronics, to which he agreed in principle but he had reservations about setting up laboratories at the ICTP. During the eighties ICTP took the initiative to start Applied Physics programmes with the collaboration of the University of Trieste. I may claim some credit for changing the character of ICTP from a purely theoretical centre of physics to a wholesome physics institute. As a consequence, ICTP underwent a sea change, creating infrastructure at both the physical and academic levels. This rapid expansion put a lot of strain on the resources of ICTP, its staff and its Director. ICTP became more and more bureaucratic in its approach and the cordial personal relationship between the staff and course participants became a legacy of the past.
            After my training at the ICTP, I ventured into new fields of research in Earth Sciences, namely, Geochronology, Exploration Geophysics, Earthquake Prediction studies. Professor Abdus Salam visited my laboratory in 1981 and was surprised to see a Particle physicist transformed into a Geophysicist. I also attended courses in Medical Physics at ICTP and on return to India set up the Radiation Physics laboratory in Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. Using the heavy ion beam facility (UNILAC) at GSI, Darmstadt, I engaged myself in the study of radiation effects in mineral crystals, glasses and polymers. Ion Track Filters were developed and used in medicine and environment and our laboratory became a pioneer in earthquake prediction research and Ion Track Technology in India.
            Our collaboration resulted in many diverse activities when our Physics Department was affiliated to ICTP for almost a decade. A Centre for the Promotion of Science was set up under my supervision for popularisation of science in Punjab; research grants were received from ICTP in a project mode; the book Ideals and Realities by Abdus Salam was translated by me into Punjabi and I had the honour to work as a Senior Associate of ICTP (1988-93). ICTP proved to be a launching pad for my research activity in India, culminating in the publication of 360 research papers, 125 popular science articles and 30 books during my scientific career. To keep alive the spirit of ICTP, since my retirement in June 2002, I have been engaged in the promotion of Physics Education in India as President of the Indian Association of Physics Teachers (IAPT). I am also engaged in nanotechnology research as my pastime.
            Let me quote the last paragraph from the obituary note I published in Current Science (Vol. 72, No. 11, June 10, 1997), after the sad demise of my esteemed friend, guide and philosopher: “If ICTP in Trieste has become a Mecca for Third World scientists over the years since its creation in 1964, Professor Abdus Salam, its Director, was destined to play the role of a prophet of Third World scientists. May the mercy of Allah be on His servant?”



My Review Report (II) on GNDU Physics Department

After 2 years, interest in my Report on Physics department has revived again; some motivation came from Dr Gursharanjit Singh of GN studies and the rest by our own students/teachers. I don’t mind criticism as nothing is perfect in this World. We are bound to make errors (To error is human).

After my return from Paris, I met VC of GNDU in Jan. 1974. He read my CV but asked me a counter question: How can U reach the top of Ladder from the lower danda (rung)? I understood his satire that I am too young for Professorship.

In June 1979, when GNDU failed to find a suitable candidate for Professorship from USA, I was called by Dean Science Faculty (SS Sandhu of Chemistry) to appear for Professor’s post again; this time they selected me as Assoc. Professor (Reader) with a rider that I shall be promoted after watching my progress for 2 years. I reported myself on duty on 10th July, started admission exercise, as we were already late, and shifting from one room accommodation in Chemistry block to 2 rooms provided in Physics Block on 15th July.

Our Start was good but we were soon plagued by circumstances: Punjab was engulfed by terrorism leading to Operation Blue Star in 1984. In 1979 interview, 55 candidates appeared for Lecturer Interview including 16 Toppers of Universities from Kolkatta to Calicut. After 1984, GNDU failed to attract good candidates beyond Punjab-Haryana border at Shambu. We lost 4 best teachers up to 1984 and replacement was a big problem. Once I called a Particle Physicist from UK, Baldev Singh Bains, he reached Amritsar but returned from city Bus stop calling me on Phone: “Sir, I am a clean shaven, I don’t want to be killed by joining GNDU”.   Ultimately, I asked Dr Z.R. Khan of AMU to send some suitable Scholar to teach Theory courses in GNDU.

Our Courses were up to date but our faculty could not cope with its delivery. In my Opinion, teachers are mere Communicators of Knowledge and students, if guided and inspired, can fill up the gap. Building up Teaching & Research from a scratch was a big Challenge. No one can doubt my sincerity but we were under duress to cope with the Punjab situation going from bad to worse. This situation remained up to 1990s but my Headship was over after 7 years (1979-86). Another handicap was our sudden expansion program during my headship: from B.Sc. (Hons) in 1979, we started 4 M.Sc. Courses during 7 years. Geophysics and Energy Science Programs crashed after 5 years as competent faculty was not available.

Why I recount all this Story? Last year, GNDU VC twice complained that our Teachers are not doing enough research as We (myself and other HODs of Physics) failed to recruit good quality teachers and employed our own Ph.Ds.  I reminded him, we recruited 4 IITians, 2 were good but the other 2 proved a flop show.  Analysis of 500 Research Papers published by Physics Faculty (2009-14) has revealed that per Capita production of research in Physics is higher than any other Department of GNDU in citations. As Tarsem Gill points: Google Baba and Research gate can establish the TRUTH, if there is any doubt about performance of our faculty. Hope this blame game is a part of GNDU politics, not a reality.
HS Virk

          

Review Report GNDU Physics Department

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?