Perhaps the best academic news since July 2003, is a number of faculty appointments in both Mathemacitcs and Physics. Dr.s C.S. Dalawat, Ratnakumar P.K., and N. Raghavendra joined in Mathematics. Dr.s Prasenjit Sen and T.P. pareekh joined in Physics. Moreover Dr.s Anindya Datta, S. Choubey, Asheshkrishna Datta, K. Sengupta and T.K. Das (Physics) have accepted our offers.
There are four Visiting Scientists: Dr.s Jayanthan, and Baier in Mathematics and Dr.s Supurna Sinha and Prof. J. Samuel in Physics. Moreover, Dr.s R. Sharma and M. Keshari will be coming as Post-doctoral Fellows (Mathematics) and Dr.s S.B. Datta has joined as PDF in Physics, Dr.s P. Mehta, Thampan, Thirupathi, and Kuzuyuki will be joining as PDFs in Physics.
In contrast to previous years, the Institute has made good progress in attracting research scholars. In Mathematics seven Research Scholars, and in Physics nine Research Scholars joined HRI this year. This has been partly possible because of the establishment of HRI-IGNOU Intergrated Doctoral Programme last year, which has allowed us to make offers to bright undergraduates, desirous of pursuing research careers in Mathematics and Physics.
Adjunct Distinguished Professorships were offered to Prof.s Indranil Biswas, A. Raichaudhury, S. Mukhi, D. Sen, T.V. Ramakrishnan and T. Padmanabhan.
The academic work of the Institute has continued in full swing. Among the honours received by our faculty a particular mention deserves to be made of the prestiguous S.S. Bhatnagar award to prof. Biswarup Mukhopadhyaya, D.Sc. (Hons) from Calcutta University to Prof. Ashoke Sen and a Life-time Service Award from INSA, New Delhi to Prof. I.B.S. Passi.
The Institute hosted the following major scientific meetings:
Setellite Conference on Commutative Algebra and Combinatorics:
A workshop on Computational Algebraic Geometry and the Conference on Commutative Algebra and Combinatorics was organised during 8th to 13th December 2003 in which about 60 scientists participated. The conference was organised in collaboration with the Bhaskaracharya Pratishthana, Pune.
Advanced Schoool on Physics on Galaxy Formation:
The Advanced School on Physics on Galaxy Formation attracted about 30 participants who attended the school during December 16-29, 2003.
Summer School on Gravitation and Cosmology:
The Institute organized a Summer School on Gravitation and Cosmology during May 10-21, 2004.
Visiting Students Summer Programme:
Institute conducted the VSS Promramme (Maths) during June 7-26, 2004.
The VSS Programme (Physics) was also conducted during the period and batches of students attended the same from time to time.
special School for High school and Intermediate students was organised by Dr. V.D. Singh during July 5-10, 2004.
Science Talent Search Examination:
HRI has always made special efforts to participate in the scientific life of Allahabad, and more generally in U.P. and India at all levels. "Talent Search Awards" in collaboration with the National Science Academy (Allahabad) is one of the major event. The Institute conducted the annual Science Talent Examination on 20th November 2003 for IX - XII standard students from schools and colleges in and around Allahabad in the subjects of Mathematics and Physics. About 450 students participated in the day long examination. The results have since been declared and the awardees have been given away the prizes.
NBHM Scholarship Test and Interviews:
The NBHM Scholarship Test and Interviews were held in November 2003 in which about 50 candidates appeared. The next NBHM test was conducted on June 26, 2004.
JEST: Physics - Test and interviews were held during May 24-25, 2004.
JEST: Mathematics - Test and interviews were held during 30-July 3, 2004.
HRI Colloquium Lectures:
a. Prof. Krishnaswamy Alladi, University of Florida, on 2nd January, 2004 spoke on A Theorem of Gollnitz and its place in the theory of partitions.
b. Prof. Norbert Schlomiuk, McGill University, Canada, on 14th January, 2004 spoke on Andre Weil remembered.
c. Prof. Victor Kac, MIT, USA, on 16th January, 2004 spoke on Freely Generated Vertex (=Chiral) Algebras. He also gave a lecture on 19th January, 2003 on Infinite Dimensional Lie Super Algebras and Standard Model.
d. Prof. Robert V. Moody, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada spoke on "Coherence and A periodic Order" on March 23rd, 2004.
e. Prof. S.M. Bhattacharjee, Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar gave a lecture on "DNA Unzipping by Force" on April 16th, 2004.
Colloquium by Prof. K.W. Gruenberg:
Prof. K.W. Gruenberg from the Queen Marry & West Field College, London visited the Institute in October, 2003 and gave a colloquium on the 23rd October 2003. The topic on which Prof. Gruenberg spoke was "Invariants of finite groups associated with free resolutions".
Visit by Prof. Shing-Tung Yau:
Prof. Shing-Tung Yau, (Fields Medal 1984), Harvard University, USA and Director, The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong visited the Institute during 25th-28th January 2004. During his stay at the Institute he gave a popular lecture on Geometry, Its Charm and Applicatios on the 27th January. He also gave a scientific lecture on the 28th January on Positivity of Local Mass in General Relativity.
We discussed the possibilities of collaboration between DAE-Institute and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, China in the fields of Mathematics and Theoretical Physics.
Lectures by Prof.s J. Coats and Sujatha:
Prof.s J. Coates (University of Cambridge, UK) and R. Sujatha (TIFR, Mumbai) visited the Institute during March 22-April 2, 2004, and they delivered a series of lectures on "Iwasawa Algebras and Arithmetic".
Non-academic Activities:
Installation and Garlanding the Statue of Late Shri Giridharilal Mehta:
A major event was in the memory of a very special person to HRI, Shri Giridharilal Mehta- a function was organised on 26th Feb. 2004 for installatoin and garlanding the statue of Shri Mehta installed in the foyer of the Library building. The Institute owes its existence to the generous grant made by Shri Giridharilal Mehta in 1975. Shri Avnish Mehta was the Chief Guest of Honour. Shri Avnish Mehta, Prof. Ravi S. Kulkarni and Prof. Raghunathan paid tributes to Shri Giridharilal Mehta on this occasion.
The Director's address on the occasion is enclosed.
Painting Workshop on Tribal, Traditional and Flok Art styles:
A 10 days painting workshop was organised in collaboration with the North Central Zone Culture Center (NCZCC), Allahabad in September 2003 in which about 13 painters from different parts of the country participated. The paintings completed during the period of the workshop were shared between the Institute and the NCZCC.
Rajbhasha Programmes:
The Rajbhasha Day was celebrated on 18th & 20 September 2003, in which about 35 children of the members of the Institute participated in the various evnents. A Kavi Goshthi was also organised in which some prominent poets from Allahabad took part.
A workshop on the constitutional provisions pertaining to the Rajbhasha was organised on 7th November 2003 in which Shri V.P. Tiwari, Junior Hindi Translator, gave a lecture.
The website of the Institute in Hindi was been developed and will soon be put on the net for the befefit of members and others alike. Under the auspices of the Rajbhasha Samiti a popular lecture was organised on 14th May 2004 in which Prof. Yoganand Sinha, Dept. of Psychology, University of Allahabad spoke on "Allahabad through a Rear View Mirror" covering certain interesting sites and events of Allahabad during the last century.
Popular talks:
Popular talks were delivered by Mr. Lalit Uniyal on 25th Nov. 2003 on Concepts & Experiences in a National Building Endavour and Dr. Sarita Bajaj on 12th Feb. 2004 on Common Hormonal Problems.
Meeting of Registrars:
Meeting of the Registrars of DAE-Aided Institutions was held during April 15-16, 2004. Dr. T. Sahay, Registrar, TIFR gave a talk on Communication Skills on April 15th 2004.
HRI Welfare Trust:
A major development at HRI this year was the establishment of the HRI Welfare Trust. The idea was mooted as early as October 2001. Finally it has become a reality. The Trust registered in Allahabad, has a tax-exempt 80G status. Prof. Rajesh Gopakumar, Shri Sanjeev Kashalkar, and I signed the Trust Deed. Other people connected with this activity from its beginning include Prof.s Raj Gandhi, Sudhakar Panda, Ashoke Sen, and Shri Amit Roy. The idea is to create a corpus to help the lower level employees of the Institute in the educaiton of their children, or occasions of dire need, and to offer them annual gifts at festive occasions. The Trust may also be used to offer special prizes such as Best Thesis Awards, or Best Service Awards. In legal terms, the Trust has no link with HRI, but in social and psychological terms it has to do with all of us in the HRI family.
Help should be given to a needy person at the right time and place. It should be given without anticipation of return. Then it becomes a benign experience to the giver also (Geeta 17.20)
RAVI S. KULKARNI
19.07.2004
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