Drowned in Data

Scientists with an edge at computational prowess and mathematical techniques are in great demand ever since information technology has taken a central position in modern society. Here we discuss a couple of themes where data analytics and stochastic modeling tools have shown impressive track record for young graduates in the physical sciences to dream for that 'incredible career path'. Sound logic, experimental precision and computational powers  have been increasingly harnessed to build efficient systems and arrive at prudent decisions. Godel's incompleteness theorem asserts that no formal theory that contains arithmetic can be both complete and consistent at the same time. Hence we are forced to carry out scientific computation using advanced numerical schemes using as many data points as available for better precision. 
[Refer: Computing over the reals: Where Turing Meets Newton-BY LENOR BLUM]

In another direction we also require computational tools for market analysis, trading and investment analysis. Taking a cue at stochastic environments involved in quantum physics, the academia and industry recognized the value of engineering financial decisions using powerful mathematics. To narrate the story in a nutshell, financial decision making invariably involves numerical calculations, spreadsheet models for simple what-if- analysis, cost of capital calculation and business valuations. Of late research trends in risk management require sophisticated stochastic analysis. For instance asset price dynamics, evolutionary trends in commodity prices, interest rate analysis and derivative products. We shall quote A.Brown (of the Morgan Stanley group) "In the olden days of risk management you could take decisions looking at the data while now we have tons of millions of positions and hundreds of thousands of market factors Each position can have so many attributes and each market factor has thousands of data points and the market factors  themselves are becoming very abstract, we dont have prices in there any more we have implied volatalities and implied correlations"
[Ref:  Convergence of Technology and Pure Studies-Bulletin of Science Popularization]

-- J V Ramana Raju

INSPIRE Fellowship program and JAIN UNIVERSITY

As a student, fresh out of her Masters and keen on pursuing research, I applied for the DST INSPIRE Fellowship program. I was on the lookout for interesting work related to the fields of biochemistry and biotechnology with a focus on human aspects. My search for an ideal programme brought me to Jain University in August 2011, which was still in the nascent stages of their Ph.D. programs. The exposure to different programs, institutes, professors and the advice from my seniors made me realise that the most important part of higher research is being able to find a suitable research guide. Since I was still waiting for my Ph.D. fellowship results, I decided that the M.Phil program would be beneficial to me. A meeting with all the research guides and mainly my interaction with my guide (Dr. Vani R) ensured that the M.Phil was the right step for me. I found that the faculty at Jain was extremely helpful and provided immense encouragement and support. The learning obtained from the course work paved the way for me to develop a sense of confidence and passion towards my research work. The completion of my M.Phil examinations and the inception of my laboratory work substantiated my aspiration to continue my research further. In April 2012, my fellowship results were declared and I was awarded the INSPIRE Fellowship to pursue my doctoral work. I immediately shared the information with my guide and the authorities at Jain University, who were exceptionally accommodating with my situation. It was agreed upon that I would be able to carry on as a Ph.D. research scholar once I complete the necessary formalities. I am grateful to Jain University for supporting my desire to pursue my doctoral work and ensuring that I receive my INSPIRE Fellowship. 

It has been over five years now and my association with Jain remains strong. As I am reaching the end of my research journey, I find that there has been a lot of learning and wisdom that I have acquired along the way. There has been a definite rise in my confidence, my team skills, my writing skills and the understanding and application of various concepts. I have raised the levels of my expectations of myself and obtained a better awareness of my strengths and weaknesses. Jain University and my guide have allowed me to follow my passions and become a strong-willed researcher with the skills and competence to take me forward in all phases of my life. I am grateful and thankful to them for all their support and encouragement through my research journey.

A Look at Modern Day Information Security Solutions

The global IT industry, serving as a catalyst for transformation in different aspects of the modern business landscape, has crossed by leaps and bounds over the last couple of decades and witnessed abundant innovations in more sectors than one. However, it is also a bare truth that the evolution in the field of IT has also led to increasing cyber risk, posing a grave risk to sensitive information and data from the consumers, businesses, and governments across the planet. Cyber criminals have become even more refined, skilled and collaborative these days, which have only boosted the severity, size, and complexity of cyber threats around the globe. Although businesses are investing and adopting new and unique solutions for information security, cybercriminals are developing even better techniques to dodge and outperform them.

To combat the cyber threats in today's ecosystem, it has become much more than a mere inevitability for firms to broaden their focus on risk management from information availability, integrity, and confidentiality to incorporating risks such as those to goodwill, reputation and customer channels, and identify the inadvertent consequences from various tasks in cyberspace. Information security experts and businesses need to stay updated with the latest trends to ensure proper and efficient Information Security.

Since the last decade, technology and information technology, in particular, have witnessed massive growth to such an extent that the solutions we use today might seem totally alien to someone from half a century ago. Naturally, the way in which we perform our day-to-day activities has changed substantially. This applies to places of businesses too, as the use of the latest technology ushers in a great deal of efficiency. Cloud technology is now being used in a variety of industries as it enables a mobile workforce. However, with the change in the IT infrastructure, there also is a need to consider security solutions that would address these new needs.

The real wealth of a business is its information. The security of a nation hinges on the security of its critical information. Growth and development thrive on information. In future, it has never been more significant to make sure the security of information, because the loss of it can be catastrophic.

The demand for the course MCA Information Security was triggered with unceasing attacks on social media and its abuse. So, there was a cyber-terrorism threat to the internet security of our nation which it was not properly equipped to handle. After this threat started to influence the national security, the Indian government passed a resolution to have its cyber protection architecture in place at the national level.

Cyber Security Policy for Data Protection

The increasing demand for IT Security has opened up opportunities for well-trained professionals like never before. This demand is ranged across the corporate sector including IT, Banking, Financial Services, Police Department, Defence, Education, Railways, Judiciary and other sectors. The deployment of UIDAI, NCRB, NATGRID, and CBDT and Customs only adds to urgency of the demand.

To ride the wave of demand for IT Security professionals, one entails specialized domain knowledge and practical experience.

Quoting a Gartner report, UGC said despite a continuing economic slowdown that has been putting pressure on IT budgets around the world, cybersecurity spending globally will endure on an upward trajectory, reaching $86 billion in 2016, up from $60 billion in 2012.

The approximation is that India has fairly about 50,000 cybersecurity professionals; we need at least one million skilled people in this domain by 2020." - NASSCOM president, R. Chandrasekhar.

Opportunities with Different Sectors

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has instructed all universities and colleges to ensure the introduction of Information Security as a subject at the under-graduate and postgraduate levels. Therefore, a specialisation in information security was being announced by many universities in India. As there was a prerequisite to have a curriculum for information protection, in addition, they started teaching subjects including environmental studies, introduction to open source software and open standards, mathematical logic, HTML programming data structures using C and engineering graphics.

The financial sector itself is going to hire about two lakh people with those working for oil and gas, power, utility, telcos, airlines and government. So, the government is looking onward to hiring such professionals for its e-governance and law and order departments. The massive hiring is projected as the Indian information security market continues to see a skyward trend despite an economic slowdown.

Science Events....

Dr Kota Harinarayana, architect of India’s LCA Programme visited IIAEM on 24 Nov 2016, interacted with faculty on research interests and gave a talk to students/faculty on “National Security, Aviation Technology and LCA programme’. Here are some pictures of his interaction and his visit to propulsion laboratory.

1 Discussing on the instrumentation of gas turbine engine at the propulsion laboratory.

2.  In discussion with faculty, evincing keen interest on research themes.

3. After the talk , recieving a memento from Prof. B. Dattaguru.

Job prospects for a Physicist

It’s a common question that a student doing a pure science course is posed with –“are you going to be a teacher?” or may be it gets asked in a much polite manner as “are you planning a career in teaching?”. This misconception has somehow crept into our society. One reason probably could be that most of those who wished to be in teachers in non-engineering and non-medical streams had to do a pure science courses only at undergrad and graduate levels due to the industry norms. In Indian context the scenario is worst. Many a times the pure science streams are chosen out of no-other-option mindset rather than this-is- my-option basis. In the recent past the number of students taking admission into the pure science streams due to the reason that they haven’t been able to procure a seat in any engineering or medical courses has increased. This trend doesn’t seem a very promising one. Though one can list of several reasons as to why this is happening and debate over it, I shall refrain to just opening up the minds of people to the several job prospects that a student with a degree, a UG or a PG, in physics would fit into and be very successful.

It’s indeed evident that a person with degree in Physics can take up a successful career as a Researcher in several sub-disciplines like Nano-physics, Astrophysics, Material Science, solid state physics etc. This could be in any Govt. funded laboratories, organizations, Institutes, Universities or even in organizations and institutions that are privately funded. And of course take much noble profession of teaching at different levels – school level, senior secondary, undergraduate levels. But that’s not end of the story or end of the world. Today science has become more an inter-disciplinary affair, where expertise in one stream might be in great demand in another stream that never even struck wildest of our imaginations.

One of the immediate streams that these graduates can jump into is Geo-physics which is less explored streams and has very high potential and scope. They could be theorists, analysts. The field of seismology goes in hand with geo-physics and hence with suitable additional qualifications they could even become seismologists or Seismic interpreter. There is a much greater scope if the student has some background in computers. They could be Computer programmers or even Computer Scientists. With Big data and analytics taking over the field, many high end organizations and research laboratories are in need of experts that have good subject knowledge and also good at computers. With a better qualification they could emerge as developers and facilitators for specific sub-disciplines in Physics. Engineering and technology are interdependent with physics to a very deep extent. And thus the scope for physicists is also very high. Students with physics degree could be hired for many aspects such as product design, development, crisis management, testing among others. Associated industries including Aeronautics and aerospace, Space, nuclear and defense, Energy, Communication and telecommunication related establishments have openings for physicists. Many times physicists are chosen for the posts like metallurgists.

Students with inclination towards biology along with physics could venture into many associated industries and sectors in life sciences as well. Bio-physics and Medical physics are interesting fields with good-profile openings for physicists. Radiology and related sub-disciplines like radiation oncology, nuclear medicine, are famous among physicists. Physicists could be involved in design, development and maintenance of medical instruments along with biomedical engineers. With additional qualification they might be able to escalate in the healthcare sector, research centers as well. 

Totally off beat opportunities include investment analysts, patent attorney, media and entertainment, journalism, gaming and animation, architecture, transport, banking etc. Interested candidates could even get into civil services by taking up examinations like UPSC, IAS, IPS etc, and even get into Army and Naval services.

In simple, a student of physics can easily shift his/her streams with suitable additional qualifications. The same is true with any student from pure science background. This is due to the fact that they are exposed to a much broader spectrum of subjects and have a very strong foundation of basics which seems to lack in technical and non-pure science courses. This reality has to be brought to the notice of every section of society and more students should be encouraged to take up courses in pure sciences.

PHYSICS for FUN

Are we there yet?

Author: Swati Routh


So I asked "What is it within and what is it beyond ?

Where it ends and where it is born?

What is it which binds us all?"

And the echo replied ,

"There is silence and there is noise,

waves of continuum or mesh of your choice,

quarks, electrons, atoms or nuclei,

playing to rules of J or Psi,

When you try to knot that string,

Revealed what is within everything.

A new world begins each time a question is born,

and every universe ends when the search is forlorn."

Where the air is buzz with busy hums,

And the eyes glitter in recognition,

Where the roads turn in between peaks,

Evening shoulders don't droop at doorway,

Now the path is to be found, now it's time 

for you to ask your shadow,

"Are we there yet"?

MICROBIOLOGY - Little deep inside it.

“Give us this day our daily bread...” (Matthew 6:11)

Even before this famous Biblical statement was made, the tiny ‘animalcules’ had greatly shaped the human civilization. Be it bread making or wine brewing, milk curdling or botulism, nitrogen fixation or antibiotic production, the role of microorganisms in our daily lives cannot be overemphasized. The branch of life science that deals with the study of these excellent creatures is called Microbiology. As a vividly interesting subject, it encompasses various interdisciplinary fields such as Industrial, Agricultural, Medical, Food and Environmental Microbiology. There is hardly any scientific domain where the application of microorganisms can go unappreciated. Be it in generation of electricity from microbial fuel cells, synthesis of biodegradable plastics, production of nanoparticles, manufacture of single cell proteins or biodegradation of toxic environmental pollutants, microbes have made their
presence felt.

At the Department of Microbiology, Center for Post Graduate Studies, Jain University, this subject is taught with great fervour. Here, the rich experience of the teaching faculties, together with well-coordinated practical approach towards each subject enables the young learners to divulge into the depth of the unseen world of microbes and evolve as potential researchers. The carefully designed in-house projects aim at inculcating research temperament in students culminating into conference presentations and journal publications by the amateurs. Additionally, the two years Masters program equips the students with interpersonal skills through co-curricular activities such as seminar presentations, group discussions, debates, quizzes and open house. In the pursuit of knowledge and in order to keep the inquisitive minds abreast of the latest developments in Microbiology, guest lectures, workshops and educational tours are organized on a regular basis. Furthermore, an actively functioning placement cell assists the students to become a part of several reputed corporate and research organizations. The rigorous program also paves the way for higher studies in prestigious institutes/universities in India and abroad.

We welcome you to this fascinating world of Microbiology where we believe that your talents shall be nurtured and horizons will be broadened, because this journey is fun!


Written By,
Dr. Arijit Das
Assistant Professor
Department of Microbiology
Center for Post Graduate Studies
Jain University

Large Hadron Collider - The Big-Bang Experiment!!!!!

For centuries now, scientists have been working on some of the biggest puzzles in the universe i.e. How the universe was formed? What was it made of earlier? What’s the physics behind all these phenomena? and so on. Various experiments of different magnitudes designed and conducted all around the globe had given a very little information regarding the birth of the Universe and several other questions associated with it.

Among several such projects which are in quest of finding the answers to these questions The Big-Bang experiment has stood out to be a very significant one. This multi-billion dollar project aimed at answering these questions and also finding several sub-atomic particles such as Bosons.

The LHC acronym for Large Hadron Collider is the brain-child of many scientists all around the globe. Though the earlier ideas of this monster accelerator and detector was to European Organization for Nuclear Research or CERN, but because of the technical and financial glitches several foreign universities, institutes and organisations were roped in.

The LHC is located in the Franco-Swiss border deep underneath the ground under certain restricted conditions. The main aim of this project is to observe the collisions of the particles sometimes even heavy atoms, under the conditions that were said to exist during the formation of early Universe. In astronomy, there are two predominant theories to explain the formation and growth of The Universe. The first is The Big-Bang Theory that proclaims that the Universe was formed from a primordial ball of very hot gasses and is growing, and second is the Steady State theory that claims that the Universe has remained steady from the day of its formation. The LHC attempts to verify The Big-Bang theory.

The particles are accelerated to very high velocities in the LHC, at times reaching 99.999999% the velocity of light, at different stages. This is achieved by pulsating electric and magnetic fields. Each stage induces some energy to the particles and accelerates them to higher velocities. After reaching higher velocities the energy supplied to the particles translates itself into mass, thus increasing the mass of the particles to some extent. The energy in the final stages of the collider reaches upto range of few tera electron volt. There are 4 main detectors in LHC namely ATLAS, ALICE, CMS and LHCb to record and collect the data of particle collisions. The collected data is stored in huge mainframe computers on site and also on several systems around the globe. Complex algorithms have been devised to store, retrieve and analyse the data. 

LHC has been functional and doing scientific experiments since 2009. The first set of data was collected between 2009 and 2013. After upgrading the LHC has been conducting experiments since 2015. The first run played a very significant role. The data collected upon analysis gave results that were mostly theoretical and were thought to be impossible to be seen in reality. The path breaking finding was the discovery of Higgs Boson, but its findings also include creation of quark-gluon plasma, creation of new composite particle having a bottomonium state, tests on supersymmetry, discovery of two new heavier subatomic particles belonging to baryons and some exotic hadrons called the tetraquark and pentaquark particles.

4 th July, 2012 was a very special day for physicists. The CMS and the ATLAS of LHC reported to have discovered a new particle that has the same mass as that of the Higgs Boson, as predicted by the Standard Model of particles. Higgs Boson is expected to have originated from the Higgs field which is thought to exist throughout the space, playing a vital role in understanding of electroweak forces and explaining how elementary particles like quark got mass. It’s named after the physicists Prof. Peter Higgs who contributed significantly towards understanding of such a field and the particle associated with the field. This resulted in Prof. Higgs winning the 2013 Noble Prize for Physics along with Prof. Francois Englert.

Apart from conducting collision experiments with protons, anti-protons and smaller particles, LHC has been conducting experiments with much heavier particles like lead atoms. The scientists expect much more interesting outcomes with lead-proton collisions and are planning to conduct these experiments majorly during the second run. They expect that it would give an insight into understanding what would have happened, what new particles were created a fraction of a second after the Big Bang and help us understand the Universe much better.

Why to take JAIN UNIVERSITY for your BIOTECHNOLOGY Courses???

I have spent about more than 12 years in the field of teaching Biotechnology and other related courses. While working as faculty for Biotechnology at Jain College (affiliated to Bangalore University and presently Jain University), the institution has provided a niche for both teacher and student to explore into research field, which is very unique. 

This has resulted in rapid expansion of knowledge within a short period of time. The effect of pursuing research by guiding PG students (MSc / MPhil / PhD) has culminated in the form of research articles being published in some of the impact factor journals.


Written By,
Dr K V Ramesh.

BIOTECHNOLOGY

I joined the Department of Biotechnology, Jain University, after gaining teaching and

academic experience from other institutes. I found the department of Biotechnology at Jain

University unique in certain respects. Biotechnology is a subject that is inter-disciplinary in

nature. Biotechnology encompasses the interface in sciences and technology. Students are

taught diverse subjects in life Sciences thus enabling them to innovate in the technology

stream too. 

The department includes faculty who are specialized in diverse subjects

including cancer biology, health sciences and the plant and animal sciences. The department

provides a holistic view to succeed in the inter-disciplinary work culture that exists today

either in the private or public sector. The university hosts a full-fledged PhD program in

diverse research fields. Therefore, the department also provides a unique setting that does

not exist in many university departments. PG students of the Biotechnology departments

are free to interact with PhD students who perform full-time research and therefore they

bridge theoretical knowledge with scientific practice. Most other institutes that I have

knowledge of work in isolation, i.e., research and academic activities are separate. Hence, I

feel this is a good conducive environment for learning and practicing science.

Written By,
Dr. Jitesh Narayanan 

Learning through Journal Pages: A Biochemistry study tool to be in touch with the research world.

The primary purpose of scientific papers are to share one’s own research outcome with the scientific community. They also serve as a means to review the research conducted by others. It plays a crucial role in the advancement of modern science because the work of one scientist builds upon that of others. 

Incorporation of scientific paper learning/reviewing in the curriculum provides a special opportunity for students to be in touch with the research world and also to update themselves with recent advances in the field of biochemistry. Post graduate students of biochemistry department are provided with a platform for such an activity on a weekly basis. Through this approach we intend to help them to discover the hidden scientists within them.