V. Ramgopal Rao

V. Ramgopal Rao received the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar award in Engineering Sciences in 2005 for his work on Electron Devices. He obtained his M.Tech from IIT Bombay in 1991 and Dr.Ingenieur degree from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universitaet der Bundeswehr Munich, Germany in 1997. During 1997-98 and again in 2001, he was a visiting scholar with the EE Department, University of California, Los Angeles. He is currently a Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Bombay.

Dr.Rao's areas of interest include Physics, Technology and Characterization of Silicon CMOS devices for logic and mixed-signal applications, Bio-MEMS, and Nanoelectronics. He has over 150 publications in these areas in refereed international journals and conference proceedings and holds two patents. He is a principal investigator for many ongoing sponsored projects funded by various multinational industries and government agencies.

He is also an Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices in the CMOS Devices and Technology area and is a Distinguished Lecturer (DL), IEEE Electron Devices Society. He is a Fellow, Indian National Academy of Engineering, Senior Member, IEEE and a Fellow, IETE. Dr. Rao received the Swarnajayanti Fellowship award for 2003-2004, instituted by the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India. He is also a working group member setup by the Govt. of India on Nanotechnology. He was the organizing committee chair for the 17th International Conference on VLSI Design, and was Chairman, IEEE AP/ED Bombay Chapter during 2002-2003. He is currently a member of the executive committee, IEEE Bombay Section.

National Network of Education team congratulates him on his achievement and requested for an interview through e-mail. Here are the excerpts from the interview :

Where did you grow up and how did your upbringing lead to such an interest in science?

I grew up in a small town called Kollapur, which is located in the Mahabub Nagar district of Andhra Pradesh. It is actually a very backward town, and I studied in a government college. I was definitely doing well in academics where ever I studied, but it was always examination oriented. However, after I joined IIT Bombay for my M.Tech in 1989, my outlook changed, and it definitely was the turning point in my life. There were excellent faculty, people I could look up to, and the whole atmosphere made an everlasting impression on me. After that I decided to pursue a career in academics, and never looked back. I owe a lot to the IIT system for bringing the best in me and for making me realize my potential.

When did science emerge as one of your wide range of school interests?

I did not really have an opportunity to go to the so called 'public' schools or colleges, and studied till my 12th standard in a small backward town in Andhra Pradesh. At that time, the motive was always to clear an examination and nothing more. I used to do very well in physics, chemistry and maths, because they were important to get admission into an engineering college. I used to particularly like the mathematics at that time.

What skills do you think are needed in science today?

Imagination, a good grasp of fundamentals, and the ability to work in a group. Research is becoming more and more multi-disciplinary in nature, which was not so much the case earlier. Though I am an electronics engineer, I interact with faculty members from Mechanical. Engg, Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science, Bio-medical Engg. on a regular basis for much of my research work. The exciting research opportunities today are in such multi-disciplinary areas, and students should therefore develop a broad background in basic sciences. For example, Nanotechnology is one such area where multi-disciplinary approach is the key.

What are the rewarding or exciting aspects of a career in science?

Entrepreneurship. In the current knowledge driven economy, intellectual property is everything, which fuels the entrepreneurship. More and more industries are actually seeking Ph.Ds and post-graduates now rather than undergraduates. Basic sciences are coming back with a vengeance and it is time we take a fresh look at the school and undergraduate curriculum.

Do you think that more students are drifting away from the conventional career options but at the same time do they have information about new career options?

It is important for every one to realize their own potential and make decisions based on that. Currently, there is so much of peer pressure, which makes people drift away into careers against their own choice. At times, even the parents put unreasonable demands on their children. I think it is time we correct this system. We need to expose children early enough to research problems and research projects and try to generate an interest in them. Our school curriculum in many cases encourages rote learning, and doesn't encourage children to come up with innovative ideas that challenge their teachers. We definitely must provide enough opportunities for children to know and learn about their career options, in order to help them make informed decisions. We must create enough avenues for children to interact with scientists and engineers for free exchange of information.

Do you think that the schools, colleges and higher education institutes in India are quite competent enough to train the students to match the International standards?

I definitely think so. Times are changing, and the gap has narrowed down quite a bit. I personally think that the quality of work done in India, in certain areas, is as good as the work done any where. However, we still lack confidence and also lack the marketing potential. In the silicon valley, it is generally believed that, in order to create a successful company, you need a bunch of Indians and a westerner. The westerner, mainly to take care of the marketing part.

What are your thoughts on the commercialization of science?

Any kind of entrepreneurship is welcome. However, I am against the mushrooming of colleges with no regard to standards. We may argue that the fittest will eventually survive, but we must remember, these institutions would have spoiled a few generations of children while they survive. We must lay down norms for new institutions and strictly implement them.

Is science no longer an individual pursuit, but one that requires a group a team?

One can still work independently, but in order to do socially relevant research and tackle exciting problems, group effort is required. Whether it is Nanotechnology of Nanoelectronics, the research has become vastly multi-disciplinary in nature.

Besides the ability to work as a team, what skills are needed in science today?

Imagination and Persistence.

Where does your group stand internationally in this research?

A lot of work my group does is interdisciplinary in nature. We are working on certain things which are quite unique to us, and relevant to Indian conditions. I also have a large number of students working in the conventional Nanoelectronics areas, and we are definitely doing very well by any measure, whether it is publications in the top journals or interactions with international industry.

What have been your main interests besides science?

On an average, I work for about 12-14 hours a day. That hardly leaves much time for any thing else. However, given an opportunity, I would like to catch up on my general reading, which is mostly non-fiction in nature.

Where, then, do you see yourself in 10 years time?

I would like to invent/develop/create something which touches a common man's life. It could be a low cost artificial retina for blind people in India or a bio-chip for diagnosis in the rural primary health care centers.

What according to you in the next 10 years would be the most important career in demand?

Nanotechnology. It deals with engineering at the nano-meter scale and assembling such materials to create a full functional system.

What is your message to the youth today?

The following quote very nicely captures my thoughts, more so for the youth today.

"Nothing in the world can replace persistence. Talent will not; Nothing more common than the unsuccessful man with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and Determination are omnipotent." -- Calvin Coolidge.

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