METANOIA – The journey of Change
26 August 2017
Keeping in mind its resolute mission to keep the alumni of BITS connected to their Alma mater and to maintain the integrity and strength of the vast alumni community, BITS Alumni Affairs Division – Student Team Goa conducted the second edition of Alumni Summit on 26th of August, 2017. The speakers reminisced about their life back at BITS campuses and their journey thereafter.
The Director, Prof. G Raghurama opened the Summit by welcoming all the distinguished speakers. He spoke about how BITS focuses on the holistic development and highlighted the fact that the speakers are all from very diverse fields -be it dance, writing, police service, etc - and how they embody the theme of the Summit - Metanoia: Journey of Change.
He said that the speakers were driven by their passion and urged the students to be passionate, to enjoy what they do and to pursue their interests. He assured the students that while there are always challenges, they can always be overcome so long as they are passionate.
Six speakers who were invited are:
1. SHREYAS HABBU:
Mr. Habbu graduated from BITS-Pilani K K Birla Goa Campus in the year 2014. He is presently the Chief Ministers fellow, Government of Maharashtra. He explained his early life in BITS and how he had no particular interests initially. This explains the importance of Metanoia or change and the way BITS ecosystem can enrich your personality.
He also spoke about how change is the only constant and is inevitable. He advised us to learn to embrace and give it our best shot. His advice is summarized here:
- o Expand your comfort zone- this helps to grow as a person and expand boundaries
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- o Experience new things- it is transformation and helps understand perspective.
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- o Discover yourself- invest some time in yourself and discover your strength and weakness
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- o Ambiguity- One must explore and keep trying. Things might not always go your way but don’t give up and move ahead.
o And finally, Have Fun!
“ You must be the change you want to see in the world “
- Mahatma Gandhi
2. BANDAN JOT SINGH:
Mr. Singh a BITS Alumnus graduated from BITS Pilani in 2010 and worked in companies like ISB. He currently works as a Leadership Associate with Aditya Birla Group. He is the first Urban Sikh to visit Antarctica under Robert Swan. He has always tried to pursue his passion and career together.
In his talk, he spoke about his experience in Antarctica, pointing out its uniqueness. He went to Antarctica in March 2013. He stumbled upon this opportunity after a 5 minute unplanned talk with Robert Swan where he offered to install solar panels at Robert Swan's private base. After getting this amazing opportunity, he tried to make this challenge a reality, managing his job and trying to get sponsors for his expedition. Even after facing hardship in getting sponsors he got support from 2 main firms and that helped him embark on his journey to Antarctica.
His time in Antarctica taught him about how small we are in this world. He highlights the change in climatic condition in the world. His experience teaches us;
If something is important enough,
Even if the odds are against you,
You should still do it.
-ELON MUSK
3. PADMINI CHETTUR:
Ms. Chettur spoke about her unique journey in which she started off by telling us how she graduated from BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus. Although she became a dancer later on, she did love science, and during her stay here, had pursued chemistry. She didn’t dance much during her life in BITS, but didn’t really miss it. She loved her stay in BITS nevertheless.
She also described her meeting with her mentor in dance, Chandralekha. After completing 3 years in college, during PS2 in Chennai, she met Chandralekha who completely changed her life. She told us that Chandralekha was a radical and political feminist. She worked with her for 10 years and she describes those years as feisty and exhilarating.
She also spoke about how the banning of traditional arts during the colonial rule has had a negative impact on these arts. She spoke about how they need to be revived. She also told us how she feels that school co-curricular activities are irrelevant in today’s world and that one should find his\her passion as soon as possible.
She spoke about how the world is facing two invasions: the invasion of post globalized markets, and the invasion of technology. She also feels that these days everyone is studying engineering or pure sciences. She also feels people these days have lost their sense of sensuality and are very detached from their inner selves. She advised everyone to engage in some kind of art during their lifetime. All in all, it was an eye opening talk, which opened up our minds to perceive things through a fresh perspective.
4. SHASHI WARRIER:
Mr. Warrier started off by telling us about some things about himself. He told us about his journey, his childhood experiences, etc. One such experience that he recollected was related to his admission in BITS Pilani, and how he got admission in the college despite coming late because of a determined parent of one of the people who had also come late. Drawing an inference from this incident, he told us that though luck plays a huge role in life, we must be thoroughly prepared to make use of any bit of luck that comes our way, and work determinedly.
He also told us, how he got out of ACB because of a few teachers who believed in him, and gave him wholehearted unprejudiced advice without giving up on him. ‘Don’t give up on people’, he said. He advised all of us to explore all areas of life open-mindedly and thoroughly. This was another piece of advice he derived from an experience of his, in which he explored the application of complicated math in Economics even before the idea was introduced to him.
He told us that we are never too late to learn, and recounted how he picked up biking rather late in his life despite having slight vision problems. By telling us how he worked around his blindness in left eye, and still managed to test run bikes at extremely high speeds safely (he explored the biking track multiple times before each ride), he told us that we must never give up. Lastly, he told us that we must never hesitate to ask for help. Hence, it was a very motivational and eye-opening speech.
5. NISHITH RASTOGI:
So, on the stage we had a guy who is the founder and CEO of ‘LOCUS’ a machine learning startup and a global giant. Technically we were looking at a business tycoon, a millionaire but the person who interacted with us was an entirely different dude. The guy on the stage was the student who had faced more than 10 DISCOS, the one credited for installing a 100 kg duck on the top of B-dome, Mr. Nishith Rastogi. He came on the stage and began his talk (titled: 7 life lessons no one will ever give you).
Advice 1: Get a good haircut
(Message: Get out of your comfort zone)
“First thing required to achieve anything in your life is having the confidence to go for it and when you are groomed you get an automatic self confidence boost which is very necessary to get out of your comfort zone and stretch your limits and expand your abilities.”
Advice 2: Invest in a jacket and put it in hanky
(Message: Respect others’ time)
Mr. Rastogi advised us to always maintain a personality of a person who always respects others’ time and who always is in a condition to be a helping hand for others.
“Carry a hanky not for yourself but to offer it to others”, said Nishith.
Advice 3: It’s OK not to drink beer, there’s always whisky
(Message: Don’t live in the extremes)
Mr. Rastogi urged not to be a stereotype and discouraged binary thinking (a thing is right or it is absolutely wrong). He suggested adopting an adaptive thinking and doing things for the sake of it. He also suggested doing things for oneself and bothering less about what others think about it.
Advice 4: Bag packing is overrated
(Message: Don’t have a FOMO)
He suggested us to keep calm and don’t be in FOMO, rather embrace every moment as it comes to us.
Advice 5: Always invest in shoes, mattress, chairs and tires
(Message: Invest in yourself)
“One is one self’s possible investment. So, never should we resist in doing something for us. A class statement should always be made by an individual.”
Advice 6: Never snitch
“We should be loyal and respectful in our friendship and should not hesitate in being there for our friends.” This suggestion by Mr. Rastogi was very positive and heartfelt.
Advice 7: Maggi is Magic
(Message: Stand up for what’s right)
Mr. Rastogi mentioned about the famous 6th April incident and explained how he and his peers stood up against discrimination and inequality. The main goal for mentioning it was to make one realize that one should never be afraid to stand up for what he believes is right.
Mr. Rastogi encouraged the students to actively engage themselves in candid conversations on all relevant topics and whenever we face disagreements we have a choice of dialogue or violence, the former being the preferred one, of course.
In his words, “Our generation unlike our parents’ has a vast array of options to choose from; we are spoilt for choice. There is no reason for us to think that our jobs are not as good as expected because we are the ones who chose them.”
He also said that commitment is more important than passion. “Life gives everybody a chance to be whatever they want to be. It's your life, live it up”
On the whole, it was a very interactive BITS-ian like talk.
6. B SANDHYA:
Dr. B Sandhya is the Additional Director General of the Kerala police with 29 years of active service. She has received recognition both on national and international platforms for her illustrious career and ingenious reforms brought about in Kerala police.
Dr. Sandhya had a humble childhood. She was born in a small town in Kerala. Even at a very young age, she wanted to make an impact on the community. On receiving encouragement from her school teacher, she decided to sit for the civil services examination. She completed her masters in Zoology and then cleared the UPSC Exam in 1988. Thereafter she went to the National Police Academy, Hyderabad. She earned her PHD from BITS-Pilani in 2005.
Dr. Sandhya is an avid writer and her contribution to Malayalam literature is world renowned. In her own words, "Writing is not a career; it's a part of my life." She is fond of the science and literature equally; and considers both to be enriching on an equal scale.
Her contributions to the historic “Jan Maitri Suraksha project” are acknowledged countrywide. As the convener of the Kerala police act, she drafted the community policing system. The “Jan Maitri Suraksha project” proposes a new informal bond between the police and the community. By requiring the police to become more empathetic and accessible, it hopes to improve the police-common man relationship. It also aims to increase the contribution of common man in community; and making them more aware and vigilant.
Being one of the established personnel in her field, she holds a strong opinion against excessive use of internet and smartphones. However, she supports advancements in technology, but stresses on its correct usage. Her views on substance abuse and police role in curbing it are also very insightful.
Finally towards the end, Dr. Veeky Baths, Faculty-In-Charge of Alumni Affairs thanked the Director, Prof. G Raghurama, the speakers and the faculty for being a part of the Summit. He thanked all the speakers for their time and their valuable words. He emphasized the importance of alumni participation for a university. He spoke about how BITS established a strong and symbiotic relationship with its alumni which lasts for life. He also thanked the students who were involved in the organization of the Summit and also those who attended it.