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Kulwant Singh

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Kulwant Singh

Engineer Material scientist

GATE

My brief profile

I am quite simple person, named Kulwant Singh, did my Graduation (B.E.) in Metallurgical Engineering from IIT Roorkee (erstwhile University of Roorkee) in 1987 with 3 medals including University Silver Medal. In the same year in GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test for Engineering) I scored all India 16th position in my discipline that year. I joined for M. Tech. at IIT Bombay in 1987 but left after about a month and joined as a Scientific Research Trainee in the same year at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai a premier research organization of the country. After one year of Training, I was posted as Scientific Officer ‘C’ in the Department and since then I got promoted to successive cadres and presently working as Scientific Officer ‘G’ in the department. In all these years, I have been involved in the ‘Research and Development (R&D) activities in the various fields of Materials Science and Processing. I am presently working in the Fusion Reactor Materials Section of the Department. In this particular section, we are 5 colleagues working on different aspects of Materials relevant to Fusion Reactor Programme.Till recently, for about a year, I was also given an additional responsibility of administrative post of Secretary, ‘Atomic Energy Education Society’. ‘Atomic Energy Education Society’ is a body of the ‘Department of Atomic Energy (DAE)’ which looks after all the 30 schools and Junior colleges (with students strength of about 24,000) of ‘DAE’ spread at 15 diversified locations across the country (such as Kalpakkam, Mysore, Manuguru, Hyderabad, Kudankulam, Mumbai, Tarapur, Kota, Jaduguda, etc) with head office at Mumbai. All the teaching and non teaching staff including vice principals and principals (totaling more than 1700) report to Secretary, AEES. Secretary is the overall administrative in-charge responsible for improving quality of education and wholistic development of students and welfare of the teaching and non-teaching staff.

Challenges faced in job

Science works for the betterment of human life. Science progresses with R&D activities. There are always challenges in R&D. It’s really very interesting to work in the field of science and R&D. We study many subjects in science during our student’s life. However, when we work for the science (R&D), we do work on a very small and specific topic. When we study in depth about any field in science, we do find that many studies are still to be done. That’s what is really challenging. Defining the exact problem, correlating with the existing knowledge in the field, devising the strategy for R&D activities to cope up with that problem, planning the R&D activity and then implementing or carrying out the work and finally getting the predictable results makes it often a very challenging. One can derive happiness after successful results; however when results are not as expected, you again analyze the problem and methodology and sometimes you keep on doing the scientific experiments trying to find out where the things went wrong and finally when you achieve it, its highly satisfying learning from the scientific experiments.

Thing that made my job easier

Spirituality, calmness, equanimity, analyzing the problem scientifically, being impartial, doing hard work and keeping good relation with colleagues and staff.

Upcoming Trends

Science and R&D are continuously evolving. Simultaneously efforts are being put in by Researchers world- wide by many groups. You have to compete with the world to be ahead. Here, we as Indian lack due to various obvious reasons. Though we achieved many successes, wherever and whenever, we have been denied the Technology, we developed it on our own; but these are very few and can be counted easily. We need to be competitive in the fields of science and R&D too.

My point of view

There are various reasons for that. One of the reasons is that we only follow west. Second, we don’t have the courage to feel what we need, what our people need, what should derive our efforts and energy to give what our people need. Third, we (especially Indian Industrial) don’t spend on R&D, we don’t innovate. Once we get any technology, we keep on milking that and we don’t even try to improve it, till we are forced to change that either due to Government regulations or due to changed market scenario / demand / available alternatives to the consumers. Fourth, There is very poor or almost no relation between Indian R&D Institutions or Universities with Industries. This fourth reason needs to be seriously looked in to and Industries are be encouraged with various incentives (or to some extent should be forced) to part with their some % of profits to invest either in in-House R&D for the development of new tech or high tech products or initiate collaborations with Indian R&D Institutions / Universities to work for new technology / product development indigenously. At the same time, we need to look in to the problems of our R&D Institutions / Universities, so that they become compatible and competitive with respect to Global level to deliver not only to the Indian Industries but to Global Industries also. We must raise the standards of our higher Educational Institutions so much that students world-wide should compete to come to India. We need to encourage our R&D Institutions / Universities to initiate time bound R&D programmes and should create working environment conducive to deliver to the industries. In this process, our universities and institutions also need to be strengthened with scientific instrumental / infrastructural facilities required for carrying out R&D work for the development of hi-tech / new tech products. We also need to do away / modify many procedures which cause unnecessary delay in carrying out R&D activities and come in the way of time bound delivery.Besides, we don’t have entrepreneur encouragement programmes. If at all these are there, they are on papers only.

Goals and Ambition

I believe in hard working and whatever is due would automatically come to your way.

Family Background

My father and grandfather shifted from Punjab, Pakistan during partition to UP. My parents are no more. My brothers and sisters are settled in North India. I have a committed, supportive beautiful wife and two lovely children. Daughter is doing her 2nd year MBBS and Son joined 1st year computer engineering this year.

My advise

You should first look within yourself. What are your goals and ambitions? What you want to do in the life? Analyze yourself, if you have very strong ambition in the field of R&D for Science and Technology, then only you should join it. Normally in India, first we look for (some good) employment and then only think of career relevant to that employment. But now things are changing, we have numerous job opportunities in various fields. You should select the field of your job relevant to your interests. And if you have chosen to be in R&D, gain the up to date knowledge in the field, define and analyze the exact problem, be systematic, do proper planning, correlate with the theoretical knowledge and then carry out further work and take it to some logical conclusion. Having complete knowledge relevant to your work and knowing the handling of materials relevant to your R&D work is a must to avoid any untoward incident.

Advise to college students

When we complete our studies or about to complete; we are in dilemma! We have studied many subjects. Which field to choose to work? It’s really very difficult to decide in which field to work! Various factors come in our way – whether I should go for a job having initial fat pay packet, or that which has systematic building of career or which has a good brand name in the market or which has highly challenging tasks to learn? Whether I should opt for higher education abroad or should I go for MBA from IIM.Many a times we don’t have that many opportunities in our hand to decide. But these questions come in the mind of every graduating student.At this point of time, I would suggest you to be very selfish as far as selection of your field of work / career is there. Every human being is different. So, go inside yourself, analyze yourself and find out what your nature is! What are your likes and dislikes. What are your goals and aspirations. What are your interests and in which type of job or work you would be comfortable. Comfortable in the sense, your efficiency and achievements would be maximum by putting least amount of hard work. Where, you will derive pleasure out of your work.Few more suggestions – where ever you work, work hard. It always pays. Always help others but at the same time never expect anything in return from anyone. You will always be happy.‘Hard work’ is the only way by which you can make yourself and achieve success. Karmanye wadhi karaste, Ma phaleshu-kadachan.

More about Myself

I had a lot of interest for promotion of Hindi and I do write poetry in Hindi language. My Poetry books are ‘Nikunj’, ‘Chirantan’, ‘Shaheed-E-Azam Bhagat Singh’, ‘Indra-Dhanush (poetry for Children)’, and ‘Kaza (Ghazal book)’. My Poetry book ‘Nikunj’ was also translated in Gujarati as ‘Hawa Nu Geet’. I also edited two poetry books.I have also been working as a quiz master for Science Quiz in Hindi for class X students. I have carried out many computerized live science quiz programs along with my colleagues across India especially for ‘DAE’ students from previous many years. I also wrote a book for the students on Science - Quiz in Hindi titled, ‘Vigyan Prashna Manch’.I also translated a science book in Hindi from English ‘Atoms and Development’ written by Prof. Arvind Kumar and Prof. Chitra Natarajan of HBCSE (Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education), Mumbai.I worked honorary for about 20 years for propagation of science in Hindi from ‘Hindi Vigyan Sahitya Parishad’ (an organization of BARC) in various capacities. I was also over all managerial in-charge for the Hindi quarterly Science Magazine ‘Vaigyanik’ for about 8 years.I was awarded ‘Hindi Gaurav Samman’ by BARC for my services for propagation of science in Hindi