Jadavpur University Alumni Association Hyderabad Chapter

Symposium Program Schedule 2013

	 Registration and kit distribution	08.45 am
	 Inauguration	09.25 am - 09.55 am
	First Session
	 Presentation by Dr. Srikumar Banerjee followed by Q&A session	10.00 am - 10.55 am
	 Presentation by Dr. GR Chandak followed by Q&A session	11.00 am - 11.25 am
	 Presentation by Dr. BG Siddharth followed by Q&A session	11.35 am - 12.25 pm
	 Lunch break	12.35 pm - 01.45 pm
	Second session
	 Science Quiz ( 5 - 6 teams from Qualified team from written round)	02.00 pm - 03.55 pm
	 Prize distribution	04.00 pm - 04:15 pm
	 Day closure with National Anthem	04:30 pm

Rituporno Ghosh (1963-2013) : On 30th May 2013, Jadavpur University lost one of its most talented, creative and discussed alumni, a man who bagged 12 national awards and many other international awards in his career span of 19 films. The person is none other than Rituporno Ghosh, a prolific director, script writer, poet, actor and activist who donned the intellectual landscape of Bengal right from his first film for children, Hirer Angti. Known for his sensitive, meticulous portrayal of urban Bengali life with lead female protagonists in movies like Unishe April, Dahan, Bariwali, Oshukh, Shubho Moharat and many more, his actresses were almost sure to win awards and give their lifetime performances under his direction.  
In the second phase of his movies, he turned his attention beyond modern urban Bengal in more ways than one. He directed Chokher Bali, Noukadubi, both focusing on early 20th century Bengal and written by his eternal inspiration, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore while also turning his attention to Bollywood actors for casting his crew. His other movies like Khel, Antormohol, Raincoat, The Last Lear, Sunglass (unreleased) also rely on Bollywood actors. He made few Hindi and English movies also during this time for pan India audience and was widely acclaimed and appreciated for the same. Inspired by the illustrious director Satyajit Ray,  
Ghosh put the signature of his acumen in storytelling, attention for details and vivid photography in his productions. His Abohoman, which many say was based on Ray's life, won national awards for best direction, best actress and best Bengali movie.  
Towards the last phase of his movie making, we see a drastic change of theme. He acted in and directed movies on sexuality, alternate sexuality and gay relationships. His acting in Arekti Premer Golpo and Memories in March won him rave reviews. His last released film, Chitrangada, saw a culmination of his respect for Rabindranath and expression of his own sexual identity. It is possible that not hundred percent of the audience may have related to these movies, but what is admirable is the fact that he never hesitated to express an emerging social reality on the screen and in a form artistic enough for a section of society to take inspiration from his courage to lead a life they chose. The shooting of his last movie, Satwanneshi got over just before his death. We hope it sees the light of day soon, as that would be a fitting tribute to the maestro. 

Ghosh had started his career in advertising after doing his Masters in Economics from Jadavpur University. Over and above directing movies, he was a very popular face in television too - anchoring popular chat shows (his jibe at a well known mimicry artist for mimicking him had resulted in some controversy), directing and script writing for tele-serials and also editing a very popular Bengali film magazine, 'Anandalok'.  
Rituporno was out an out a true intellectual, well read, rational and fearless in expressing himself. His untimely death has bereft many movie lovers of the magical wonders he would have surely created had he lived. It has also made India and Bengal lose a son who had become a household name among urban We not only pay tribute to Rituporno Ghosh but also wish that our alma mater, Jadavpur cine goers. University, produce more luminaries like him who would make us proud and prominent in the world landscape.

Aindrila Chatterjee (aindrila.chatterjee@gmail.com) 

The Hyderabad Chapter of the Jadavpur University Alumni Association was opened for the first time in 1975. During the recent past, it rejuvenated its activities in April, 2004. Since then, the members of the association are working with never ceasing enthusiasm to form a network among the ex-students of their Alma Mater, settled in different parts of Hyderabad and Secunderabad and also in other places of the country. Besides organizing a yearly picnic and occasional get-togethers, the association is also conducting a tour program once in a year. Members along with their families are enjoying one week- end at a chosen resort in the coastal area of Andhra Pradesh. The bilingual yearly magazine of the association (Sei Somoy) offers an excellent opportunity to the alumni and their family members to manifest their literary talent. Every year the association is organizing attractive cultural programs involving eminent artists from Kolkata. These programs are drawing huge crowd from different parts of the twin cities, cutting across the barrier of language.  
The awareness of the alumni about their societal responsibilities is evident in various types of altruistic activities performed by them. They are sending contribution on a regular basis to the promising but financially challenged students through the Merit and Means scheme of the alumni association located at the university campus. They are also directly helping some needy students in Hyderabad and some remote places of West Bengal (e.g, Purulia). In order to inculcate scientific temperament in the mind of the youngsters and to motivate them to choose science research as a career option, they have been organizing a science symposium for school students for the past three years. Eminent scientists from different research laboratories are coming to talk about their work in a lucid language. This is followed by an inter-school science quiz or an elocution competition in which one student from each school speaks for three minutes on one of the previously declared topics. The yearly event is highly acclaimed in the media. The association is receiving requests from the students and teachers alike to increase the frequency of the symposium. The individual talent of the members is revealed in the poems, short stories and science articles, published by them in the widely circulated dailies and magazines and also in the exhibitions of their paintings and photographic work held in various art galleries all over the country. The association is confident of boosting its activities during the years to come. 

Srinivas Ramanujam (1887-1920) : An Indian mathematician of extraordinary talent. Despite having no formal training in pure mathematics, he contributed significantly to mathematical analysis, number theory, infinite series and continued fraction. He compiled nearly 3900 results (mostly identities and equations) most of which have been found to be correct subsequently. He was called "a natural genius" by the English mathematician G.H Hardy, who appreciated his talent seeing his theorems and invited him to Cambridge. Ramanujam was elected a Fellow of the Royal society and a Fellow of the Trnity College, Cambridge. His premature death was caused by malnutrition and possibly a liver infection. His birthday (22 December) is observed as National Mathematics Day in India. His 125th birth anniversary was observed last year as the National Mathematics Year.

Radhanath Sikdar (1813-1870): An Indian mathematician. While working in the Indian Geological Survey he discovered the highest peak of the world by mathematical calculations. It was named Mt Everest as a mark of respect to Sir George Everest, who was the Surveyor General of India from 1830 to 1843. Radhanath remained an unsung hero. The postal department launched a postage stamp in 2004 featuring him. This year we are celebrating the bicentenary of his birth.