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A Poor child’s Way to IITK
and Beyond
By Dr. H. D. Bist
1)
Preamble
This small write up, is written to
encourage the poor children in Uttarakhand, to have dreams of
getting their place in the home state, in India and in the
world. The writer was born in a poor family as a child in
village Darah, Champawat. Timely help from parents, relatives,
friends, teachers, local philanthropic fund, political
luminaries, and inherent governmental support system for
education helped him to overcome the impediments on his path
for getting education. He makes it clear that the Sanskar (the
imprints), and swavlamban (self-confidence) that one develops
could give him a personality, to earn livelihood (riches); and
desire to work to pay back to the system that supported his
upliftment. This is a synopsis of a typical poor child from a
village where there was only one school up to class fourth,
within a radius of ~ 10 Km. The story of getting
into IIT Kanpur and doing the academic and social work that any
person of his time from a wealthy family could have done.
2) Early Childhood (started formal education at the age of 8
years)
I would like to state that if one dreams of some thing,
makes a determination to achieve it; and works hard for it;
he/she is most likely going to get it. Of course, there are
circumstances which change the course of life. I will state
that by, my example as a poor child. The experiences of
overcoming the lack of education facilities at
Champawat,Uttarakhand, some 72 years back seem unimaginable
today, even to me!
3) Help from Grandmother/
Parents: The Primary School and Sanskrit Pathshala, Champawat
I was born in Village Darah-Bisht, Champawat, then a Tehsil
head quarter of the district- Almora. I am the first child to
my parents Sarashwati and Amba Datt Bisht. My grand father,
shri Shib Datt , had expired when my father was only 7 year
old. My grand mother had made her best efforts to educate my
father at Khetikhan Middle School, but he had only Class 4th
certificate from Champawat Primary School.
I also went to the only Primary School at Champawat town.
As there was a barrier of a hilly rivulet between the school
and the village , I started to go to school , when I attained
a mature age of 8 years. We used to migrate for ~ 3 months to
Tanakpur, the nearest train station in the plains. By the
temporary stay at Gyankhera near Tanakpur, the family members
of our village-folks were able to take up some temporary job
and were also spared from the extreme cold of the hills during
December – February period. From the temporary residence( a
hut), my grand mother used to take me in her back to a primary
school, situated near the banks of Sharda river, in Tanakpur
for continuing my schooling during this migratory period of
our family . After I passed Class 4th, I had to be in my
village, taking care of my younger brothers -sisters ,the
cows (some times a buffalo), bullocks and the family
agriculture in the village. However, my father (and grand
mother) very well understood the importance of educating the
child. They sent me to a Sanskrit Pathashala to keep busy in
the spare time at my disposal, with reading and writing. In
addition to Sanskrit, one teacher Sri Madho Singh Taragi, used
to teach us some English and some Math. This continued for
three years, when Madho Singh Jee told us that he would not
teach any more ,beyond class 7th books. My father
in that year told me to go to same school and revise the 7th
books , and I will be stronger in that class. May be next year
the class 8th may open. He was a Sales man in the
co-operative society, getting a monthly salary of ~Rs 40 pm,
and he had to supplement the expenses of a family of 11
members in our house. Hence the question of sending me outside
Champawat could not be imagined.
4) Help from Relatives :
The High School Examination in 1952
During summer of 1949, Sri M K Joshi, Dy S P , a nephew of
my maternal grand father Shri PN Joshi, passed through our
village, after visiting her village in Latoli. He respected
and loved my mother, as his real sister. On seeing me sitting
idle at Darah, Champawat, almost discontinuing my education;
he advised me to go to Pithoragarh, where his father Sri N D
Joshi (brother of my maternal grand father) was a Manager at
Branch office of NainiTal Bank. Sri N D Joshi had only two
rooms for the residence of the family, adjoining the office of
the Bank and had a moderate family ,two sons and a daughter
from his second wife, living with him. I was added as a third
person in the second room sharing with three children. Shri N
D Joshi, took me to the private S S D S Higher Secondary
School, Pithoragarh for admission and he succeeded in
admitting me ,after an interview, to class 8th. I
stayed with his family till I appeared for my High School
Board examination. All along I shared the one room with
three of his children. I passed High School Examination,
barely getting a first division, in 1952 from UP Board.
5) Help from Friends,
Principal, Beni Ram Punetha Scholarship and CM G B Pant Fund
Award, Inter
s Science in 1954
I had made my mind to continue my education beyond tenth
standard. When I reached Pithoragarh in July, my grand father
told me that he will provide Rs10/ pm for my food, but I
should ask some of my class-mates to give/share a residence;
since his children had grown and wanted the room for them. My
class mate, Shri Satish Chandra Joshi offered a room for
residence, in his three story house at Takora village, about 2
km away from the Government Inter College, Pithoragarh; where
I was to continue my intermediate science study. The house was
vacant. I stayed in the lowest storey (goth) of Satish Joshi,
making bed out of a straight plank. A kerosene lamp was used
for lighting the room for studies. I cooked my own single
morning food “Khichari” in the morning for six days and
“Churukwani- Bhat” on Sunday for almost the whole year. In the
evening, the aunt of Satish, who was a poor widow, used to
cook “rotis” for me, which we used to eat with potato soup (
Thechuwa- pani). As an exchange for the time spent, I used to
teach her only son during that time, in my bed-cum kitchen
room under kerosene lamp light, sitting on my plank bed. In
the evenings, I remember very vividly, taking many children of
the village to the top most place near by and all of us used
to laugh to our hearts content –evidently to release all
stress of the tough daily routine.
On my determination of continuing education beyond High
School under any circumstance, the then GIC Principal, Shri
Kala Nidhi Pande offered me free-ship for college fees. He
showed his inability to do anything more, as there were three
more 1st division students admitted to the 11th
class, in the college, who had obtained more marks than me, in
their High School board examination. Naturally, they will get
other privileges of scholarships etc. He advised me to apply
for the Beni Ram Punetha scholarship of Rs 15/ pm, from
Lohaghat (given to poor, bright children from Kumaon ), and
the Chief Minister’s Scholarship of Rs 10/ pm given to poor
students from UP. I did comply to his kind instructions.
The first six-monthly examination at GIC Pithoragarh,
showed that I stood first in the whole of 11th
class. Principal Kala Nidhi called me to his office some time
around March and informed me that I had been selected for the
B R Punetha scholarship ( Rs 15/pm from Lohaghat and the
Chief Minister, award (Rs 10 pm) from UP. He advised me to get
admitted to the Hostel, and he will make me free scholar in
the hostel, not to pay the hostel fees. I could meet my food
and other educational expenses from the two scholarships.
After July 1953, I moved to the hostel of the inter
college, located within the campus. I devoted my whole time
for studies. I stayed during winter vacations in the hostel
and revised whole course, sitting in a corner of a field near
the hostel. I remember Mrs.Kalnidhi Pande, the wife of our
Principal providing buttermilk, when she saw a lonely student
studying in a corner of a field near the hostel, whole day in
the open sun during that winter. That year in 1954, I stood
first in the whole of the district Almora, in the Intermediate
Examination of U P Board; getting distinctions in four
subjects- Physics, Chemistry, Math and Higher Hindi.
Reflecting back, I consider the year I spent in the Goth at
Takora in the first year of Intermediate class was the
toughest period for me in my whole life. Likewise, the two
years (1952-54), were the most dedicated years for course
related material study by me. After those two years my life
flowed on its own momentum in a natural way.
6) The DSB Govt. College,
NainiTal, B Sc ,M Sc, and Ph D (1954-1962)
Another brother of my maternal grand father, Shri M D
Joshi, Nana Jee, was a teacher in Lala Chet Ram Inter College
in NainiTal. As soon as he saw the Intermediate result and
came to know that I stood first in the whole of Almora
district, he wrote a letter to my father in village
Darah-Bisht, Champawat, to send me to Naini Tal and he would
take care of my further studies. I was looking for the
opportunity and dashed to Nainital, well before the opening
date of the D S B college, NainiTal. I stayed with the family
of Shri M D Joshi. He was a very kind man and several of his
relatives used to live and eat food in his house. My grand
mother used to cook food and we were doing all house hold
duties, bringing water from the street common water pipe,
washing dishes and other home tasks. By the end of the first
year in B Sc, I had four scholarships: Rs 15 from B R Punetha,
Rs 10/ pm from CM G B Pant Fund , Rs 15 pm merit scholarship
for standing first in Almora district and another Rs 25/ pm,
as the merit bursary from UP Government on the basis of
Intermediate Board examination; tallying to Rs 65pm from all
the four sources. By July of 1955, I was persuaded by
Professor D D Pant, the HOD Physics at the college, to get
admitted in the outhouse of Langham House Hostel free of
hostel fees, but all the advantages of hostel life. I was able
to pass B Sc with fourth position (first division) in B Sc;
and 2nd position ( first division) in whole of Agra
University in my M Sc examination. I was selected for the BARC
training school for 1954,where Bhabha used to say “ he is
taking cream of India” for his atomic energy program. However
,Professor D D Pant had a project for conducting research in
Spectroscopic Studies of Uranyl Salts. and I joined as a
research scholar with effect from June 12 ,1958. I remained in
the Langham House Hostel during my research period as
Assistant warden of the hostel, with Dr R D Pande as its Head
warden. I obtained my Ph D Degree in 1962 from Agra University
7) I I T Kanpur
While in the third year of my Ph D research in NainiTal in
1961, Professor Putcha Venkateswarlu, the Professor designate
in Physics, IIT Kanpur ( and ten Professor of Physics in
Aligarh university) came to DSB College NainiTal as an
external examiner to evaluate M Sc experimental examination.
During our usual break in the tea room in the afternoon, in
the third floor of Physics building, he asked me some
questions on spectroscopy and Physics. After the informal
discussions, he suggested to me that I should apply to get a
research position in IIT Kanpur where they are to set up a
unique institute by the name of IIT Kanpur. I did apply for
the research post and was called for interview. On receiving
the selection letter some time in 1961, I wrote to the
Institute that I will be willing to join the Institute after I
submit my Ph D thesis by middle of 1962. I did submit the
thesis to Agra by June 1962, but was happy to stay in
beautiful Nainital, till I got another letter from IIT Kanpur,
that unless I join within a month, it will be assumed that I
was no more interested in the research post. I joined
immediately on Aug 16, 1962 at Physics department of IIT
Kanpur, located at H B T I campus as a guest – institute.
Professor Robert Mulliken’s association during his lecture
series in IITK gave me a chance to join Professor Willis B
Person as a Research Associate at University of Iowa, Iowacity.
After 2 years I joined Professor J C D Brands group at
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee. I rejoined IIT
Kanpur in January 1967 as a Pool Officer;and joined the
faculty post in June 1967.
8) The World Beyond
The life was regulated and enjoyable with hard labour,
after joining IIT Kanpur for the second (or third) time. I
remained a faculty member till I retired in June 1995. I
traveled to USA several times as Visiting Professor, Research
Scientist, invited speaker in professional conferences,
collaborating in various parts of the world for research and
giving lectures. I visited Canada, UK, France, Germany,
Switzerland, Italy, South Africa, China, Hong Kong, USSR
several times in connection with research work and giving
invited talks in conferences and seminars. Established a
state- of-the-art Laser Raman Laboratory in IIT Kanpur, where
187 scientists worked during my tenure there. We published
~250 papers in national and international journals. 22 Ph D
students earned their Ph D’s under my supervision and I
published/edited 9 books. In my way of thinking this was far
more expected from a child from a village, unfamiliar with the
galloping world before he joined IITKanpur.
9) The Sanskars ( Imprints)
and paying Back Phase
As a man grows the sanskars guide him to behave in a way he
has been brought up. In my case also ,unknowingly and
unconsciously, I think, I have paid back to :
Family: All of my
four younger brothers, stayed with me for their education
and/or training at NainiTal or Kanpur, right from the time I
was a research scholar at DSB Govt college Nainital. Tribhuwan
came after High School (at Champawat) for education to
NainiTal in 1959, when I was a research student and Asst.
warden in the Langham House Hostel. He completed his M Sc
there. He came to USA in 1966 and is now a US citizen working
in Michigan. Govind finished his MBBS after High School at
Kanpur and NainiTal. He is an Eye surgeon in Govt. Hospital,
NainiTal. Chandra Kant, also finished his MA from NainiTal and
he is also a US citizen working for the state of Michigan. The
youngest of the five brothers, Prem, is presently an
Associate Professor in Physics Department at Chennai, India.
The whole family did not need any outside help after me, as
there was a gap of 30 years between me and my youngest brother
( now at Chennai); we could support ourselves for studies and
other needs. All brothers have happy balanced families and are
happy. My two children, both IIT Kanpur graduates, are well
settled with their engineer spouses in engineering field in
the west coast of USA. Today I am proud of all the members of
our family, being self-confidant and self-reliant;
contributing to the world well being of our village and the
society, in a broader sense.
Relatives, Friends and
Teachers: Few examples could be cited here again.
My maternal uncle, M K Joshi’s family- wife( my Mamee) and
4 daughters stayed in our three bed room house at IIT Kanpur
for about one year, while he had to go to North Eastern border
area as company commandant. Today, all four of his daughters
are well settled with their own professions and husbands
holding top position in the area of Police, BARC, Internal
revenue and Forest departments.
One of our distant relative, Sri D N Joshi, Director of
Technical Education, resided with us at our IIT Kanpur house,
for one year when he was transferred in the last year of his
service to Kanpur and his whole family was settled at Lucknow.
Professor D P Khandelwal, joined H B T I Kanpur while his
family was in Agra. He stayed with us in IIT Kanpur for more
than a year . We continued our collaboration ,even after he
moved to Nawabganj in Kanpur. He worked as visiting scientist
for three years after his retirement in my lab, before he set
up the IAPT and has done great task to put Indian UG Physics
teaching in world map.
9) Formal Retirement and New
Passion to Serve the Society
After retiring from IITK in 1995, I worked for 5 years in
IITK itself as Emeritus Scientist of CSIR. Later, I served as
Emeritus Fellow of AICTE for three years. After fully retiring
from formal jobs in 1993, I have been devoting my time for the
support of education of poor children in Uttarakhand as
(Secretary, SAVIDYA Upsamiti, Himalaya Water Service Tatha
Vikas avam Paryavaran Sanrakshan Samiti, Village- Darah, P O
Champawat),14/35 G B Pant Marg, Haldwani-263141. Two of the
prominent problems facing India have been put in the form of
two ( out of 9) edited books, in 2005 and 2006, respectively.
The Savidya Upsamiti of this NGO is collaborating with Asha
For Education , Stanford and Si- Valley chapters, for
supporting Primary and Middle school children. Presently,
Primary School, Kulethi and DungraSethi Middle Schools in
Champawat and Primary School, Subhash Nagar, Haldwani are
being supported by AFE chapter , Silicon Valley. Our idea is
to take a cluster ( ~ 9 schools consisting of ~6 Primary, 2
Middle and 1 High School), and show the cluster as a model of
Govt. and NGO supported success for elementary integrated
quality education.
I have also been involved with Foundation for Excellence as
a Co-ordinator in Uttarakhand. Four Facilitators (Dr K K Pande,
Dr Kavita Pande, Mr Kamalesh Rashyara, and Mr R C Pant ) are
working and helping FFE by forwarding the names of deserving
students to them. These efforts of ours have been greatly
enhanced by the efforts of Uttaranchal Association, Si
-Valley this year. The number of FFE beneficiaries from
Uttarakhand rose from zero in 2004, to 4 in 2005 and 63 in
2006 ;a marvelous increase, by any standard.
Hence I very vehemently suggest that sanskars have to be
imprinted in young age and have to continue during whole
education, life-long. The dreams have to become reality with
hard-work and devotion. May this be true in every young poor
man’s life.
H D
Bist, Ex Professor IIT Kanpur,Ex- Emeritus Professor (CSIR),
IIT Kanpur,Ex-Emeritus fellow, AICTE, Kanpur University and
BIAS, Bhimtal
Nine
Books written/ edited by Dr H D Bist
1)
Corruption, a Road Block for Human Development,
R.K.
Gupta (ed.)
H.D.
Bist (ed.),
Anamika Publishers & Distributors (P) Ltd. 2006
2)
Higher Education:
Challenges for the Future
R.K.
Gupta (ed.)
H.D.
Bist (ed.),
Anamika Publishers & Distributors (P) Ltd. 2005
3) Advances in Spectroscopy and Lasers, Bist, HD,
Little, TS, eds., Tata McGraw-Hill, New Delhi, (1997).
4)
Lasers & their Applications (The Indian Spectrum for 2001 AD)
- HD Bist & Sanjay Bhargava, Tata Mc Graw Hill
Publishing Co. Ltd, New Delhi, 1996
5)
Advanced
Laser Spectroscopy and Applications, eds. H.D. Bist, R.K.
Thareja, A. Pradhan and P.K. Khulbe, Allied Publishers Ltd.,
New Delhi, 1996
6) Vibrational Spectra and Structure, Vol.17A, (Bist,
HD, Durig, JR, and Sullivan, JF, Eds.) Elsevier,
Amsterdam, 1989,
7) Vibrational Spectra and Structure, Vol.17B, (Bist,
HD, Durig, JR, and Sullivan, JF, Eds.) Elsevier,
Amsterdam, 1989,
8) Lasers and their
Applications in the Indian Context, Bist H D, Khandelwal D P ,
and Chakrapani G.; Tata McGraw Hill ( 1985)
9)
Lasers &
Applications,
Proceedings of the Third Symposium on Lasers and Applications:
Held at IIT Kanpur
Bist, H. D. and Goela, J. S.; (ed.); Tata- McGraw-Hill( 1984
).
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