GAURAV KHANNA

Personal/Social Background:
21 years old. Father is Professor of Economics. Mother is a journalist. He is doing his B.A in Economics from St. Stephens College. His annual family income is 15 lakhs. His love for the subject was born from observing the heated discussions at home on subjects relating to the Indian Economy. He was part of the NREGA survey team that went to Chattisgarh to ascertain the extent to which the program had been implemented. Gaurav is also heavily involved in debates, quizzes and theatre. He has directed 2 plays and has been part of all college productions.

Degree sought:
MA in Development Economics from London School of Economics, UK

Academic Background: 
Appeared in B.A Final Year in Economics from St. Stephens College, University of Delhi, 2008 .

Distinctions, Grants, Scholarships, Prizes awarded: 
Ø UJF Foundation award for academics and extra curricular activities, 2007.
Ø Vikas Dhaka Scholarship for Excellence in Academics and Social Work, St. Stephens College, 2005.
Ø Bishop Cashmore Award for Creative Talent, St. James' School, 2005.
Ø Telegraph School Award for Best All Round Student, 2005.
Ø Keith Nasser Award for Best Debater, St. James' School, 2003.
Ø Best Middle School Pupil, St. James' School, 2001

Accomplishments: 
Ø President of School Dramatics Club. He has written, directed and acted in several plays in college.
Ø Chief Adjudicator of College Debating Society. Lead speaker of School Debating Team. Placed in various debates at University level.
Ø Participated in various quizzes in school and college.

Stated objective: 
He plans to return to India after his Ph.D in Development Economics to teach and do research. He will concentrate on issues relating to the Indian Economy  

GRACE THOMAS

Personal/Social Background:
23 years old. Father works for the Department of Posts. She is doing her Master in Disability Rehab Administration (MDRA) from the Jawaharlal Technological University, National Institute for Mentally Handicapped. Annual family income is Rs. 2.1 lakhs

Degree sought:
Masters in Disability Rehab Administration from Jawaharlal Technological University, National Institute for Mentally Handicapped, Hyderabad.

Academic Background: 
B PT in Physiotherapy, Government College of Physiotherapy, Chennai, M G R Medical University, Tamilnadu.

Distinctions, Grants, Scholarships, Prizes awarded: 
Ø College Topper in BPT course.

Accomplishments: 
Ø Presented papers in conferences held in Pondicherry and Chennai
Ø Helped organizing Physiofest, ‘06, at the Government College of Physiotherapy, Chennai.
Ø Won several essay writing and oratorical competitions at school and college level.
Ø Actively participated in free medical camps
Ø Actively participated in social welfare programmes.

Stated objective: 
To work for disability rehabilitation and serve the less fortunate, through setting up an NGO.

MRINAL KAUL

Personal/Social Background:
26 years old. Mother is a housewife. He has pursued M.St in Oriental Studies from St. Cross College, Oxford, 2007. Annual family income is Rs 48,000. His interest in Sanskrit studies, Kashmir studies and Indology stems from childhood and from belonging to a traditional Kashmiri Pandit family. This led him to research and study Sanskrit manuscripts in India and abroad. He has helped restore and conserve private manuscript collections. He has informally guided research scholars. Mrinal has also written academic papers and reviews for journals and magazines. His 1 st project was published as a book titled ‘The Variegated Plumage: Encounters with Indian Philosophy”, 2003, and his 2 nd project titled ‘Grammatical Traditions of Kashmir' was published in the book Linguistic Traditions of Kashmir in 2008. He is also a multilingual poet.

Degree sought:
D.Phil in Oriental Studies, South Ashian Studies from University of Oxford

Academic Background: 
M.St in Oriental Studies from St. Cross College, University of Oxford, 2007.

Distinctions, Grants, Scholarships, Prizes awarded:
Ø Awarded Poet of the Year –2004 by International Poet Society in Florida

Accomplishments: 
Ø Hon. Editor and project coordinator for the commemoration volume of Jankinath Kaul under Sant Samagam Research Institute, J&K, 200-03
Ø Part of UGC project on Concordance of Upanishads in Centre of Advanced Study in Sanskrit, University of Pune, 2003-04.
Ø Worked as Hon. Editor and project coordinator for the volume Linguistic Traditions of Kashmir with Professor Ashok Alkujkar (UBC, Canada) at Harbhatta Shastri Indological Research Institute, India, 2004-08.
Ø Worked as Hon. Editor on Tantravatadhanika with Prof. Francesco Sferra (University Delgi Studi di Napoli, Napoli), 2005.
Ø Hon. Editor of the publication department of Ramakrishna Mission, Srinagar, 2004-till date.
Ø Editor of Amaresvara Mhahatmayam and Svatantryadipika at D.K Printworld, New Delhi, 2004-till date.

Stated objective: 
He plans to do research work and teach at a university that has a strong research orientation. For his Ph.D he wants to produce a critical edition of the Ninth Chapter of the Tantraloka using a methodology which combines philology, comparative and historical approaches. He also plans to work on an English translation of the above along with a commentary of Jayaratha, taking into account variant manuscript readings.

POORNA ROY

Personal/Social Background:
22 years old. Father was a Chartered accountant. Mother is in Government employee. Annual Family income Rs.0.80 Lakhs. Biology has been her favorite subject all the time. But she took Chemistry as a major in graduation as a strategic choice. She wanted to use that subject as a tool to sculpt her biological dreams. She would like to take up molecular Biology, which is largely composed of Bio Chemistry, as a full-fledged research topic.

Degree sought:
Doing Msc. in Chemistry from Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

Academic Background: 
B. Sc in Chemistry from Presidency College, Kolkata, Calcutta University

Distinctions, Grants, Scholarships, Prizes awarded: 
Ø Passed Science Talent Search Examination, 1999
Ø Awarded Junior General Knowledge Test Certificate by United School Organization of India

Accomplishments: 
Ø Completed Junior Diploma in Indian Classical Music Vocal from Prayag Sangit Samiti, Allahabad.
Ø Won the 1 st prize for the best script in Drama competition, Voices, The Statesman
Ø Participated in various creative writing, debate, painting competition

Stated objective: 
To pursue a Ph. D degree from a reputed university in India or abroad. Then she wants to join the research & development section of pharmaceutical company or a biotech form.

PRABHA MALLYA

Personal/Social Background:
23 years old. Father is in service. Mother is a housewife. She is pursuing Masters in Design in from IIT Kanpur. Her annual family income is Rs. 6.6 lakhs. Since childhood Prabha has been communicating her ideas through sketching and writing. While in college she realised that her creativity could be used in a professional capacity. This motivated her to pursue design at the Masters level.

Degree sought:
Master of Fine Arts in Illustration as Visual Essay from Savannah College of Art and Design, Georgia, USA

Academic Background: 
Ø B.E in Mechanical Engineering BITS Pilani, 2006
Ø Master in Design in Visual Communication from IIT Kanpur, 2008.

Distinctions, Grants, Scholarships, Prizes awarded: 
Ø  Institute Assistantship at IIT Kanpur; 2006-08.
Ø Selected to attend the International Design Workshop at the Icograda Design Week at the International Design Centre, IIT Bombay, 2007.
Ø Selected to attend a National Workshop on installation art at Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan, commemorating the birth centenary of sculptor Ramkinkar Baij, 2007.

Accomplishments: 
Ø 1st in ‘Admad', a brand conceptualization contest, IIT Kanpur, 2007.
Ø 1st in ‘Infocus', a digital photography contest, IIT Kanpur, 2006.
Ø In charge of design and illustration of student magazine, “Meander”; publicity design of campus literary festival “Alfaaz”; and layout of campus newsletter “Vox Populi”.

Stated objective: 
To work as an illustrator and designer of books and other print media, especially those that focus on children and environmental causes. Her research will focus on understanding the use of illustration as a means of visually communicating abstract concepts or ideas conventionally communicated by verbal language. She will also create visual essays.

RUNA DAS CHAUDHURI

Personal/Social Background:
28 years old. Father is a teacher. Mother is a housewife. Runa is enrolled at CSSSE, Kolkata and registered at Jadavpur University for her Ph.D in Sociology of Literature. Her area of studies includes Children's Literature, Psychoanalytic Criticism and Cultural Studies. She has completed her Research Training Programme at CSSSE. She has qualified in both N.E.T and SLET, 2004. Her interest in psychology led her to take a course on Rehabilitation Psychology. She has also studied Sanskrit at the Centre for Indological Studies and Research, Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Kolkata.

Degree sought:
Ph.D in Sociology of Literature in Jadavpur University

Academic Background: 
Ø B.A and M.A in Sociology, Calcutta University, 1997-2002.
Ø Rehabilitation Psychology (diploma), Rehabilitation Council of India, 2003.

Distinctions, Grants, Scholarships, Prizes awarded: 
Ø 1st Class 1st in Sociology, B.A, 2000, Lady Brabourne College
Ø First in Sociology Honours and Economics Pass in 1 st year Annual Examination, Lady Brabourne College.
Ø Ranked 1 st in PG Diploma in Rehabilitation Psychology, 2003
Ø Awarded ICSSR Doctoral Fellowship, New Delhi, 2004.
Ø Awarded special prize for best reading and writing skills in Functional Sanskrit in 2006 by Centre for Indological Studies and Research of Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Kolkata.

Accomplishments: 
Ø Preliminary knowledge of Braille.
Ø Has studied Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder among mentally retarded children at SHELTER, an N.G.O in Bhadreswar, Hoogly.

Stated objective: 
She wishes to pursue a career in research well as taking up teaching assignments. Her current research will require a textual reading of narratives which moves beyond a strictly literary one. It will look at the way phantoms of fiction import special insights into our life and psyche revealing the constitutive hazard of the uncanny in our everyday living.

SANJEEV SHANKAR

Personal/Social Background:
27 years old. Father is a retired military officer. Mother is a housewife. He is a nomadic artistic researcher for FOAM. Annual family income is Rs. 1.66 lakhs. He has worked for Widgery Works Inc. as an artist. He likes to base his designs on in-depth ethnographic study of the community for whom he is designing so that the design and architecture is embedded in an economic, social, and cultural reality. Worked with craftsmen of Nagaland. In the ‘Culture Specific Footwear' he has merged traditional crafts based knowledge with emerging technology.

Degree sought:
Master of Arts in Advanced Architectural Design'' at Stadelschule in Frankfurt am Main

Academic Background:
Ø Bachelor in Architecture from S.P.A, New Delhi, 2004.
Ø Master of Design in Industrial desigh from IIT Bombay, 2006

Distinctions, Grants, Scholarships, Prizes awarded:
Ø Gold Medal in Architecture, 2005
Ø Merit cum Means Scholarship, 1999-2004.
Ø DAAD Scholarship, Germany, 2006.
Ø IIT Bombay teaching assistantship, 2004-06.
Ø Exhibition- “Shadows and Windy Places” in Canada.
Ø Invited speaker-Doors of Perception Design Conference, Delhi, '05 & '07.
Ø Red Dot Product Design finalist, 2006.
Ø International Young Design Entrepreneur of the Year finalist in 2006.

Accomplishments:
Ø Organised Design Degree and ICOGRADA Design Week at IIT Bombay (2006 and 2007).
Ø College Editor and designed the SPA Year Book, 2002-03.
Ø Represented College in All India Swimming and Football Competition 2002. 1st in college debates from 1999-2007.

Stated objective
To start a self sustaining grass root group in 5 years which looks at aspects of tradition and innovation; sustainability; public art and architecture and a more participative approach in the creative process in India.

SUBHADEEP MUKHOPADHYAY

Personal/Social Background:
23 years old. Father is a mechanical engineer & mother is housewife. Total annual family income is Rs. 6 Lakhs. His family has always been very supportive towards his pursuing higher studies. Despite qualifying for engineering education he chose to continue his study towards Statistics. His foundation in statistic has been primarily built up in his college. Alongside his career goal he is also attached with different welfare organization.

Degree sought:
Ph.D in Statistics: Applied Bayesian Statistics from University of Texas A& M, USA

Academic Background: 
B. Sc in Statistics from St. Xavier's college, University of Calcutta. M. Sc in Statistics from IIT Kanpur

Distinctions, Grants, Scholarships, Prizes awarded: 
Ø Sangita Pradhan Memorial Gold medal 2008
Ø Director's Best student award 2008
Ø Stood 1st in IIT Kanpur Statistical Department. Scored 10/10 in all Sem.
Ø Received MCM scholarship 2007
Ø Awarded by N. Balakrishnan award, 2007
Ø Awarded by JN kapur Award, 2007
Ø Awarded National Scholarship from University of Calcutta for Ranking 9th in B.Sc

Accomplishments: 
Ø Canteen Secretary in IIT Kanpur in 2006-2007
Ø Group Representative of Stamatics- Math Club 2006-07
Ø Won Runners Up Prize in Intra Hall 2006-07 Cricket Tournament

Stated objective: 
He aspires to be a researcher, whose work will be appreciated for its applicability & practical value.