) 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.
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,
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 ).