VIVEKANANDA
VIVEKANANDA
A Biography
Swami Nikhilananda
22/05/2026
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An extraordinary journey of strength and passion for India, and to uplift the souls to become a better version of themselves. An inspiring leader and holding the highest standards of being human.
Conference Paper FMFP-2023 at IIT Jodhpur
Conference Paper FMFP-2023 at IIT Jodhpur
22/12/2023
Presented a conference paper at FMFP-2023 at IIT Jodhpur on dispersion phenomena in a cross street t urban street canyon.
The History of the SIKHS: Volume II
The History of the SIKHS: Volume II
Khushwant Singh
20/02/2023
The second volume takes you to the golden age of Sikhism under Maharaja Ranjit Singh and then to the downfall of the Sikh kingdom. The uprising of Sikhism is impressive, with so many blood baths through the course of history. And yet never cease to back down. The will of the Sikh people is astonishing.
The anglo-indian wars and the stories of the bravery of the men rattle one's core. To stand against adversities and make a mark and stay relevant to date is extraordinary.
Article Review: Air Entrainment and Wall Temperature Distribution from Journal of Thermal Sciences.
Article Review: Air Entrainment and Wall Temperature Distribution from Journal of Thermal Sciences.
17/01/2023
Assisted Prof S N Singh in reviewing the article. The idea of cooling film and representing it with vorticity was interesting. The quantification of cooling film by estimating the length and width could provide better insights.
The History of the SIKHS: Volume I
The History of the SIKHS: Volume I
Khushwant Singh
27/12/2022
The birth of Sikhism has always fascinated me, and I have always wanted to read authentic texts. Read Volume-I on the history of the Sikhs. The book is fact-based and discusses events leading to the birth and growth of Sikhism. The seed of Sikhism is Guru Nanak Dev Ji, and so the entire tree. The journey is fascinating and full of ups and downs. The roots of Sikhism are spiritual and divine, yet it confronts you to lead a life in society. One has to perform the duties of an ordinary human while rooted in the core beliefs of Sikhism.
The other fascinating aspect is the transformation of spiritual upbringing to a warrior spirit. The carving of the new path of a diviner and a protector to lead a life respectful life.
Conference Paper
Conference Paper
20/11/2022
Submitted an abstract to National Conference on Wind Engineering. The work investigates pollution dispersion in a T-section street canyon.
To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee
14/11/2022
It is a story of a Finch family set in the mid-twentieth century in Maycomb town. The writing is beautiful, and the story takes you on a journey of how a 6-year-old Jean looks at life surrounding her. The book presents the perception of one's life in general situations and how society is prejudiced in many ways. The book is engaging and explains the conditions of transactions in incredible detail. The writing pace is uniform and doesn't jump from one situation to another. There is a certain calmness about the whole book, which tells you many important lessons but subtly. Indeed many mockingbirds in various forms and characters appear in the book, which makes it a joyful reading experience.
Nangali Sahib Poonch
Nangali Sahib Poonch
29/10/2022 to 30/10/ 2022
Gurudwara Nangali Sahib is one of the oldest shrines in the state of J&K that played a pivotal role in spreading the Sikh faith among people in the hilly region of Poonch and adjoining areas. The roots of the gurudwara connect with Guru Gobind Singh Ji as Bhai Pheru was part of the first august group created by the Guru. Bhai Pheru was responsible for spreading the words of Sikhism in the hills of J&K. The 4th successor Bhai Mela Singh Ji, built the Gurudwara on the banks of Drungali Nallah adjoining Poonch River.
At home, we deliberated for some time about visiting the gurudwara. It finally happened. It's a day-long drive from Jammu, nearly 250km. We had a mixed experience on the road due to upcoming road projects.
The holy trip meant diving into the Sikh faith and establishing a connection. There was a sense of fulfillment, joyous, excitement, and enlightenment. The construction of Sewa Ghar is old and takes you back in time. The Langar experience is always enriching.
How Not to Die
How Not to Die
Dr Michael Greger
06/10/2022
A book on eating habits that can reverse the common ailments one suffers with ageing. The book is humongous, yet one gets hooked on it. A vast amount of experimental data backs the power of a plant-based diet for improving health. The statements are convincing and force one to rethink diets.
The fantastic chemistry of our body and the power to heal and reverse chronic diseases amaze me. The book is packed with factual data like the body has 4 trillion cells, and 1 billion cells are reborn daily. The human kidney filters 150 litres of blood every day.
Reviewer for an article on IR Signatures of an Aircraft
Reviewer for an article on IR Signatures of an Aircraft
21/09/2022
Assisted Prof S N Singh in reviewing the article. It was challenging as the area was new. The study was based on radiations from an aircraft exhaust plume and its skin. Unlike heat transfer by conduction and convection, radiation deals with the spectrum, wavenumber, Lorentz distribution of rays, intensity, etc. The methodologies of radiation emitted by the aircraft skin and that by the gases are different. An accurate estimation of IR characteristics is quite complex.
In the end, I learned new terms and methods such as line-by-line calculation (a highly accurate method but expensive), statistical narrow band model (a faster estimation but less accurate), and then the line-of-sight method (limited).
Dispersion of Pollution on the street canyons due to vehicles.
Dispersion of Pollution on the street canyons due to vehicles.
24/08/2022
It is a collaborative work Dr S Jitendra Pal, NIT Surathkal. The work involves the study of wind flow in the proximity of the building in a medium-type street canyon. Parameters such as building height, building type and wind direction are investigated using CFD.
Man's Search For Meaning
Man's Search For Meaning
Viktor E. Frankl
18/08/2022
Man's Search for Meaning talks about the Author Viktor Frankl's experiences in the concentration camp in Auschwitz. Needless to say, how cruel life unfolded at the concentration camp. The most inhumane activities pushed the prisoners to take their own life and were forced to perform unimaginable actions.
The book, however, presents situations in which man's attitude to life was the sole reason for their survival. In fact, the attitude towards suffering is the underlying meaning of life. Countless examples in the book help the reader to comprehend the big picture. Doing active work and gaining experience by visiting new places or meeting new people are the first two kinds where one finds meaning in life. But, a person's attitude toward suffering is when one sees the meaning of life.
Deep Work
Deep Work
by Prof Cal Newport
03/08/2022
The book emphasises the importance of deep work on the actual growth of an individual. Deep work expands the boundaries of one's brain, and the output contributes to the person's profile. Such sessions, if adopted into the lifestyle, have the potential for a better life. The author provides clarity on deep work vs shallow work. How the external work so occupies us. The danger of prioritising shallow activities over deep is real, as it degrades the quality of life. The tendency to stay occupied with small tasks such as emailing, messaging, and attending meetings with no real contribution does not add much to anyone's life. The book has many relatable case studies.
There comes a time when we need someone to talk to about our problems. We seek parents' help, friends’ advice, a senior’s or a faculty’s guidance to sort the issues. The advice may be valuable and helpful, but the problems often do not get resolved entirely. It happens because we seek information, not from the right person. It will usually be a piece of incompetent advice from someone who has no experience, no matter how senior the person is. A young person, be it a school-going student or a college-going, will face day-to-day challenges that are new and sometimes critical for their proper development. Being a student, one has to make significant decisions in their life, such as what subjects to choose, which skills to develop, finding interests/hobbies, emotional help, etc.
Mentoring is essential for the development of a student. In many ways, mentoring makes students feel that they matter in this vast universe. The student receives special attention from an experienced person or a mentoring group. The mentor listens to the student in a one-on-one conversation. It is such a powerful exercise that significantly impacts students' lives. The student learns from a mentor who has the experience and shares specific details to navigate the issue. The conversation is often exciting and yet enlightening. The mentor tends to share their approach to a similar problem.
One of the crucial scopes of mentoring is working on how to achieve the goals. The ultimate goal of mentoring is the students' development but with a lot of hand-holding. The foundation of mentoring lies in understanding the issues of students and then working to resolve them. Goal setting is one of the tools that mentors use to tackle the problem. The mentor sets goals for the mentee. If done in the right spirit, the potential of such exercise is enormous. The students' actions for achieving the goal are now accountable. The mentor constantly reminds and motivates the students to work on the plan.
Another profound area where mentoring helps the student is social and emotional development. The students often carry stigmas or preconceived perceptions about matters in general. These stigmas can be a hurdle in the growth of a student. Often the case, the students need appropriate guidance to overcome any such preconceived notion. The mentor can easily bust the bubble. Words of encouragement, unbiased advice, and accurate and honest guidance can be a big step in their development.
Unfortunately, the practice of student mentoring has not taken off. Much has to be done at all levels of the education system before the students gain from the mentoring programs.
The Psychology of Money
The Psychology of Money
Morgan Housel
20/07/2022
I had assumed the book to be a guide for financial planning and how to spend money, how to save money and how to invest money. But instead, the book explains the psychic behind our relationship with money. It breaks many notions on our dealing with money. What we think about how money works is based on our limited knowledge. Money is a very personal topic, so it varies from person to person.
One of the ideas that attracted me was the power of money. And it is time. Having finances by your side can be critical for a life-changing decision one is about to take. One can wait for a few months before jumping on the next job. Likewise, decisions get influenced by financial conditions.
The book provides an understanding of saving money. Often the case, we save money to meet our goals, such as buying a car, house, etc. But the author correctly emphasizes that we should save for the unexpected that will hit all of us. So rather than saving for some goal, we should save money as a habit.
The book talks a lot about the myths about investing in stocks. I liked it, and one who is active in the share market must read the book. Not for knowing new insights of investing but staying optimistic when nothing around make sense.
Gujarat Trip
Gujarat Trip
02/07/2022 to 09/07/ 2022
A place to enjoy food. Its mesmerizing to know the magnitude of INDIA. The cultural shift that can happen from one place to another is mind boggling at best. We landed at Rajkot and braced with the variety of food cuisine. The experience and experiment with food continued for next 7 days. We took self drive to Somnath and then to Porbhander. The photo on the left is my daughter at Chowpati, Porbhander. Well, it was full blown monsoon during our trip but little could stop us from exploring the magnificent views and drives.
The trip helped us in relaxing and spending some quality time together.
As A Man Thinketh
As A Man Thinketh
James Allen
James Allen
30/06/2022
The book first published in 1905. It revolves around the idea of what are thoughts and how they manifest to control our circumstances. A short book of 76 pages. The use of languages is old fashioned and somehow I enjoyed reading it. It felt like reading through prayers. A good read.
National Educational Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) has particularly stressed Experiential Learning. If we go by the definition, it is learning by doing. It means understanding the theory, as we normally do in classrooms, and then applying it in the form of an experiment, hands-on exercise, or an experience. Is it not correct to project experiential learning as a bridge between theory and real-world applications? I am sure all of us have come across this common notion, "There is no link between what we study and what we do in real life". Well, this is not true, and at the most, it is an excuse not to apply the theory.
The benefit of applying the theory is so significant that one can carve a niche out of it and pursue a career in it. It is a bold statement but is it not a reality? It essentially means that one may find an application that one loves. And when one reprises that application constantly, one becomes a master of that. The role of experiential learning is a lot more than learning by doing.
If experiential learning is practiced efficiently in schools and higher education institutes, we will know the student's interests. Is this not what we intend our education system to do for us? So the question is why experiential learning is not highly successful. The students prefer to make a career in the sectors that are least interesting to them. Instead of pursuing something they are good at, the students often pursue other career options. Experiential learning can be the answer for steering students to enter professions of their interest.
Imagine a situation where there is actual learning by doing. The students are taking action to understand the concept, and education is being extended beyond the standard experiments. It drastically improves the learning experience, and there is a practical knowledge transfer. More importantly, there is a high possibility that students will appreciate specific applications that interest them while performing experiential learning. The interest in a particular application may manifest to become a career choice.
The NEP 2020 mandate for experiential learning should act as a catalyst for improving the curriculum at schools and higher education institutes. The opportunity to shape students' interests to guide their career choice is too good of a chance to be lost.
On Writing Well
On Writing Well
William Zinsser
William Zinsser
17/06/2022
The book brings an understanding of the art of writing. For me, it is my first book on improving writing skills. A lot of emphasis is on removing clutter from the writing. I have been doing technical writing for some time, but the act of writing is still daunting. The book affirms that the writing is indeed challenging. The author William Zinsser has shared his article while explaining the art. In Chapter 23, while explaining Writer's Decisions, he stated scenarios when completing a sentence takes one hour. I could immediately relate to it. The book helps us approach writing as an act of commitment equivalent to any professional work.
There are technical details about the writing, like the impact of verbs and nouns. While how to refrain from using adverbs and adjectives and many more. I realized I had to reread the book to extract more.
Akal Takht. A journey to 5 Akal Takht in Sikhism.
Akal Takht. A journey to 5 Akal Takht in Sikhism.
A spiritual tour to Sikhism. To visit major Sikh shrines in Punjab.
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