(From left) Professor Debangshu Dey, Bibaswan Kumar Chatterjee and Shimul Kumar Dam. Picture by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

City boys Bibaswan Kumar Chatterjee of Besu and Shimul Kumar Dam of Jadavpur University beat nearly nine lakh students to top this year’s Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE), jointly conducted by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the seven IITs for admission to postgraduate courses or for employment. But both Bibaswan, who topped in computer science and information technology, and Shimul, the first rank-holder in electrical engineering, are leaving the city.

Metro caught up with the duo along with Debangshu Dey, assistant professor of electrical engineering at Jadavpur University

Metro: Congratulations! Great show.

Bibaswan : Thank you

Shimul: Thank you.

Metro: So, where are you both headed to?

Shimul: I’ll be doing my master’s in electrical engineering at Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (IISc).

Bibaswan: I am going to IISc too, for master’s in computer science.

Metro: But why not Calcutta?

Bibaswan: I want to be involved in research, which would mean joining research and development companies or doing PhD. In Calcutta, there is no scope for research-oriented work, specially with regard to information technology jobs. Companies that have scope for research like HP Labs or Microsoft are based in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bangalore.

Calcutta mostly has service providers, whereas Amazon, Google and Microsoft offer research opportunities in Bangalore. They innovate. Joining these companies is like a dream come true. And since they are based in the south and west, opportunities lie there.

Shimul: I want to stick to research and am eyeing the UK or the US for PhD.

If I am to target the top 10 or 100 institutes across the world, then master’s from an IIT or IISc will be more acceptable. Many of those who go for higher studies abroad are from these institutes. IISc is the only institute in India among the top 100. Even the IITs fail to secure a place sometimes.

Debangshu: IISc ranks among the top 100 institutes. Different organisations have different rankings but there are some who figure in every ranking like Princeton and MIT.

Metro: Would you have stayed back if we had an IISc here?

Shimul: If it were in close competition with the Bangalore IISc, obviously it would have been our first preference. In the present circumstances, we will be able to come home twice a year at best, but an IISc here would have made commuting easy.

Bibaswan: I think we shouldn’t restrict ourselves as a state but look at it as a nation. Different states can be developed with different objectives. Bangalore is the technological hub of the country and Mumbai has established itself as a financial capital. Why do we need an IISc to be in league with others?

Metro: There was talk of building one here, in Kalyani. Did you know?

Neither of the students knew.

Debangshu: That was in 2006. Could it have competed with the existing one in 2013? But perhaps in 2033, Calcutta could have scored over Bangalore.

Both in academics and in the corporate sector, the more you travel, your credibility as a professional is enhanced.

Metro: How can Bengal fight this exodus? Is lack of industry a reason? Would the scene be different if we had enough industries?

Bibaswan: The reason for the exodus is better opportunities outside. If we had good opportunities in the state, many would not look out. We need industries that specialise in research-oriented work. There is only information technology, there can be more on software development.

Shimul: We need more dedicated institutes for research. Those who are going out are not going for good. There are many who wish to come back but they have to be given the scope. Somebody who is doing an interesting or pathbreaking research will definitely not want to take up a job where he would not get enough facilities for research. He might be offered a fat cheque but it would be difficult to lure him to the state if there is no satisfaction.

Metro: Why do top rankers always look out?

Debangshu: A strong foundation in the basics has made these students secure a rank. They then aspire for institutes that would not just impart basic lessons but train them further and give them more opportunities for research. There are many who also go to Indian Statistical Institute here.

Bibaswan: IISc is a platform that facilitates going abroad. Why should not I go there when I have the rank and opportunity?

Debangshu: For more exposure, one should go and see labs in different places. As faculty, we visit labs in different cities… for a broader vision.

Metro: Bengal produces rank-holders but why can’t it retain them?

Debangshu: With a competitive rank in WBJEE, one applies to JU or Besu. Similarly with a good rank in GATE, one would apply to IISc and move on to MIT, Princeton, Caltech or some such institute.

Shimul: To apply in US universities, you have to take GRE or TOEFL and in GRE, greater value is given to recommendation than marks.

Metro: Why do projects fail to materialise here? Is it because of lack of will? Politicians? People? Who is to blame?

Bibaswan: I do not think we can blame one central force. When IT was developing here…. Sector V became the hub. During that time there should have been plans to develop other kinds of products along with IT.

Shimul: Whatever the party, our leaders need to be more efficient. Nobody has a vision like Bidhan Chandra Roy’s. Perhaps then, we would have had a institute specialised in PG research, which hasn’t happened yet.

Debangshu: Even if there were industries they would have gone into research and not service…. But we do require both industry and academics.

Metro: What would you like to change here? In colleges?

(Teacher not present)

Bibaswan: At Besu, the academic environment is both competitive and of a high standard. But campus placement lags behind and that prompts many students to appear for GATE. Students aspire for a good rank in GATE and better opportunities outside.

Metro: In job prospects?

Bibaswan: I would never work in an IT company even if I got a job. I like the jobs in Microsoft, Google, which are about software development and research. If Calcutta can offer such facilities, opportunities would multiply, especially for computer science students of JU and Besu.

Metro: When did it first dawn on you that you have to look beyond Bengal for the best opportunities?

Shimul: Initially, I thought I would join the service industry. It was in the third year that I got interested in research. Relatives abroad advised that a PhD from outside would fetch me more merit. IISc is the best option for recommendation.

Bibaswan: When I started my BTech I knew that if I wanted better exposure either in terms of research or industry, I had to go out. There are no opportunities here in the field of my choice and I decided to appear for GATE and go to either IISc or outside for a job.

Metro: What would make you come back?

Shimul: We will come back with higher degrees. If we get an environment for research here, why won’t we come back? We belong here and we would want to come back but we need that opportunity.

In basic sciences, there are many students who go out to do PhD and stay there. But those who get adequate research facilities come back.

Not that we do not have anything here. There are a few institutes for engineering here — JU, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology— but not adequate. We need more institutes… because there is a dearth of research facilities.

Bibaswan: I don’t know what I will do after MTech. If I get the kind of job opportunities I am getting in Bangalore, obviously I will come back.