Building Instruments, Breaking Barriers | The Triumphs of India's Pioneering Physicist! 💜

Archiving the Silences of Our “Institutional Pasts”

The Triumphs of India’s Pioneering Physicist Anna Mani

#onherbirthdaytoday #biography #bookreview #AnnaMani

23rd August 2026

Well, I’ve always loved reading biographies of great minds. It’s like having a private audience (over a cuppa coffee) 😊 with some of the most influential, brilliant, and resilient people from the pages of history.

In fact, having a peek into the lives of such famous figures has always been such a high-return investment for my own personal growth.

In our past blogposts, I remember having reviewed scores of such biographies that have had such a great impact on me!  Be it reading about how Steve Jobs and how he was fired from his own company, or how Nelson Mandela survived 27 years in prison without losing his vision, or how Thomas Edison failed thousands of times before inventing a working lightbulb provides us with such great life lessons that enrich our lives for the better.

In like manner, almost around a month ago, I started reading a lovely biography, that I wanted to finish in time for posting it on her birthday! 😊

A biography that was so compelling, that it turned out to be a real unputdownable read of sorts. Call it the font, or the line spacing, or the sentence pacing, or what you will, 😊reading through each page of the biography was indeed a revelation.

A compelling revelation of sorts!

A revelation that went on to ‘reveal’ layers and layers of institutional power structures and academic gate-keeping that had been in vogue for longgg in academia.

Before we proceed, a short introduction to the “heroine of this biography” merits our attention! 😊

Anna Mani (1918-2001) was an Indian physicist who was born in Peermede in the High Ranges of the state of Kerala. Her father Modayil Pothen Mani was the first ‘native’ engineer to work for the Travancore Public Works Department. Her mother Ammamma was a homemaker who raised five boys and three girls. Anna was their seventh child.

An avid reader, she completed her schooling from Christava Mahilalayam, Aluva, with distinction topping all the girls of her batch for which she was awarded a medal. She moved to Chennai for higher education, first at Women’s Christian College (WCC) and then at Presidency from where she graduated with a BA (Honours) degree in 1939. After spending a year in WCC as a demonstrator she joined the laboratory of Professor C.V Raman in 1940 for a Ph.D.

Anna was one of three women in the laboratory then. After working on the optical properties of rubies and diamonds using Raman spectroscopy among other tools, she graduated in 1945. Despite six single author papers during this period both she and her lab mate Sunanda Bai (who published ten single author papers) were never awarded the doctorate. The reason behind this is clouded in mystery.

(as quoted in her official website)

Coming back -

In the early 20th century, (as was the case in many western nations as well) female literacy in India was hovering below an abysmal one percent, and college enrollments for women were exceptionally rare. This was also reflected in the Madras university’s administration that was highly skeptical of female scholars entering “advanced research spaces”.

No wonder then that, Anna Mani’s doctoral dissertation was rejected by the Madras University in 1945 – a rejection that perfectly illustrates how institutions were ‘careful enough’ to use administrative exclusionary rules and tactics to exclude women and other marginalised groups from such “advanced research spaces”.

Quite surprisingly, Anna Mani was one of those rare few women scholars in Physics, who had secured a competitive scholarship to conduct research at the prestigious Indian Institute of Science. In the period between 1940 and 1945, she had also published five original, peer-reviewed papers on the spectroscopy of diamonds and rubies. However, when she finally submitted her dissertation to Madras University, it was summarily rejected.

The examiners praised the high and original quality of her research, but… the university administration denied her the PhD! on a singular technical point – that, she did not possess a master’s degree.

Although her undergraduate performance was demonstrably sufficient to earn direct funding for graduate research, this bureaucratic technicality provided a convenient, “objective” mechanism and rule to deny the highest academic credential to a female scientist.

Quite interestingly, this rule was applied rather selectively; it was frequently bypassed or waived for male researchers with similar academic backgrounds.

By controlling who was awarded such prestigious titles, the university had – in the past - only reiterated that it retained the exclusive power to “dictate” who was recognised and who was “unrecognised” as a legitimate producer of knowledge.

In a way, then, this revelation paved the way for a revolution – that necessitated a radical reimagining of higher education in India.

And this is where the biography stands tall!

It has in fact, resuscitated the memory of such a great genius as Anna Mani back into the public domain!

The biography by Asha Gopinathan is aptly titled, Anna Mani: The Uncut Diamond, as she had worked in the Raman Lab on rubies and later on diamonds to study the optical properties including the Raman spectra of these materials in order to understand their properties.

A meticulously researched book of 315 pages, that gives such descriptive detailing on Anna Mani’s personal life, research and significant contributions. What’s more? The book also has the Fundamental Duties of Every Citizen of India printed in the closing page of the book!

A fitting closing statement!

To me personally, the book can be seen - not only as an insightful chronicle of the life of a pioneering Indian physicist and meteorologist, but also as a critical examination of how institutional power had been exercised in such esteemed institutions of learning, in the pretext of “academic gatekeeping”. 

As such, the book can be seen as an invaluable documentation of the silences of the past, and the unseen labours of love that have been quietly sustaining scientific advancement in India across the ages.

In this regard, I am so happy to note that Asha Gopinathan has been bold enough in her biographical documentation of the life of Anna Mani, by highlighting the technical barriers that Anna Mani had faced because of the coercive gender structures, especially within C.V. Raman’s laboratory at the Indian Institute of Science in the early 1940s.

The rejection of her dissertation can hence be seen as an “institutional example” of how academic highhandedness (if I may use that phrase) selectively weaponised certain rules to carefully maintain the status quo and thereby quietly exclude marginalised voices in the process.

The biography foregrounds Anna’s approach to her work – which is a lovely inspiration of sorts.

Asha highlights a fascinating aspect of Anna’s daily routine. It seems, each morning before going to her office to engage in high-level theoretical meteorology, she used to spend her mornings in the workshops and laboratories alongside the technicians.

Science, in Anna’s practice, was never divorced from the physical act of creation. She built the instruments - like India’s first indigenous ozonesonde - that made her theoretical measurements possible.

This hands-on ethos directly challenges the traditional academic hierarchy that elevates abstract intellectualism over practical, mechanical execution. By honouring the laboratory assistants, the biography highlights how Mani naturally closed the gap between knowing and doing.

Moreover, Asha also traces Anna’s formative intellectual development to her time at Women’s Christian College (WCC) and Presidency College. It was at WCC, serving as a tutor after her honours degree, that she honed her commitment to laboratory work and practical building - a foundational period that shaped her entire trajectory as a scientist.

And for these insightful biographical anecdotes, Asha Gopinathan has spent an entire decade combing through rare letters, interviews, and institutional archives to construct this narrative.

I strongly recommend this biography as a must-read for anyone interested in how the subaltern and the marginalised figures navigate and subvert entrenched academic power structures to leave an indelible mark on their respective fields.

Giving below a few excerpts gleaned from the biography for us all –

Some years ago, I was coordinating a series of popular science workshops called Cafe Scientifique along with the Alliance Francaise de Thiruvananthapuram. One of these sessions in March 2015 was on Women in Science. During the question-and-answer session, I asked the young audience if they could name any woman in science. There was pin-drop silence. Then one hand shot up and said, Marie Curie.

I decided then and there to tell the story of Anna Mani and Janaki Ammal - two scientists who made their mark both nationally and internationally. They were both from Kerala. (During their childhood, the state of Kerala did not exist. It was Travancore, Kochi and Malabar. Anna’s family hailed from Travancore while Janaki Ammal’s from Malabar.)

This book is about Anna Mani, a physicist who was born in 1918 in Peermedu, Kerala, and died in 2001 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. She went to school in Kerala and college in Madras. After that, she joined Sir C.V. Raman’s laboratory for her doctoral work. 

Upon completion of her doctorate, she moved to the UK to specialise in meteorological instrumentation. She returned to India and had a very successful career in the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Even though she was very well known, very few outside her world of physics have heard of her.

Why is that so? Have we not been told stories about C.V. Raman, Vikram Sarabhai, Homi Jehangir Bhabha, J.C Bose, S.N. Bose, Meghnad Saha and S. Chandrasekhar among others? 

In the Innovation Hub of the Kerala State Science and Technology Museum where I have done most of this writing, there is a wall with pictures of famous scientists. Obviously to provide inspiration. I see Stephen Hawkings, Darwin, Newton, Einstein, C.V. Raman, S. Chandrasekhar and Homi Bhabha among others and only one woman Marie Curie.

Is it then surprising that children have never heard the name of Anna Mani or any other Indian woman who has contributed significantly to the world of science and technology in India?

This book hopes to correct this misperception,

says Asha.

She also adds,

It is important here to mention the lack of archives for scientists. Barring some very important scientists, mostly men, India does not have a tradition of archiving. To date, there is no institution where a scientist can leave her notebooks, letters, diaries or photographs for posterity if she chooses to do so.

Thus, I consider myself very lucky that I was able to get hold of some material from the papers saved in Anna Mani’s flat in Bengaluru by her niece Anna Philipose and also at the RRI in Bengaluru. Anna Mani was a prolific letter writer and stayed in touch with all her friends and colleagues by letters, mostly hand-written. If I could lay my hand on more letters written by her to other colleagues and friends, this book would become more interesting.

I have paid attention to putting Anna Mani and her achievements in context of her family background, the times she grew up and the wider world in which she was an important player. The historian Patricia Fara writes:

When historians focus on famous individuals, they leave out many vital people who made science central to everyday life. Science’s intellectual class system rates the achievements of gentlemen far higher than those of artisans and women. What about the technicians and administrators who made instruments work, recorded observations, collected and prepared specimens, catalogued results, organised the laboratory?

In this book, a conscious effort has been made to meet and speak to the many people who made Anna Mani's work possible - from foundrymen, carpenters and office assistants to her devoted housekeeper, Yashoda Bai.

During Anna’s lifetime, many place names were changed to the Indian version. Poona became Pune, Trivandrum became Thiruvananthapuram and so on. I have used both names depending on the period she was living there.

Anna Mani was a trailblazer. She had almost no women role models. She had a few men who supported her either as teachers or colleagues. The rest was all her own brilliance, hard work and a certain measure of luck thrown in.

There is a quote attributed to Anna Mani, ‘You can but do your best.’

Well, Anna, I have tried,

signs off Asha.

The biography of Anna Mani bespeaks to the fact that, when we finally begin to archive the silences of our “institutional pasts”, who knows… we might stumble upon those very voices we had so badly needed to be our guiding lights for our future.

PS: So happy to note that, the Astronomical Society of India (ASI), has come up with a laudable initiative titled, the Anna Mani Gender Equity Lecture Series, to increase gender sensitisation and promote equity within the Indian astronomy and physics communities. It sports

The page also features prominent women in science, including renowned figures like astrophysicist Jocelyn Bell Burnell and physicist Rohini Godbole.

Language as a Living Ecosystem | The Indigenous Wisdom of the Jawadhu Hills ❤️

Modifying Sensibilities | Reimagining the Humanities and Indigenous Knowledge

Talking to Dr. Aarti is an experience. It modifies your sensibility.

Friday, 21 August 2026 | 1 pm

A Report

It was such a joy hosting Dr. Aarti from Leiden University, Netherlands, over a luncheon session at the Office of International Programmes, MCC, today.

Well, the Leiden University, Netherlands is a public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. Established in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, it holds the distinction of being the oldest surviving university in the Netherlands.

Dr. Aarti arrived 15 minutes ahead of time, and we started the luncheon meeting sharp at 1 pm.

Excerpts from her interactions with us -

I feel that, there is a move away from the Humanities today, due to rising unemployment and underemployment. People are increasingly losing touch with the Humanities. The way the world is going ahead – especially in Africa and Asia – we are prone to become more and more tech-oriented, so much that, the ability to think for oneself is becoming a challenge.

Emotional engagement with the world has also become a greater challenge.

How to bring back this engagement with the world, is the question.

Even the Humanities as we see it today, is more of Westocentric in its appeal – that, it is not grounded in our own realities.

Quite interestingly, unlike Scientific Knowledge which is highly abstract, Humanistic Knowledge is more descriptive.

How can we innovate in pedagogy that is more civically engaged?

How can we engage and collaborate with different nations? For example, although Myanmar or a Nepal are close to us, we don’t teach about them in our curricula. So we need to look at regional collaborations that are trans-national.

If you’re an Asianist, you don’t want to look at Africa. How can you not look at Africa?

Why can’t we look at an interconnected world, where knowledge is produced together?

The world that we inhabit today – its boundaries are highly porous! Inter-disciplinarity is quite important to engage with cultures, languages and nations across the world.

And for this we need a toolkit,

said Dr. Aarthi, and went on to give us a lovely book titled, Words from Jawadhu Hills: Eastern Ghats, South India.

The book is unique for so many reasons.

Firstly, there is no author to this book – an authorless book.

Secondly, there are no paginations anywhere in the book.

Thirdly, it doesn’t have any ‘formal’ preface by any great ‘patron’, nor does it have the prototypical paratextual properties that are a staple of any regular book that’s published in academia.

Flipping through each of the pages of the book is a real visual treat and and an engaging journey into community knowledge or indigenous knowledge of the people of the Jawadhu Hills.

The book is a joint initiative by Aarti and Delphine Thivet. It is an ethnographic “wordbook”, in the sense that, rather than acting as a rigid dictionary or a conventional academic treatise, it captures the socio-cultural, ecological, and working world of the Malaiyali millet farming community in the Jawadhu Hills of Tamil Nadu through 30 spoken Tamil words and phrases.

What makes the book so unique and a cut above the rest is that, the book abandons traditional academic distance in favour of dialogic interaction. It uses the daily spoken vocabulary - nouns, verbs, and regional idioms - as entry points into the complex realities of rainfed subsistence farming.

Each of these entries feature the Tamil script, its popular transliteration, their English and French translations, etc., along with a descriptive narrative context, field photography, and line illustrations, as follows –

Spoken Dialect Word - Contextual Meaning - Socio-Ecological Narrative

Yet another interesting feature of the book is its focus on the Agrarian Cycle and Local Ecology of the Jawadhu Hills.

The narrative follows the rhythm of millet cultivation - primarily saamai (little millet), along with ragi (finger millet), cholam (sorghum), and kambu (pearl millet).

Beginning with “Land Preparation” (Mottankal & Kattayerippu), that describes elevated, dry rainfed plots (mottankal) and traditional land-clearing techniques, the chapter details beautifully on the transition from historical slash-and-burn methods and collective community labour (uur vellai) to individualised wage work (coolie vellai).

Then comes the “Sowing & Care” (Visuri Veraikkirathu) part, that captures the art of hand-broadcasting indigenous seeds across ploughed grooves (saal) drawn by native kuttanmaadu cattle.

Finally there is the “Harvest & Processing” (Patham Pakkurathu & Kaikkuththal) during which, farmers judge grain dryness not with moisture meters, but by sound - listening for a crisp kada-mada crackle (resembling frying murukku) or a sharp sala-sala sound. It highlights the intense physical strain of hand-pounding grain using a mortar stone (kallu urali) and wooden pestle (kuththi).

The book also offers a candid look at the pressures facing tribal farmers, like socio-economic realities and modern transitions. For example, “Cash Crops (Vellari & Parutthi), that are done through corporate contract farming of export gherkins (vellari) and BT cotton (parutthi) brings short-term cash but depletes soil fertility and decimates bee populations. Farmers are hence compelled to continue due to accumulated debts.

Moreover, seasonal labour migration (Keela Porathu) is also a detrimental factor. During the dry summer season (kaasa kaalam), families are forced to move “downhill” to plains or cities (pattinam) like Chennai, Bengaluru, or Tiruppur to work in construction, plantations, or textile factories.

While government welfare provides free white rice through ration shops (PDS) and boarding hostels are in fact nourishing their children, it has inadvertently led younger generations to lose their taste for nutrient-dense traditional millets (ragi koozh, oratti).

It felt quite interesting to observe how farming is inextricably bound to their spiritual beliefs and folklore.

In this respect, the book highlights the concept of “Field Guardians” (Kollai Idurathu). Before harvest, farmers perform ritual offerings and animal sacrifices to Kollai Muni (the field guardian deity) and Kannimar (the seven goddesses of prosperity).

The book also features their rich folklore - local sayings, such as carrying lemons, charcoal, and dried chillies to protect sweet millet flatbreads (oratti) from attracting wandering ghosts or spirits (pey).

To me personally, this book makes highly engaging reading for the following reasons –

Firstly, the book’s take on structural nativisms, regional words from Jawadhu Hills, and their uniqueness.

Secondly, I like the way the book subverts linguistic hierarchies, by rejecting diminutives, (and top-down terms like shri anna) and instead documenting the words that the farmers on the soil use to name and value their own crops. instead

Thirdly, the book has given agency to local voices, by directly documenting their embodied experiences from the soil. In fact the book has been co-created over 1.5 years directly with indigenous farmers (such as Jaya and Raman of Vazhakkadu village).

Fourthly, the book is a lovely tribute to field ethnography, with a vibrant multimodal trilingual reach. Indeed, the book combines Tamil dialect along with English and French, along with a vast array of field photographs, and line drawings, thereby making field ethnography accessible worldwide.

Fifthly, the book doesn’t romanticise tribal life at any point of time. It balances deep respect for ecological wisdom with honest accounts of debt, migration, and technological shifts.

In a power-knowledge framework, where language becomes a mirror of power, the book strives to stand out as an exception. By documenting regional terms like veraikkirathu (local pronunciation for sowing) rather than giving the standardised Tamil textbook terms, it not only preserves the linguistic integrity of the Jawadhu region, but also subtly demonstrates how scientific and administrative labels often seek to marginalise local knowledge.

Yet another unique feature about the book is that, the book doesn’t sport a strict linear hierarchy. The reader can flip through entries individually or read it end-to-end, without any ‘dominant’ words or ‘practices’ subsuming other terms.

To sum it up, the book titled, Words from Jawadhu Hills treats language not merely as grammar, but as a living ecosystem. And by allowing the Malaiyali millet farmers to describe their land, labour, tools, and struggles in their own dialect, the book not only documents the voices of the farmers live from the fields, but also gives them agency in the process.

Where the subaltern can speak, and also be heard!

Therein lies the uniqueness of this “book”.

An Eventful Day of Literature and Brotherhood | From Margoschis to Madurai ❤️

A Rewarding Evening at Margoschis College

First Day’s FDP | A Report

17th August 2026

It was an honour to be the inaugural speaker for the seven-day FDP on “New Frontiers in Humanities Research: Emerging Paradigms” organised by Nazareth Margoschis College, Thoothukudi District. I spoke on the topic, “Trajectories in Literary Gerontology”, from 7.10 pm to 8.35 pm.

Well, this evening, just two hours before the FDP had started, I received a call from the Principal of Margoschis College (my brother and very good friend, and an illustrious alumnus of MCC) Dr. Benison.

Inviting me formally for the FDP he also added, ‘Thambi, please log in by 6.45 pm. Else, it would be a bit difficult to get into the Zoom meet’.

Quite surprised, I asked him, “Sure Annan. Approximately how many Professors and Researchers have registered, Annan?”

“More than 450 have registered, thambi. That’s why I want you to log in early”, he said.

"Woww! That’s a record number of participants for an FDP, Annan," I observed. 

So delighted to note that, we had participants from all over India and abroad, and the interaction session that followed the Talk went on for well over 45 minutes, that the organisers had to finally ‘disable chat’ on the Zoom meet to finally end the meeting! The FDP session ended by 9.15 pm.

Also, I was happy to see a host of vibrant familiar faces - Dr. Anjana Nair, Dr. Archana, Dr. Tony, Prof. Sundhar, among others. 

Special congratulations to my brother Dr. Benison, Principal, Margoschis College, on organising this FDP on a highly pertinent theme that is in tune with the needs of academia today.

A special word of appreciation to Dr. Garret and his team for their exemplary dedication and team work.

After the online session today, Dr. Benison Annan, personally called me up and thanked me, as a formal, courtesy call. It was such a noble gesture that I really cherish a lot.

On the whole, a very rewarding day in every way!

Wait, that’s not all... 😊

When I opened my WhatsApp I saw a string of messages from my brother Dr. Rama Subbiah, Principal, Mannar Thirumalai Naickar College, Madurai. He showed me the pages and pages of notes he had taken during my talk this evening. I was deeply touched to the core.

[On an aside, Indeed it was another eventful day today at Mannar College, Madurai, since Ms. Hannah David - had her PhD Viva Voce exam. The who’s who of Madurai’s academia were there at Mannar! Be it the Principal of Lady Doak College, the Principal of American College, Dr. Dayalan, HoD of Madurai Kamaraj University, Dr.Amala, Dr. Janaki, Dr. Premila Paul, were all present to grace the occasion].

The Principal of such an illustrious College, who also had the Viva of a PhD Scholar today in Campus, has taken the time off to listen to my lecture, and had also taken copious notes.

Such a beautiful gesture. A subtle acknowledgement of his love and encouragement for me.

Thank you dear Subbu Annan. 

Dr. Rama Subbiah with Dr. Arjunan

Specialised Literary Studies | Refresher Course in English | Karnatak University, Dharwad ❤️

Refresher Course in English | Karnatak University, Dharwad

9th & 10th August 2026 | A Report

Felt so happy to have been invited to serve as a Resource Person for the Online Refresher Course in English, organised by the University Grants Commission’s Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Centre (UGC-MMTTC) at Karnatak University, Dharwad.

The course has been designed for college and university teachers specialising in English from across various states in India. We had around 61 professors from across India, taking part in the refresher course, that runs from 3rd August to 14th August 2026.

I was happy to deliver two 90-minute interactive sessions that focused exclusively on specialised literary studies, from 12.10 pm to 1.40 pm on two consecutive days – 9th August (yesterday) and 10th August (today).

It was so heartwarming to see a lot of participants engaging in such rewarding discussions – both during and after the lecture.

On the whole, a rewarding time of learning and sharing we had today!

Thank you Karnatak University, Dharwad and to all the enthusiastic participants for such a rewarding, interactive session. 

A special word of thanks to my dear friend Dr. N. S. Gundur (Senior Professor and Chairman, Department of Studies and Research in English, Tumkur University, Tumakuru, Karnataka).

"I had to face almost 80 rejections for the first few years" ❤️

@ Vinayaka Missions Arts & Science College | Today

A Report

Felt so happy to be the Chief Guest for the inaugural of the English Literary Association of Vinayaka Mission University’s Arts & Science College at Paiyanur, Chennai today from 2 pm onwards.

Thanks to Ms. Dharsheni, our vibrant alumna for having invited me over to this sylvan Institution. I was quite surprised to see a host of MCC-ians on the rolls. 

Meeting with Prof. Anthea Isaac was also a pleasant surprise today. She did the MC so well, and the Director told me that she was the one who coordinated the choreo for the dance programme today. Congrats Prof. Anthea.

I was delighted to meet with Dr. Joshua Akhil, our vibrant alumnus, who is now teaching and also guiding students for their PhD with Vinayaga Missions.

It was such a joy interacting with him. He said that he has got eight Scopus-indexed publications, and his ninth paper has also been accepted for publication recently.

I was so overjoyed to know about his passion for research publications, and quite soon I also promptly rang up the Dean of Research and Development in MCC - Dr. Tabitha, to invite Dr. Joshua Akhil for talks in his alma mater – MCC.

During my interactions with him on how he got this passion for publishing research articles in Scopus-Indexed Journals, he said, “Sir, it wasn’t easy to begin with. I had to face almost 80 rejections for the first few years. But I didn’t lose hope. Only after that, miracles started happening. My articles were getting accepted one after the other, five in a row”, he said.

On how he finds time to balance his teaching and his research he said – “I try and work out time management, by apportioning and delegating tasks for each day of the week, and also for particular time slots on any given day, Sir. This in fact helps me de-stress and also improves my efficiency in my work, sir”, he observed. So proud of you, Dr. Joshua Akhil.

On an aside, hearty congratulations to Ms. Prasitha (from today onwards Dr. Prasitha) on successfully defending your PhD thesis in the Viva Voce examination today, at VIT Chennai. Hearty congratulations to her vibrant Research Supervisor Dr. Bhuvaneswari as well. 

"Make the Most of Your MCC Days" | "Get Your Writing Going" | "Make Writing a Habit" | ❤️

VISA Episode #30 | A Report

Mr. Aadhavan Pazhani | University of London, UK

The Office of International Programmes, MCC, in collaboration with the Dept of English (Aided), MCC, hosted the 30th episode of its VISA (Virtual Interaction with Scholars Abroad) series, at 7.30 pm, today, Monday, 10th August 2026 via Google Meet.

Nearly 70 students – past and present, and faculty members, participated in the Interactive Session.

On an aside, the VISA Programmes are specifically designed to offer guidance and orientation for students who are aspiring to pursue their higher studies abroad.

It is a unique initiative organised by the Office of International Programmes designed to bridge the gap between current students and the global academic community, by providing direct access to our illustrious alumni abroad.

The programme regularly hosts virtual sessions that connect current MCC students with distinguished alumni and international scholars - who not only share their personal experiences, academic journeys, and the realities of studying overseas, but also offer valuable advice and actionable guidance for students aspiring to pursue higher education abroad.

In this regard, one important aim of the event is to help students cultivate a genuine interest and clarity of purpose for their international studies by providing the necessary mentorship for them through our alumni abroad. 

Today’s informative and interactive session featured valuable insights from a distinguished MCC alumnus Mr. Aadhavan Pazhani who is currently pursuing his Doctoral Programme with the Department of English and Creative Writing at Goldsmiths, University of London, UK.

Mr. Aadhavan did his B.A. English Language and Literature (2014-17), and his M.A in English Language and Literature (2017-19), MCC.

Excerpts from his Talk this evening –

If you get into MCC or Loyola, then you can do English Literature, my family members had clearly told me, when they knew about my passion for English literature.

And luckily I got into MCC.

One question that you might ask is, “Why do Tamil Research in UK?”

I did my UG in English 2014-17.

This was the time when a host of new papers were introduced in MCC. I would go to literary events with my classmates and also with friends from other depts like Political science.

When Dr. JS asked me my topic for my master’s thesis, I said it was translation studies. She was happy to allow me to do it.

MCC developed my own unique creative thinking skills.

I was also able to translate Stalin Rajangam’s essays on cinema. This was my initial journey that took me to reading and contributing to international publications.

I wanted to work on 19th century Tamil society. On the one hand we have British rule. On the other hand, we have the old models of education being modernised during this time as well. So I wanted to look at the Tamil colonial dialogue and the other side of colonialism.

I was also interested in what kinds of translations came to Tamil as part of my research. In this regard, I worked extensively in the British library where you have immense number of materials.

I should also thank Dr. Monsingh and Dr. Ponnivalavan for having suggested good English movies. I am happy for that, since those movies have had a great impact on me.

I remember watching Portuguese films suggested by Prof. Monsingh, that I was able to connect with my friends from Portugal and Europe.

I would say with all conviction that, the period that you spend in MCC really shapes your thinking and thereby it shapes you and helps you get the right context.

UK is a very interesting place, and one nation that prioritises education. Many from South Asia come here to do their UG, Masters and Doctoral programmes. Oxford and Cambridge, LSE, Sussex, York, Bristol, Queen’s University, Belfast, Trinity College, Dublin.

These are those small moments that helped me go to the UK. I was very fortunate to get a fellowship called AHRC-CHASE funding.

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) is the main source of UK Government PhD funding for doctoral students researching in Arts and Humanities subjects. AHRC funding will cover tuition fees and include a living cost stipend currently set at £20,780 per year. They fund cutting-edge research programmes in sciences and humanities, in London colleges. They give you funding for the entire duration of your PhD – covering both tuition fees and staying fees.

For those of you aspiring for research, get your writing going – make writing a habit – because that really helps you lots! 

Get as much as writing training when you’re in MCC – while doing your UG and PG.

There are two fellowships that are more common –

Chevening Fellowships

Masters runs for a year in the UK.

Commonwealth Fellowships for Masters Fellowships, and Doctoral students can also get a short-term fellowship for three months.

UK has plenty of archives – it’s a country known for its archiving.

I got hold of a lot of 17th century and 18th century rare manuscripts.

The Newton fellowship

Marie-Curie Fellowship

There are also field-based fellowships – for Medical humanities, Digital humanities.

Even for your Master’s you should be able to write an SoP.

For my Doctoral Programme they asked me, “What particular archives or library sources will you use?”

I used the British Library archives, the SOAS Archives, the Oxford Archives, etc.

People also go to Birmingham to read about archives connected with India.

It also has a lot of rare manuscripts related to Thiruvachagam.

You can include this in the SoP, saying, Why it will be useful to you.

When you write your abstracts, the first couple of sentences are important.

What particular intervention you are doing is important. Your hypothesis, and how it would invite further research in the field is also important.

University of East Anglia also runs a Week-long programme on Summer School for Translations.

British centre for literary translations – so don’t just look for three-year funding alone.

Even small grants can help build your profile. You can find them on LinkedIn. You can write to them. You can also participate in International Conferences, which help in networking.

Last year Dr. Samuel Moses and myself we presented on Cinema in the UK.

In 2024 March, I helped organise a conference on the legendary Mr. Madhavaiah, in MCC.

He was a pioneering Tamil novelist, who features descriptions of MCC and Miller in his novels. Miller would give recommendation letters for Madhavaiah, one of the early English novelists as well. He was one of the pioneers of Indian writing in English.

His first writing appears in MCC Magazine. You can see them in the archives of MCC.

We wanted to discuss the role of MCC in shaping the early Telugu novels of Madhavaiah.

In fact it was serialised in the MCC Magazine.

MCC has produced a lot of eminent personalities. We organised two conferences in MCC. I also invited scholars in Tamil studies and English Studies.

Make the most of your MCC days, he exhorted students.

This was followed by a series of interactions with students. Mr. Sabarinathan, our former Global Student Ambassador and Office Intern, had a few interesting questions for Mr. Aadhavan.

This lovely feedback from Mr. Sabarinathan would be an apt summing up of the event today! 

On the whole, it was a very rewarding evening – well-spent with an illustrious alumnus! 😊

Cordially Inviting You... ❤️

 

The Tiger as an Elder Brother: Reflections on Cultural Syncretism in Naga Literature ❤️

Exploring Cultural Syncretism in Naga Literature

Today’s Ph.D. Defence @ SRM University | A Report

I was so happy to be one of the External Examiners for the Viva Voce Exam of Ms. Ganga Devi, SRM University, Kattangulathur, Chennai, today at 9.30 am.

Well, something that really fascinates me skyhigh is the intersection of literature, anthropology and psychology. One reason why I always keep an eye out for fresh academic perspectives on these topics.

Today, I was so happy to witness one such compelling piece of research on the topic, “Transitional Dynamics of Angami Nagas and Cultural Syncretism: From Autochthonous to Hybridity in the select novels of Easterine Kire”, well-defended by Ms. Ganga Devi, at the M.S. Subbulakshmi Hall.

Ms. Ganga Devi R K, did a very good defence. In her presentation spanning 56 slides, she rarely looked up to the notes that she had in her hand, and that spontaneity in her talk resonated lots with the audience.

“Culture doesn’t just endure; it transforms. It sheds old forms and adopts new ones, weaving the complex, ever-evolving tapestry we recognise as cultural hybridity”, she started her defence, and then proceeded to examine the pre-liminal, liminal and post-liminal phases of the Angami tribes – the third largest tribe in Nagaland. Schooling and scripting for the Nagas, came with the colonisers, she averred.

Ganga then elucidated on the transitional dynamics of cultural syncretism.

Killing the tiger was considered a sacrilegious act among the Nagas, as it was considered an elder brother by the tribespeople. In the cultural and spiritual traditions of the Angami Naga tribe (as well as neighbouring Naga tribes), lycanthropy is a prominent concept, wherein the Angami believe that humans and tigers are intimately related through ancestry.

For this reason, in the Naga tradition, lycanthropy is considered a spiritual phenomenon where a person’s soul projects into an animal (such as a leopard or tiger) during sleep. Even today, in some remote parts of Nagaland, these tigermen still serve as local diviners, spirit mediums, and healers.

Dr. Prantik Banerjee, Professor of English at Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, who was the second External Examiner, had some very interesting observations as well.

On an aside, as soon as we both met, the first question he asked me was,

How far is MCC from SRM? 😊

Around 15 kms, I suppose, Sir, I replied.

Well, I come from around 1500 kms away, from Nagpur, he said, with a gentle smile on his face.

The very word “Nagpur” rang a bell in me, and so I impulsively asked him if he had been to Pench Tiger Reserve or Tadoba Tiger Reserve, which has the rarest spottings of the Tigers, the leopards, the bears, the foxes and the dholes. 😊

“Oh yes! I have! And many times too!”, he said, adding, “That’s why the concept of Tiger as an elder brother resonated well with me”.

Coming back,

Dr. Prantik in his remarks observed that, their University had the unique honour of having hosted Ms. Kire a couple of years ago. During her visit, she had expressed her reservations on research scholars interpreting her texts using a lot of -isms, it seems.

He also asked a question to the research scholar on those lines –

As somebody who doesn’t like researchers using a lot of -isms to dissect her works, and as an anti-theorist herself, how do you view your research on Kire?

Ms. Ganga gave a convincing reply to this very insightful question.

Dr. Prantik also supported her viewpoint saying that, ‘Even writers may not be aware of the many facets of their writing that the researchers uncover layer by layer. That’s where theoretical lens helps us lots. At the same time we should be able to justify the theoretical lens that we are using to augment our thesis statement.

When one participant asked her, ‘What were the various struggles you went through during your Research work?” she smiled and said, ‘It wasn’t a struggle at all, since I enjoyed every step of my research work right from day one!”.

And that I feel is the passion and the verve that every research scholar needs to cultivate!

Hearty congratulations to Dr. Ganga Devi, and to her vibrant Research Supervisor Dr. Arunprabhu on producing such a vibrant thesis - that - i strongly feel, would be a real value-addition to the body of studies in this field.

Talk to your professors, express your interests, and “Don’t hesitate to ask questions!” ❤️

From the Classroom to Space: A Guide to Studying Abroad 

VISA Programme

Episode # 29 | A Report

Mr. Rabin William, our illustrious alumnus from the Dept of Physics (Aided), delivered an inspiring and highly informative presentation in the VISA Programme’s 29th Episode, today, at 7.30 pm IST via Zoom Platform.

Rabin gave a meticulous presentation detailing his career trajectory and also offered a roadmap for our current students who are aspiring to study abroad.

Currently based in Dublin, Ireland, Rabin works as a Space Systems Engineer and Product Lead at InnaLabs, developing gyroscopes and accelerometers for space navigation for major clients like the European Space Agency (ESA) and AIRBUS.

A few lovely takeaways from his talk – that outlined on how he navigated the journey from a bachelor’s degree to a successful career in the space industry.

Rabin began his academic journey studying BSc Physics at Madras Christian College (MCC) with a focus on the practical side of space science. Initially, he had no plans to study abroad and was focused on passing the IIT JAM to pursue a Master’s degree at an IIT or NIT before moving into industry.

However, his trajectory shifted dramatically when he attended a study abroad talk during his 3rd year. This inspired him to shift his focus to Plan B: pursuing an MSc abroad, he said.

To successfully transition abroad, Rabin outlined a structured five-step preparation strategy.

Seek out topics that genuinely interest you, visualize your ideal day-to-day work life, and speak with professionals in that field.

Research top universities in your fields of interest, attend study abroad fairs, and utilize platforms like QS TopUniversities, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Dedicate time to passing language exams like IELTS/TOEFL (which he self-prepared for daily), writing a strong Statement of Purpose (SOP), and gathering academic transcripts and Letters of Recommendation.

Aim for scholarship applications by targeting early deadlines between December and March for the Fall (September) intake.

Keep a master list tracking all university-specific deadlines and requirements, 

he exhorted our students. 

On the Course Realities in Ireland, he said that - 

For students who are considering Ireland, Rabin provided a candid assessment of the current master’s degree landscape with respect to Ireland -

Computer Science, Software & AI programs are “saturating fast”.

Data Science & Business Analytics are considered “oversaturated”.

Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology (including Biomedical Engineering) offer “decent” prospects.

Finance, FinTech & Accounting remain a “good” choice.

Master’s programs are usually completed in one year over three semesters, but students should be prepared for the fact that coursework is roughly 80% self-study. A crucial piece of advice was to opt for an internship in the final semester, especially since there are no campus placements provided by the university; students must navigate the job market themselves.

Getting an unconditional offer letter is a prerequisite for what Rabin calls “the real deal” - the visa application.

Engaging a consultancy is recommended, but applicants should choose their own university and avoid paying consultancy fees, as these agencies are usually compensated by their partner institutions.

The visa application takes at least 1-2 months, and providing clear, comprehensive financial proofs is vital, as many applications are rejected due to insufficient documentation.

Living abroad requires strict budgeting. For the 2025/2026 academic year, students should anticipate monthly living costs (excluding tuition) between €950 and €1,250. 

Rent is the most significant factor - 

Dublin: €720-880

Cork: €580-730

Galway: €520-670

Limerick: €480-630

Waterford: €420-520

Finally, a successful study abroad experience goes beyond academics. Rabin encouraged students to enrich their university life by making international friends, joining student societies (like the UCD International Students Society, Game Soc, or Physics Society), and deeply exploring the local culture. He also highlighted the importance of networking through alumni events, job fairs, and utilizing the university’s career centre.

To strengthen a CV, he urged students to build personal projects, attend workshops, and participate in hackathons. In fact, his own involvement paid off significantly when his team, the ‘Irish Moonquakers,’ won a NASA Space Apps Challenge in Dublin.

And his ultimate piece of advice for ambitious students?

Talk to your professors, express your interests, and “Don’t hesitate to ask questions!”,

he signed off.

More than 40 students had turned up online, along with Rabin’s past professors, past VISA speakers, and our alumni as well.

Dr. Jacob George, Dept of Physics facilitated the student interactions. Mr. Mathew Alex, II MA Political Science did the MC, and Dr. Serena coordinated the Programme on behalf of the Office of International Programmes, MCC.