A second year engineering student of the Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT), Aadarsh Mishra (18) has published 23 international research papers ” on subjects ranging from material sciences to nanotechnology ” the highest so far by an undergrad in India. Based on his research output, Aadarsh was offered a scholarship of £3,000 (Rs.3 lakh) to complete the remainder of his engineering degree at Cardiff University, UK.

Inspired by a senior MIT alumnus who has written 22 cited research papers, Aadarsh decided to write his first while studying solar cells and researching thin films early this year. In February I presented a paper titled ‘Photovoltaic properties of sns based solar cells’ at the International Conference of Mechanical Engineering in Pune, which was published within a month. The encouragement I received from reviewers at the conference steeled my determination to engage in research, says Aadarsh, who interned at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore before moving to Cardiff. Aadarsh’s papers have been published in several reputed journals including The International Journal for Mechanical Engineering and Robotics Research, Journal of Metallurgy and Material Science and International Journal for Mechanical and Production Engineering.

The only child of the late Ramsewak Mishra, a Lucknow-based bureaucrat, and Kanaklata, a homemaker, Aadarsh is grateful for the œunstinted support he received from his research guide Dr. Y. Raviprakash, assistant professor of physics at MIT. The thought of breaking the record never entered my mind. What drove me was the desire to contribute to science and technology development. Dr. Raviprakash was a pillar of support who strengthened my concepts of physics and material science, he says.

After completing his engineering degree from Cardiff University, Aadarsh plans to pursue a doctorate programme in tribology. œCurrently, there’s a wide gap between academic research and technologies employed in Indian industry. I want to bridge this gap, he enthuses.
Wind in your sails!

Paromita Sengupta (Bangalore)