January 2015 - The Fifth Estate, IIT Madras

A Brief Chat with Kris Gopalakrishnan and Rajiv Lochan

“Print media is dependent upon revenue but we believe advertisers would come where there are readers and today’s readers are not willing to accept nonsense. Our policy on pricing reflects that. It does not matter whether our competitors are pricing at rates that are atrociously low. Our content stands out and readers are willing to pay for that.” — Rajiv Lochan, CEO of The Hindu.

An exclusive T5E interview with Rajiv Lochan and Krish Gopalakrishnan, from their appearance at the Shaastra Entrepreneurship Confluence. Read their views on startups and jobs for engineering graduates.

Three Degrees Above Zero

Why does the universe have stars, galaxies, and us? The answer is encoded in the primordial light we are bathed in.

In Photos: Saarang and Shaastra, 2015

A look-back at our student festivals, Saarang and Shaastra, conducted early this month.

Everyday Lives of Everyday People: the P. Sainath lecture

Read about P. Sainath’s talk on rural India and migration, part one of the HSS department conference happening early next month.

Inconvenient Truths: The Construction Case Demystified

Confused by the convoluted proceedings of the construction case? Kalyani Subbaiah provides a simple, yet detailed look using legal records. Following coverage of the deer deaths issue in Part 1 and a look at the construction case in Part 2(A), T5E brings you the latest part of our ‘Inconvenient Truths’ series, which looks at the environmental conundrums facing IITM.

From Maidans to Media: Rajdeep Sardesai on the 2014 Elections

‘Has the 2014 Election Really Changed India?’ was the topic of the Extra Mural Lecture by media doyen Rajdeep Sardesai. Parvathi Madhu brings you the highlights of Sardesai’s witty, brilliant commentary on an election with a man who was ‘a combination of Sri Sri Ravishanker and Arnold Schwarzenegger’ on one side and a young leader who ‘never lost an opportunity to lose an opportunity’ on the other.

Prodigal Profs: Why Alumni Come Back to Teach

‘Smiling widely, Prof. Manokaran says, “It may sound cheesy, but I wanted to come back to make an impact. If you look at the technology that has come out of India in the last ten years, it has made a huge impact. Now we can try to attack the problems where there is a huge demand for innovation. If you ask me why I came to IIT Madras … it’s one of the best places to be, and I don’t mean to brag, but students here are among the best in the world. I feel much more at home in Chennai than anywhere else.”’

Ananth and Aahlad speak to three young alumni professors about their motivations for coming back, their thoughts on what makes IITM unique, their opportunity costs for coming back to India, and much more.

Inconvenient Truths: A Campus of One’s Own – The Construction Issue

In part 2(A) of our ‘Inconvenient Truths’ series which covers IITM’s environment-related issues, Nithin Ramesan looks at the construction case that insti has been embroiled in in recent times. What is the way forward? Satellite campuses, replacing tree coverage, construction bans…varied and conflicting opinions abound. Read to find out.

T5E Vacation Guide: Obscenely addictive sites and blogs to follow

‘Do you believe that you have the answers to someone’s burning questions?
Do you believe that fellow netizens are abounding with infinite insight?
Did you once like Yahoo Answers?’

If so, Padma provides you with a list of quirky websites on the net which make you feel knowledgeable without the least effort.

T5E Vacation Guide 2014-15: Social Networking

“It is common knowledge that social networks can fuel boredom and procrastination like selfies fuel egos. A black hole of time-wasting and self-loathing, punctuated with the occasional comment war and cat video, Facebook, Twitter, and such aren’t just for making your friends and colleagues believe your life is better than theirs anymore.” Anjani gives a few pointers to make your social networking experience a little less aimless.