The Techno India SPIE Student Chapter was established in accordance with the SPIE

bylaws in October, 2014. This was just three months before the commencement of the

United Nations observance of ‘The International Year of Light’. The primary objective of

the IYL 2015 is to raise global awareness of how optical technologies can promote

sustainable development. We, at the Techno India Chapter, in our own little way are

striving to raise awareness of how light; the essence of our existence can improve the life

of mankind in numerous ways.

BRIEF DETAILS:

Date of Establishment: 27th October, 2014

Chapter Advisor: Mr. Saikat Majumder, Assistant Professor, Department of Electronics

and Instrumentation Engineering

Total No of Members: 16

CURRENT CHAPTER OFFICERS (2014-15):

* New Chapter Officers (2015-16) to be elected soon.

CURRENT STUDENT CHAPTER MEMEBERS:

NAME E-MAIL CONTACT

AISHIK BISWAS aishik.cricphy@gmail.com +91 8334962623

AMIT KUMAR JHA amitjha074@gmail.com +91 9804826266

DEBASMITA BANERJEE write2debasmita@gmail.com +91 8334933904

AYAN HALDER ayanhalder25@gmail.com +91 8100266484

DIPANKAR GANGULY dipganguly292@gmail.com +91 8697669475

INDRANIL MALLICK indranilmallick40@gmail.com +91 8016450429

CHIRANTAN GHOSH ghosh.chirantan@gmail.com +91 8282882600

ANANYO ROY ananyowinner@gmail.com +91 9051711516

SANKHA SUBHRA MUKHERJEE sankhasubhra

mukherjee@rediffmail.com +91 8961039300

NAME POST SPIE

ID E-MAIL CONTACT

AISHIK

BISWAS PRESIDENT 3642854 aishik.cricphy@gmail.com +91 8334962623

AMIT

KUMAR JHA

VICE-

PRESIDENT 3642866 amitjha074@gmail.com +91 9804826266

DEBASMITA

BANERJEE SECRETARY 3642855 write2debasmita@gmail.com +91 8334933904

AYAN

HALDER TREASURER 3642954 ayanhalder25@gmail.com +91 8100266484

ABHIRUP NANDI abhirupnandi05@yahoo.in +91 9836361702

ALAPAN GIRI alapangiri6@gmail.com +91 9830949068

DEBARPITA MUKHERJEE debarpitamukherjee96@gmail.com +91 8902694802

SHRUTI SENGUPTA shruti0524@gmail.com +91 8335094884

SHUBAJIT MONDAL jitpaul14@gmail.com +91 9748028873

RAJ SHAIKH rjshaikh47@gmail.com +91 9474977343

SANMITRA BARMAN sanmitrabarman12@gmail.com +91 8017163085

ACTIVITIES:-

A. Inaugural Lecture

B. Outreach Programmes

C. Optical Model Design

D. Creating awareness about SPIE and its activities

E. Visit to San Diego for SPIE Optics + Photonics, 2015

A. Inaugural lecture by Prof. Yatagai (21st February, 2015):

On the 21st of February, 2015 we were honoured to have Professor Toyohiko Yatagai,

President of SPIE deliver our inaugural lecture. He briefed us not only about SPIE and its

various activities but also gave us an insight into holography, optical storage devices and

upcoming advances in the field of Optics.

B-1. First Outreach Programme (30th June, 2015):

On the 30th of June, 2015 we conducted our very first outreach activity. We taught and

demonstrated basic optical phenomena to fifty students of class 6/7 of Dankuni Sri

Ramakrishna Vidyashram. We used the outreach kit sent to us by SPIE to demonstrate

reflection, refraction, dispersion and diffraction. Our members also demonstrated the

working of a pin hole camera and periscope. We also put to them interesting questions

like ‘Why is the sky blue?’ and ‘Why is the sky reddish during sunrise/sunset?’ The

response and feedback from the students were overwhelming. The SPIE funding was

used for transportation (car rental), for buying chocolates for the school students and for

the student members’ lunch.

B-2. Second Outreach Programme (29th July, 2015):

On the 29th of July we had our second outreach activity at Chetla Boys’ High School.

The hundred and fifty (150) odd boys showed a keen interest in our presentation which

bought to light various aspects of astronomy and photonics. We started the programme by

enlightening the school students about SPIE and IYL 2015. This was followed by a

presentation on different celestial objects like stars, planets, comets and how we can spot

them in the night sky. We then went on to teach them about primary and secondary

colours and the scattering of light. The basic objective of this programme was to generate

an interest among students studying in schools which lack laboratories and proper

infrastructure. We received great appreciation from both the students and the faculty. The

SPIE funding was used for transportation (car rental), for buying chocolates for the

school students and for the student members’ lunch.

C. Optical Model Design:

Our chapter members worked hard to build simple but innovative models related to optics

and photonics. Our chapter in its very first year participated in the annual outreach games

held at Optics + Photonics, 2015. We demonstrated total internal reflection and the basic

principle of light propagation in an optical fibre, by shining a laser torch inside a hole

made in a bottle filled with water. We also explained the principle involved in zooming

in/ zooming out in a camera using an achromatic doublet, and the phenomenon of

refraction by showing how a coin placed inside a glass seems to ‘disappear’ after pouring

water into it.

Our chapter members have also made a 3D hologram and a Lissajous figure generator

using small mounted rotating circular mirrors kept at an angle to each other and by

shining a laser pointer (signal) on the mirrors. With a little more improvisation in the

existing set up, and by using a signal generator we hope to be able to perform simple

mathematical operations (like differentiation and integration) on the signals and thereby

generate more interesting patterns.

Total Internal Reflection

3D Hologram

Basic idea of a Lissajous figure generator

D. Creating awareness about SPIE and its activities:

During the annual fresher’s welcome held at our college, we introduced the new students

about SPIE, the International Year of Light and the outreach activities that have been

undertaken by us. Our chapter president Aishik Biswas also briefed them about his

experience of representing the chapter at San Diego during Optics + Photonics 2015. The

new students showed a keen interest during the event.

We also conducted two more such sessions with students of different departments, where

we informed the students about our future activities. The SPIE funding was used to

arrange for food during the sessions.

E. Visit to San Diego for attending SPIE Optics + Photonics 2015

2015 conference (8th – 13th August, 2015):

The President of our Student Chapter, Aishik Biswas represented the Techno India

Chapter at the annual SPIE meeting held in San Diego, California from 8th to 13th August.

He attended the Student Leadership programme, participated in the Outreach Games and

presented our Chapter Activity Poster at the conference. Our handmade poster depicting

our Chapter activities made by chapter members was thoroughly appreciated by all

including SPIE President elect Dr Robert Lieberman. It was a great learning experience

for him where he got to interact with students and scientists from around the world.

FINANCIAL INFORMATON:-

Chapter Bank Account Details:

Bank Name: State Bank Of India,

Account Type- Current

Account No:34645551215,

Address: Salt Lake Electronics Complex (Kolkata)

XI, 8/1 E P Block Salt Lake Sector-V,

Kolkata, WB-700091

Income

Heads Amount (INR)

Starting balance 0

Activity Grant 30196.74

Banking Interest Credit 100

Banking Charge Debit 618

Net Income 29678.74

Expenditure:

Heads Amount (INR)

Inaugural Lecture 3500

Outreach Activity 11300

Model/poster 3500

Books 1200

Awareness 700

Total Expenditure 20200/-

*Available balance of INR 9478.74/-

PLANNED ACTIVITIES FOR THE FUTURE:-

1. We have planned to hold a special two day IYL event highlighting Light and Its

Applications comprising guest lectures by eminent scientists, a student article

presentation competition, a painting competition and a quiz. Our student chapter

members have already prepared innovative optical models which will be put up on

display. We were scheduled to have the programme during the first week of October,

but due to unavoidable academic reasons, we were forced to postpone the event. We

have decided to organise the event in an even bigger way in December, 2015 as a

commemorative IYL closing ceremony.

2. We would like to conduct more large scale outreach programmes aimed at marginalised sections of society.

3. We will take our students for an industrial visit to the Central Glass and Ceramic

Research Institute, Kolkata in order to get acquainted with the processes involved in

the manufacturing of Optical Fibre.

4. We would like to hold a lecture series in which leading scientists and engineers will

enlighten the students about the different aspects of optics and photonics.

5. We are also looking forward to organising a free eye check-up camp in association with a leading eye clinic.