Academic things to consider before going for a PhD | Part 2 | IIT prof's advice | PhD Admission

[@Prof_JC]

Fill this form if you wish to post a question to me for a deeper discussion: forms.gle/M3ksxwjJHSB9zB4D7 Interesting questions, comments from the above form may be featured in future KZbin videos.

[@aryanmandal4109]

This world needs more professors like you to make it a better place!!

[@soumyarupbiswas1551]

Thank you again, sir. I am in my 2nd year phD at IITKGP at the civil engg dept... For my first paper I got almost 12 to 15 times corrections by my supervisor, so I can relate to your comments and advices about the writing part. Thank you for making these back to back wonderful videos professor. This motivates people like us a lot who aspire to follow your footsteps, sir.

[@Prof_JC]

The first paper is almost always like that.

[@jagannathck]

Fantastic my dear son. Beautifully spelt out guidance touching the ground reality.

[@ashishsaxena3521]

Thank you so much sir for this video, I myself asked these questions. Some answers were no some were yes. But the hope of improvement is important. PhD is all about learning. I understood each and every point of you. Please make other parts also like how to tackle criticism, rejection of research paper etc.....make it like series...it will be helpful for young researchers like me. We do mistakes but kind of guidance is really important. And thanks for writing part explanation. I always thought I am good in technical terms but it doesn't mean I am good in writing. Well I will try to improve my writing skills. Again thank you....i will wait for other videos......and I will suggest it to my fellow phd mates......

[@Prof_JC]

Many thanks for the kind words! I am seriously thinking about making a video on those points.

[@rahulodra]

Dear Professor, First of all, a big round of applause for touching on all the subtle points that are often overlooked (I would say not realized) by aspiring Ph.D students. This video would resonate with my brother who was doing his Ph.D in the US and always complaining about his writing being slow. He put it down to our parents who worked in remote areas of the country and hence could not provide us with English medium education. But he pushed his way up through reading Jeffery Archer novels and so on but could not master the formal part of the language. Now, coming to the nub of the matter, you seem to be extremely expressive in the language. Did your parents impose only-English rule at home? In many cases, just going to an English medium school does not suffice to build fluency. Sure enough, kids learn to speak the language but as you said writing sentences and writing paragraphs are two different ballgames. Was your school an elite one (old colonial type ICSE board)? I am thinking of taking all these learning into future kid's upbringing, making him an eloquent person.

[@Prof_JC]

Thank you really for the kind words! And, I appreciate the efforts your brother put in for the sake of language. As for my own training, no, my parents did not impose any rule about speaking in English at home. My mom is not very comfortable speaking it. But she is a literature major (in Assamese) and is extremely expressive; writes poetry and all that. My father was very particular about me learning the basics of grammar in a meticulous fashion. I had the privilege of going to good schools. My high school was arguably one of the best schools in Assam (Don Bosco, Guwahati), and thankfully it was extremely affordable (monthly fees was something like 300 rupees back in the late 90s). It was a state board school but the curriculum did have an "old school" flavour. And, they placed a lot of emphasis on learning English properly. And, I took part in a lot of extra curriculuar activities (involving writing and speaking). And, ultimately I had the extreme privilege of going for tuition to a fantastic teacher (her family spoke English at home!). She really trained me how to write. Just writing grammatically correct sentences was not enough with her! A combination of all these factors brought about a love for the language early on, and I kind of cultivated it over the years. But I still think that although I can write reasonably well, my spoken English is not particularly fluent.

[@rahulodra]

Well, you are still teaching at an esteemed institution of the country. You are also publishing in good journals. That's a feat for anyone from a middle-class background. Regarding spoken fluency, it's hard no matter how well read one is if there's no environment at home. Of course, there is no environment on the streets. Unfortunately, there is little understanding of this fact among the elites that control the country, who expect everyone to be fluent. My brother is quite accurate, but he doesn't speak the language fluently even after having spent 6 years in the US as in proper cross-over from one context to another through the use of connectors. You have that flow, however. This perhaps connects to the point you raised on some students from elite schools coming up with nicely crafted sentences but lacking flow. It's hard because the person already knows the language well. Improvement becomes difficult with increasing mastery over a skill. P.S- There is a small error in a sentence of yours. She really trained me on how to write or She really trained me to write or she really taught me how to write. " She really trained me how to write" is wrong. My brother is very good at such subtleties but his communication skill is bad. However his writing skills, at least in the context of technical writing, won't give that away.

[@rahulodra]

With this said, don't you think the institute is quite negligent about such matters? For example, the diagnostic test administered at IITK to identify students weak in English is a multiple choice type one. 😢. Even TOEFL is a joke, at least for Ph.D programs . My brother had a 104 on it, yet he struggled.

[@kushagratiwari7950]

although i have a long way to go before PhD, these videos are still very helpful for eventual future planning, thank you sir, great channel

[@Prof_JC]

All the very best!

[@debasisrath6466]

Thanks a lot sir for sharing these fine details about PhD. Can't wait for the 3rd part. Please give glimse of Importance of networking, feedback/ criticism, mental health & learning from failures during research.

[@Prof_JC]

Thinking seriously about the video on personality traits now!

[@pranaythapa2719]

Even though your target audience seems to be from the STEM yet I could relate a lot with what you said being a social science research scholar . Most of the things you said were eye opener and relatable. Thank you for coming up with this two series of videos. 👍🏾

[@Prof_JC]

Thank you. I am really glad you found it helpful. There is actually a third related video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rmHUc4akgLVobsk

[@thirdeyecreativity9924]

I am not telling that ‘Postponed Gate exam’. But i am astounded after thinking that - ‘how IIT KGP can play with student's health & life ???????? ’ #Atleast_give_chance_to_change_GateExam_center. Disappointed Behaviour of IIT Kharagpur

[@namangupta3160]

All that fine but what are the chances of GATE postponement ? Centers are far away , covid is high , and covid positive aren't allowed etc. What's problem with postponement ?

[@prasadpawar7027]

There are 2 Indias: NET Aspirants: Want exam to happen. Gate Aspirants: Want exam to be postponed. 😂

[@madcapprof]

The writing ability that one needs to develop is structured writing. Practice and try explaining an idea to someone who has limited background in the area.

[@Prof_JC]

Thank you Professor Sivaramakrishnan!

[@geetashingade2602]

Thank you Sir for sharing things that no one will tell us in such a kind and nice way. I have joined phD in NIT few weeks ago. If possible plz try to make a video on suggestions for first year research fellow. It is quite difficult to feel the research environment because of online session.

[@Prof_JC]

It is indeed a difficult situation for you all. The most important thing is to maintain a steady line of communication with your supervisor.

[@rahuldevarakonda8307]

I was caught completely off-guard by the wojack xD Anyway, thank you sir for these points, I am a student of physics who was intending to pursue a PhD degree, and hearing the points you made, I believe I can survive the perils of academia and push through, thank you so much for this video, inputs from a professor are always quite insightful.

[@Prof_JC]

Thank you for the kind words. And all the best!

[@Umar-xm3sl]

Sir You are one of the part of IIT Kgp . Many of GATE Aspirants Affected by Covid , Travel Issue kindly address our problem to your director. #postponegate2022

[@arunima7265]

Thanks a lot sir for your videos!! Such honest reviews are so hard to find nowadays online. It's like you are having a mentoring session with us.

[@abhijitrayias6259]

Osadharon sir

[@tharakViews]

Sir, Please make a video for Todos during PhD also. Thanks for the video, its fantastic.

[@Prof_JC]

Thank you for the kind comment.

[@Quantum_Dots]

Can you make a video on how to understand most out of research paper ?

[@SHAILENDRAHARIOUDH]

Dear Sir, Kindly use a good quality mic.. It's a humble request.. you really have a Great Voice. thanks.

[@Prof_JC]

Very recently, I have started using a proper microphone. Please check this video for example: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jmSnaYOOjdR5r8k ... And please let me know if you find it better. Thank you very much for the constructive feedback!

[@sivakumarkuppusamy4682]

Respected Sir. Very good info. Thank you. Kindly share the PH.D guide responsibility.

[@RenoAli229]

Nice and amazing... Prof... ❤❤❤🇮🇩🇮🇩🇮🇩

[@Prof_JC]

You are from Indonesia, right?

[@khushwantmaurya7414]

Sir you are really great You are telling the reality of everything

[@frictyfranq321]

Sir, I really am so grateful that you are giving your time so that it'll be helpful for some students who are in desperate need by sharing your knowledge. With the amount of effort that you have put for the video, I am in no position to critically judge any part of it. I still feel so lucky to have stumbled across your channel. I really liked the point that you stressed on open mindedness towards self development. As you said in the end, I'd want to hear more about the personal traits required for a Ph.D. Along with that, what one has to be psychologically prepared for and how; or what are the causes of mental distress or how to overcome them when enocuntered during your academic journey of Ph.D.

[@Prof_JC]

Many thanks for the very kind words. I am seriously thinking about the personality traits video.

[@haribabu9224]

thanks for this video sir and kindly request to you please make a video on writing a journal paper. Thanks to advance

[@rounitkamal2832]

I think you helped us very well in preparing our short term goals to tackle the challenges during phd. I specially liked the point you made on problem solving ability, I would like to add that sometimes while practicing problem solving it is more important, and also challenging/fun, to look for alternative solutions or see similarities of that problem with another different problem. Would love to hear more about the problems and how you tackled them in your academia life specially about competition.

[@amolauliyan7318]

Dear prof. Please consider making part 3 and congratulations on your improved editing skills 😇

[@Prof_JC]

Thank you. I will be seriously thinking about it.

[@devenmaths]

Sir , very helpful and connected videos 👏🙏🙏

[@gagansoni8185]

Hello sir, I am currently doing my masters in pure mathematics in IIT Madras. From last 1 year , I am consistently thinking about PhD. Your videos are making my vision clear. I am very very thankful to you.

[@Prof_JC]

Thank you for the kind words. All the best in your decision-making!

[@eshanborah8944]

Too good sir, 🙏...even after being a student of class 10, I love, and connect a lot to your videos.

[@Prof_JC]

All the best for your studies.

[@purnamaiti3562]

@jc #Gate_Exam_Center_Change Reopen web portal to change Exam center nearest home due to Covid & Lockdown.

[@pankajgopatwar8105]

Thanks for making video for this,sir. I am a Life Science person yet this video help me a lot.

[@shubhamrauniyar101]

Thank you Professor. I needed this guidance.

[@swapanbag595]

#Against_IIT_KGP IIT KGP NEVER THINK ABOUT STUDENT's HEALTH. #GATE_EXAM_CENTER_CHANGE

[@tejashrees9242]

Thank you very much for this video professor. You have told things in a very unbiased manner throwing light on all aspects in which one should prepare before coming for a Ph.D in both part-1 & 2. Please come up with the next video on personality traits required for a successful Ph.D

[@Prof_JC]

Thank you for the kind words. The personality traits video was out back on Feb. 11! Here is the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rmHUc4akgLVobsk

[@tejashrees9242]

Very kind of you for sharing the link. I started following you very recently. So, couldn't get to know that it was released. Thanks again :)

[@nikitasinghoroy9161]

#Open_WebPortal_Change_GateExam_Center ✊👊🤛💪✊✊

[@pranjalsrivastava9678]

Thanks for discussing each and every point..😊

[@viveksharma8977]

Sir Plz convey situation of Gate aspirants to IIT Kgp administration . They are playing with our future and life in these tough times. Sir plz keep our voice. Postpone Gate 2022

[@m13n8]

Dear sir, please make a video on how to choose our research topic?

[@physicsforyou718]

Respected Prof. J.C., your videos motivates me everytime and very beneficial for every research scholar. Right now I am a PhD student in IITG. The only thing I am difficult is to find a Research Gap in a research paper & I think I should work on that. Thank you very much sir.

[@Prof_JC]

All the very best in this crucial step!

[@vedantvaibhav9650]

Eagerly waiting for the next video thank you so much for showing me the right direction.

[@Prof_JC]

All the best!

[@vedantvaibhav9650]

@@Prof_JC Thank you sir for your wishes

[@soumyadipbhunia4095]

sir please upload nextvideo on required personality traits

[@ajeethaustin1506]

BTech and mtech are like t20 and ODI respectively but when it comes to PhD, it is like 5 days long TEST match,it test our real patiance and skills.

[@ramanathreyan]

Dear Prof. JC, thanks for your enlightening content. I would be glad if you could help me by answering the following questions: How do I convince the admission committee to admit me into a Ph.D. program that is different from my undergraduate major, given that I have very little technical knowledge of the former major? What is expected out of me as a potential Ph.D. candidate? Can I research on a very particular topic of interest and nothing else, or do I have to do what the university requires me to do?

[@sivakesavarnepalli9614]

I am certainly flabbergasted by the way you could bring in most of the concerns of students with diversified aspirations, apprehensions and conditions they are in. Thanks for making efforts in bridging a wide gap in the community. I feel am personally touched up on when you mentioned that the age limit for being assistant professor is 35 years. Sir I had purse masters from IITD way back in 2014 since then i have been in a teaching role in private firms ,now I would like to restart my journey into research. Do you think I can do efforts to join NITs/IITs at Associate professor level at later some point of time? If at all I have chances kindly mention all the journey I need to take from now on while being in the current role of teaching at private firm. Also I request you to talk about pursuing part-time Vs full time PhD, registering of PhD with reputed NIT VS IIT VS State Universities VS Deemed universities.

[@heisenberg8115]

Hello Sir, I m a GATE aspirant and it is always great to listen to you.

[@Prof_JC]

All the best for the exam!

[@heisenberg8115]

Thank you sir🙏🙏

[@sandipandhar4611]

Respected sir, I came to know about your KZbin channel just few weeks back and now I have found it very much helpful for engineering students of any discipline. Thanks to you on behalf of all the students for creating such important contents........ Sir, I personally had a question regarding my career... Sir, I am a PhD Scholar ( Pursuing my PhD from NIT DURGAPUR Computer science and Engineering ( CSE) branch on Speech Synthesis domain which an application domain of AI ), my PhD is jointly supervised by my supervisor from Nit Durgapur and co-supervisor from ISI Kolkata. Right now I am in 3rd of my PhD and have 2 IEEE TRANSACTIONS and willing to apply for few more. ... Sir, after my PhD I wants to go for Postdoc.... Sir, I have also done my M.Tech from NIT DURGAPUR CSE department with more than 8 cgpa... I have done my Class 10 and Class 12 from state board of Assam with 84% and 70% respectively. ... But Sir in my B.Tech ( which I have done from a state government engineering college of Assam) I have 59.88% ( that is second class , where as 60% is considered for first class , just for 5 marks I couldn't get ) .. I was having multiple health problems due to which ultimately I ended up with this percentage... but I have big dreams and I am doing my best to achieve it ...after my Postdoc I want to go for R&D ( like Microsoft, Amazon, Qualcomm etc ) and I am also preparing myself like wise.. as because I am 27 years old right now that's why Iam planning to join some R&D after 1 or 2 years of Postdoc and then I also have plan to switch academia ( after having some industrial experience) ...... But Sir my only fear is whether this 59.88% going to be obstacle then ?? Even if I don't get NIT, IIIT as an assistant professor I will not be upset but if none of the central government or state government university or engineering college will accept me for my B.Tech % I will be totally finished... Sir, what your experience says, will I be able to get a job in academia after my PhD, Postdoc and R&D experience with 59.88% in B.Tech ( however my rest of the percentage from class 10 to M.Tech is decent).... please share your views Sir.

[@Prof_JC]

Thank you for the kind words. And, thanks for sharing your story and your plans. If you manage to get into an industrial job, then the salary there will be so attractive that you may never wish to come back to academia! :) However, in the remote case that you still do wish to come back, your industrial experience will significantly compensate for your low UG grades. But before everything, make sure that your publication record becomes really good (it is on the right track now!). With a strong publication record from your PhD + a solid industrial experience you may actually end up being an attractive faculty candidate in good institutes. All the very best!

[@sandipandhar4611]

@@Prof_JC thank you very much for reply sir..it means a lot to me getting suggestion from a professor like you.. Sir my native place is Assam and one of my friend Deepjyoti Dhar who is pursuing his PhD from IIT KGP Mechanical Department ( who is also from Assam ) is also getting excellent research related suggestions as because you are in his DSC committee.

[@Prof_JC]

@@sandipandhar4611 Oh you are Deepjyoti's friend! :)

[@sandipandhar4611]

@@Prof_JC yes Sir

[@stuntsdude3906]

Sir do you have any information regarding gate postponement???

[@01agnikmandal36]

Yes sir make the video you are talking about

[@Yolo86364]

Thank you so much Sir for your valuable insight. As students we do not know what is expected of us. This and your other videos have been really helpful. Sir please do make a video on personality traits necessary for Ph.D.

[@Prof_JC]

Thank you for the kind words! I am very seriously thinking about the personality traits video. If you don't mind me asking you are from Assam, right?

[@Yolo86364]

@@Prof_JC Yes Sir i am from Assam

[@armaanmalhotra9042]

🔥🔥

[@priyankasharma2]

So useful Sir 🙏🏻💐

[@tejendranandgoswami89]

Hello Prof. @jc - Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and knowledge across...while looking out for some online suggestions & sources to get some insights of Phd study, fortunately got to see your couple of videos through which you are delivering the bits of our study system in a comprehensive manner... I liked it :) ... I got some more understanding to improve on softskills and inculcating the ideas to take the benefits... be you look forward to pursue study or working somewhere as an individual...Appreciate your presentation skill!

[@Prof_JC]

Thank you for the kind words. I wish you all the best in your career.

[@uditgururani1472]

Excellent discourse sir.

[@RahulRoy-if9kw]

Very informative. I wish something like this was published 4 years back..... I would have taken a much better (educated) decision.......... Anyways I wish present students get educated about various aspects of PhD before taking a decision about pursuing it.

[@Prof_JC]

Hi Rahul! Great to see you here. And, thanks for the kind words.

[@nishantgoyal6657]

Thankyou so much sir. Please continue this series

[@Prof_JC]

Thank you. Thinking seriously about the personality traits video now.

[@nishantgoyal6657]

Its helpful to people like us. I have just joined in IITD as phd candidate and ur advice helps me a lot :)

[@Prof_JC]

@@nishantgoyal6657 All the best in your PhD work!

[@somukumar3651]

Sir why this much of ego by iit KGP . Why sir pls tell . Why ?

[@preritsharma9429]

Thanks for the time stamps in the description! Really helped a lot!

[@sagardodeja1428]

sir what your comments on gate postponement?

[@drbonesshow1]

Thanks, but too late for me by about 30 years. However, I've enjoyed the run.

[@Prof_JC]

Thanks for stopping by! It's always great to hear from someone so experienced. :)

[@drbonesshow1]

@@Prof_JC Thank you. Experienced is preferable to old, but it often means the same thing (the more experienced one gets).

[@সৃজনেসঙ্গীতা]

Hello Mr. Professor, Why are you not standing with Gate student? Please request to IIT Kharagpur's director for Gate Exam center change matter.

[@ajay-fi5xw]

Sir gate postponed karva do.

[@nimitgupta7256]

Thank you Sir for your inputs, really insightful, and valuable.

[@Prof_JC]

Thank you for the kind words!

[@shaansapru6676]

Both Ur videos clearly indicate i am not PhD material , Thx for saving my time that i might have wasted trying to get a phd!

[@Prof_JC]

I really hope that you have been zbld to take the optimum decision for yourself. All the best in what you wish to do!

[@RESEARCH_AT_NATURE]

Thank so much sir for harden facts for selecting and doing phd.....waiting for more videos🙏

[@Prof_JC]

Thank you. There are a couple of other videos related to PhD. Let me know if you don't find them.

[@RESEARCH_AT_NATURE]

@@Prof_JC i have seen almost all videos related to phd... But i wanna add a suggestion to make different playlist for phd Please if possible

[@Prof_JC]

@@RESEARCH_AT_NATURE Thank you. Right now I have only three videos directly related to PhD. If I make more, I will surely create a separate playlist.

[@RESEARCH_AT_NATURE]

@@Prof_JC welcome sir and thanks a a lots for this....

[@TheGuruNetOn]

Could you give a sample scenario WHEN and WHERE these skills would be utilised in the life of a PhD or thereafter? Coz many times people give advice on WHAT needs to be done. However when it comes to HOW to develop that skill or WHY the skill is required in the first place they don't elaborate on it maybe giving a hint (GRE analytical writing).

[@Prof_JC]

During PhD, these skills are required almost on a daily basis when the doctoral students have to read various complicated papers and write their own research papers and prepare for their presentations for various seminars and conferences. My own PhD advisor used to say something to this effect: Language comprehension and writing are two of the most under-rated skills that are taught at school.

[@banichoudhary3167]

Thank you so much sir...this video very helpful for me

[@Olivia-uo6gs]

#shame_on_IITKGP #postponeGATE2022

[@heisenberg8115]

You should not comment here in such a respected channel. If u r a really GATE aspirant u ll realise later these postponement or cursing others won't affect anyone .I'm telling u with experience.

[@saksharbanerjee200]

First of all learn some manners and knowledge before writing about our prestigious institute 🤨 .

[@shreyansh2729]

please make a video on research internship for undergrad students.

[@abhishekkumarjaiswal7397]

Thank you Professor 🙏

[@sadbhawnakushwaha5881]

Thank you so much sir!!

[@gopalbasu2055]

A good PHD programme will train the Phd student to think independently and ask new questions that have never been asked before . One doesn’t have to be a genius in a school or college to want to do a Phd .

[@curioussrinija8738]

Hello Sir, hope everything is going well with you..... Thank You for sharing the knowledge & experience....... Firstly after long search in "Theoretical Physics" YT suggested ur video... I'm very glab abt it...... 👉 My query is... I heard we need to learn one computer language....C++ / Python or so ....for..... writing our thesis or things like that ...its....Necessary in PG & after..... Kindly give clarity sir.....😇

[@Prof_JC]

Since you are interested in theoretical physics, I think if you learn Python it will be immediately beneficial to you. You WILL need to solve equations numerically ... and simplify expressions symbolically ... plot and visualize your results ... all of which can be done very well in Python (Numpy, SymPy, Matplotlib). Note that very large Physics projects around the world use Python also. So learning it will be tremendously beneficial to you.

[@curioussrinija8738]

@@Prof_JC thanks a lot sir.... for ur valuable suggestion 😇 Sir, What's your opinion on learning python from..... Coursera - Online courses by Harvard University i.e CS50 ?

[@ganesharya3512]

u comprehensively explained the phd process

[@rishabh6203]

Sir plz made a video on either gate should be postpone or not

[@Toppersharath]

#postponegate2022 sir kindly please postpone gate 2022 due to covid situation

[@satyamsoni1004]

Thank you so much sir 🙏

[@shazianoor5492]

Thank you sir,this video made my day ,I have been searching for this kind of video ,it means alot! As u have mentioned in this video ,I got interested in Research (Economics honors.) since I graduated ,the main concern is I did my graduation and post graduation from central university (BHU & AMU) but don't have good academic records in Graduation,in Post Graduation I have done average,and I'm not able give up on my dream of doing Research. My answers of all the points you have mentioned here were yes except two that is communication and academic,Should I have some hope?

[@aakashmondal7685]

I have some financial problems with me , and I want to do a PhD in physics ,but I am having a fear that what I am going to after phd. I have to earn at this age, and also there is job exactly after phd.

[@aimexcellence1315]

I am not getting updates of your channels, I was waiting for this video since I watched last video on similar topic but I only came to know about this today (i.e after weeks since the release).

[@Prof_JC]

The few channels that I follow, I manually check whenever I feel like to see if they have uploaded anything new and interesting. You can do the same if you wish.

[@aimexcellence1315]

@@Prof_JC yes sir I mostly do this but sometimes I might forget, anyway I will try to be more alert regarding such things now onwards.

[@vijaysinghchauhan7079]

Please upload more videos and also consider making a video on GRE. What I have concluded from the video is that doing a Ph.D. encompasses all major skills to excel in life.

[@nabarunchakrabarty5712]

Another very engaging video Prof. JC! Let me ask something here. Which one do you deem as the more appropriate evaluation between GATE and GRE? From my personal experience, I have seen multiple students failing to qualify GATE and yet clearing GRE in flying colours (and then landing in "more prestigious" institutions in the US). The reason appeared obvious - their command over the core subject was never tested through GRE. What is your take on this?

[@Prof_JC]

If a student clears GRE even with very high marks, it is no guarantee that he will be selected for graduate studies in the US. A decent score is a necessity but a high score is far from sufficient. What they look for is excellent academic record from B.Tech and/or M.Tech and, very importantly, the kind of projects the student has done. If the student has managed to publish something it is a massive boost for his chances. For selecting PhD students, I think there is much to say in favour of this mode of selection. On the other hand, GATE is primarily an entrance exam for M.Tech. And, sure the core subjects are tested, but this testing is - in my very personal opinion - not a suitable criterion for selecting PhD students. Which is why we have a separate PhD Entrance Exam and Interview procedure in the IITs. Even so, as I mentioned in this video, this procedure does not test the critical thinking and analytical ability of the students as much as I would have liked. There is a different kind of mentality required for PhD and I think we need to invest some thought and effort towards tuning our testing methods to properly gauge a student's ability on that front. I really do believe that even if a student may not be able to crack GATE-like questions but if he has the correct preparation and mentality (as evidenced by his undergraduate performance) and overall development, he may be an excellent PhD candidate.

[@nabarunchakrabarty5712]

@@Prof_JC , OK, first, its super impressive that you managed to type such an elaborate response in minutes!

[@Prof_JC]

@@nabarunchakrabarty5712 I type fast on a computer keyboard. :)

[@nabarunchakrabarty5712]

@@Prof_JC, yes, I agree that GATE is primarily an entrance exam for M.Tech. By "GATE", I intended to broadly refer to the typical class of Masters and doctoral level entrance exams in India that, to my knowledge, ask questions on the core subject only (The IIT-JAM and JEST exams in physics are also examples here). I see your overall point. Maybe the ideal examination should combine the traits of both GATE and GRE.

[@Phd-Vhd]

Thankyou so much sir for these 2 vdo. It is very helpful for students like me who wants to go for a PhD but have the lack of confidence that if they are suitable for a PhD or not .. Sir I want to say that being a girl i am facing alot of problems to choose institutions of PhD .. and in my case i donot have access to get admission in a popular institute or specifically saying i am choosing a university which is not very famous... So sir i want to know your opinion that if the reputation of a university or institution matters or not .. please mention this aspect in one of your videos . It will help me alot and also to other students who are facing the same problem ..

[@Prof_JC]

Reputation of the institute matters. But not as much as it does for undergraduate studies. What matters very importantly is with whom you are doing your PhD. There are many leading researchers even in institutes which would not be considered among the top ones.

[@Phd-Vhd]

@@Prof_JC okay sir . Thankyou so much for your guidance. 😊😊

[@devsutong]

this sounds like an after lecture talks😂❤️

[@ATC_ShubhamK]

Sir can you please make a video on doctoral fellowship scheme (DDFS) by BARC

[@Prof_JC]

Sorry, I don't know about that fellowship scheme.

[@AroundRavikant]

Really useful and honest talk... Really appreciate u for the effort u made in making these videos... Not only useful for students planning for PhD but also for those pursuing it currently...👌

[@Prof_JC]

Thank you for the kind words!

[@takioyagin7945]

Thank you sir for your guidence :)

[@arnabeshsamadder7766]

Thanks Sir for stating facts and NOT sugar-coating stuff. Actually realized such aspects to some extent doing my M.Sc. research work. Nice resource and content. ❤️ From Presidency University.

[@Prof_JC]

Thank you for the kind words. If you are indeed seriously thinking of PhD, all the best!

[@kumarsaumya5867]

In which field?

[@kumarsaumya5867]

What's your area of research?

[@sandipanbhattacharyya1840]

Thank you very much Sir for making this. This has made things clear for me.

[@eemryst]

Sir can you make video about career after phd and is it really hard to get job in college?

[@vishalkumarverma7034]

Hello sir i am looking forward for working on project and i promise that i will leave no unturned stone ☺️ this is my words and i will not turn my words into coat

[@abhierna8336]

Thank you so much Prof for making the videos on PhD.

[@avinashgaikwad8389]

Sir how to maintain total resarch data, up to thesis writing.

[@rajdeepnandi4346]

How to know that the guide is toxic or not early in phd?

[@debtanupatra3385]

Sir, my situation is such that I love to analyze diverse concepts of physics and math upto the most fundamental level . And I feel I can make anyone understand the topics I read. At the same time I find that all these are a small part of me.... I very much love to explore different subjects related to humanitues, current world affairs, arts as well. What will you suggest me to proceed at? I am pursuing bsc physics currently.

[@Prof_JC]

From what you have written it seems you have the right frame of mind to gi for a PhD. Regarding you love to explore other subjects as lateral reading, it is a good quality. There is a great need for scientists who have a broad general knowledge base, and in fact you will find many great scientists to possess such knowledge. Laser focus to excel in one's chosen field is of course necessary but to be a truly educated and accomplished individual you will also need that broader knowledge.

[@debtanupatra3385]

@@Prof_JC thank you sir 🙏

[@infinite_oneness]

Extremely insightful and very nuanced. Will definitely look forward to part 3 on personality more suitable for phd. Thanks 😊

[@Prof_JC]

I am seriously thinking about it!

[@mayabag908]

Iit Kharagpur -- gate exam ka centar badal ne ke liye web portal open kardijiye. Nehi to gate-student log mar jayega, corona se _ isse apka kya jata😏😭😓😡 😏😏😏😏👎👎👎👎👎

[@shuvranilsanyal445]

Hey Prof. My question is that is it possible to transit from postdoc in USA or EU to a industry job in the same country itself? Also wanted to know that does industry jobs in USA or EU encourage PhDs from India and postdoc from EU/USA?

[@rahulodra]

Since this topic is very close to my heart due to the barriers I face and my brother faced ( He left the field to become a software developer, that too in India), are you sure when it comes to Ph.D, the background doesn't matter? My brother said, " Perhaps it doesn't matter if the project has been defined by someone else and the person is expected to only do the work. But if one is not expressive, they can not think and retain information. If they can not think, they can not generate ideas.". Is English flowing in your family for multiple generations? I ask this because my relatives are extremely concerned about the future of their kids. We are the first generation that spoke the language. And the next generation would be the first to go to English medium schools. Of course, a science Ph.D. is not the only worthwhile thing, but the fact remains that there are other jobs that require people to be expressive.

[@Prof_JC]

I am one of two or three people from our generation on both my parent's sides to go to English medium schools. No one before us did. I am strongly believe that nor knowing English can be severely problematic in Higher Studies. But at the same time, I have seen students who have performed superlatively well in a purely technical sense despite having a vernacular education. Nevertheless I think you have pointed out something important in terms of the ability to think and generate ideas being closely related to language skills ... but I think (I am no expert on this) that such original thinking ideas has to do with language skills in general and nothing specific to English. A person who takes care to develop his/her language skills to a high degree in Bengali, Hindi etc will have developed such thinking skills too as well as somebody who has done something similar in English.

[@rahulodra]

@Prof_JC I would perhaps add an intensifier to your comment by saying " Not knowing English very well and not knowing how to use it fluently can be problematic in higher education. " Unfortunately, the prevailing conditions in the country do not make this problem easily tractable even if there is awareness among the people wishing to go down the higher education path.

[@Prof_JC]

@@rahulodra Well put.

[@rahulodra]

@Prof_JC Perhaps there's some truth to your observation about the connection between thinking critically and developing advanced language skills irrespective of the identity of the language. In that case, perhaps one's English would be imperfect, but there will be ideas and flow in writing. My brother has an interesting observation about it. During his time in grad school, he observed that many Chinese students were speaking and writing fluently. He also observes that the scientific output from China has increased considerably over the last decade or two, and not all of it is incremental. On examining closely their speeches and writings, he found that there are glaring grammatical mistakes, the ones that would see a student severely getting punished in India, but there is flow and there is more usage of technical terms. On the other hand, he had perfect grammar but lacked vocabulary and fluency. That's a huge problem with most educated Indians as well. Most people communicate in a mix of English and their own language. And the issue here is it's not their fault. What else would one do if they could not express themselves fully without breaking back into their own language? So, it's a vocabulary problem. Most vernacular students who actually reach the level of getting to do research know English well but don't have the necessary scientific vocabulary. The problem is huge in life scienes. I am not sure about engineering though.

[@gauravwankhade2447]

Thank you so much sir for the practical discussion. it is really helping us to take a right a decision.

[@Prof_JC]

Thank you for the kind words.