Yes, we can start.

Please start by introducing your professional journey in academia

I'm doctor in Neenah Lochini, hailing from Kajabur. I'm having about 1515 1/2 years of teaching experience in various engineering colleges. I obtained my BE in Electronics and communication engineering from Bharati Dasan University. My uh, PG is from embarrassed systems. And I have completed my team. Emmy from. College of Engineering guilty. And my biggest tree is from. Uh, National Institute of Technology, pirichirapalli. I'm having a. About 7 uh. Papers in sea journals. I'm a reviewer for reputed general like I triple transactions. On instrumentation and measurement. Uh, spring or wireless personal communication? IED science, measurement and technology. Uh, I'm having a uh, I have published a patent. And. It is a smart mind helmet. Which is used for. Protecting the lives of workers working in mind. Uh, I have, uh. Been awarded a grant internally from my college and using that grant I have developed a. Uh, an embedded platform for blind so that they can navigate in an indoor indoor environment. Using, uh, Bluetooth, uh. Uh, uh, tags or beacons? Based on that, we can identify whether. Uh, what are the? Navigation directions for a blind people.

Professor, you mentioned your work developing an embedded platform for indoor navigation for the visually impaired, which is quite innovative. When you're teaching foundational concepts—say, to first-year engineering students—what's one concept in electronics or embedded systems that you really enjoy explaining, and how do you typically introduce it in the classroom?

Because, uh. Like I thought. Of developing something useful to. The Society. So. Instead of generally. Uh, taking one problem statement and finding a solution. So this is based on a low cost, uh. Product like everybody is having. Like we have, you're aware? How we can work with the Bluetooth backends and all? So it is also similar to that one. We can have one individual hardware that can be tied to the. A blind person. So. Previously we might be training. It is. Applicable only for indoor scenarios like in any malls or hospitals or museum. Or railway stations and all. We can guide the. Blind people using that device so we can have beacons installed throughout the indoor scenario and that beckons. They will send their signal strength based on the signal strength we can. Train a machine learning model so that you can identify the real time location. Uh, by guiding them. So which I find most rewarding is that I am. I'm I I am. Developing a pro product that should be useful for the blind people.

Right, so you emphasized building something socially useful, and involved your students in applying Bluetooth beacons and machine learning for indoor navigation. How did you structure the lab sessions or coursework around this project to ensure students really grasped both the theory and hands-on aspects?

Like uh, whenever it is uh regarding lab works. Like they I should make them exposed to the basic. Connections between a microcontroller. And the Bluetooth beckons. How we can arrange them? How we can measure the? Readings and using that how you can. Uh, develop a code and you can run, uh, anything. To predict what is the location of that person and coming to the, uh, coursework and all, I'll be, uh, teaching the basic concepts, uh, involving the connectivity, uh, of Bluetooth, what is the protocol and how we can. Uh, basically connect that Bluetooth beckon. To any hardware. That and all I'll be developing and I'll be. Teaching my students.

Looking at your publication list, you co-authored "An Embedded Machine Learning Framework for Bluetooth Low Energy Signal Strength Fingerprinting for Indoor Localization." When you've introduced students to this research, how do you help them bridge the gap between complex machine learning concepts and the practical skills needed to implement such a system in the lab?

Like there will be always a gap. The thing is that. Here they should know how to measure the data in real time. That I can teach them. And so in prior they should have, I should make them familiar of how they can use different machine learning concepts on various data sets. So they might be aware of how. Uh, for any complex data set, how they can apply machine learning? And what could be the out? Put everything in prior. I'll be teaching them, then I'll make them aware of how we can how they can. Uh, take the real time measurements from Bluetooth, uh, beacons, signals and measurements we can measure. And. From that measurements, how to convert them into a database and? How to predict the locations? I'll be telling them step by step.

Right, you walk students through the step-by-step process, from hands-on Bluetooth beacon work to machine learning for location prediction. Now, you also mentioned your paper on "An Embedded Machine Learning Framework for Bluetooth Low Energy Signal Strength Fingerprinting for Indoor Localization." When you've introduced this research to undergraduates, what's the biggest conceptual hurdle they face, and how do you help them overcome it?

Uh, the biggest hurdle which I can face is that they they should be aware of the hardware that is required for them. So. Uh, basically they'll be having some digital based hardware. Subjects and they'll be having an introduction to basic microcontroller, but this is somewhat different. So. Uh, but they can. Be able to compare what are the similarities between the primitive microcontrollers they were using and this one. So first I'll let them know what are the. Uh, what is the? Advantage of using this kind of hardware for developing a product and I'll map. Uh, the similarities between the older versions of the microcontroller along with that one. And then? I'll make them how, uh, small, uh, simple experiments I'll make them to do. After that I'll make them to collect the year. Measurements of signal strength using that microcontroller. Then I'll be guiding them how they can use that for protecting the location.

Alright, Professor, given your experience guiding projects like the smart mine helmet and the embedded platform for the visually impaired, where do you see the most fundable research directions in your field for the next three years? What types of grants or external funding would you target to support those efforts?

Like basically. In our government like in an or for any DST. We will be having maximum. Some kind of technologies like health. Uh, or medical? Agriculture reporting Some kind of uh. Things need to be developed. So under that, uh. We can have a lot of scope. So. Already I have submitted some of the proposals. To an RF funding and all. So here, uh. If I am focusing on any kind of assistive devices, I can have uh, like uh. Iits are there. And. DST, DBT or AN or CSIR All these funding agencies I can approach to get my. Projects funded.

Okay, so you mentioned submitting proposals to agencies like DST and CSIR, especially focusing on assistive technologies in health and agriculture. For your current research agenda, how would you ensure your work translates into impactful publications and collaborations that align with VIT University's mission of academic excellence?

Yeah, I have seen that, uh, Mbit also will be had, uh, is having a lot of collaborations with company. And it's like her and. Umm. Umm LNT, uh, TCS. And. Like, uh, I, I have seen some of these companies so. What I feel is that if I my research as it is aligning with. Some hardware along with the uh. Software I can have scope for getting founder. Uh, agency set up.

Okay, now shifting to teaching methods. Suppose you have to run a class of 120 undergraduates on embedded systems, but you can't use traditional lectures or slides. How would you design a session to keep them actively engaged with the material?

Uh, for any embodied system based. Subject. I should give them a clear idea of where and all. What are the, uh, what is? Remember system we what are all the products because in real time. If we'll be having a lot of embedded products. I'll make them away. Like how these embedded products are connected together, I'll show them. An introduction or demo or any? Uh, videos and I'll make them aware of what is that one. Then after that, I'll, uh, teach for some uh. Umm, 30 or 40 minutes. And I I can make them engage in a. Who is related to that content in every class? I can make them, uh. To explore different embedded products, I'll ask them to find out what are the uh. New embedded products that have. Be discovered in recent years and I'll make them to present as assignment or presentation or case study and in this way I can connect a real time. Emperor products with the. Umm, theoretical. Syllabus.

If you joined our department and found that outcome assessment data was inconsistent across courses, how would you approach fixing that?

Like, uh, this outcome based assessment, I cannot so, uh, to alone. So if. For any cause if I find that. The outcome is not consistent. What what and all I can do is I can. Revert back and I'll. I'll be seeing whether the Cos are mapping with the P OS. And if that he was having as per that whether the teaching is carried out the assignment or given properly as per that CEO will make. I'll ensure that one. And all the internal assessments as well as the external question papers or set as per the Cos, I'll check that one and. If uh. Something needs to be changed in the syllabus. I propose that one to my head. So that. If that consistency can be removed. On seeing the outcome.

Okay, so you'd start by checking if course outcomes are mapped properly to program outcomes, review whether assignments and assessments actually align with those outcomes, and if needed, propose syllabus changes to your head. What's one practical step you'd take to help faculty consistently collect and report assessment data each semester?

I can't get you. Get your question.

Right, so your approach would be to review whether course outcomes are mapped to program outcomes, check if assessments reflect those outcomes, and suggest syllabus changes if needed. On a practical level, what steps would you personally take to ensure faculty in your department consistently document and report on accreditation data year after year?

So year after year, there should be some, uh. Like, uh, mapping should be done properly based on that, uh outcome. Either it is. It should be the. Uh, outcome of the examination like grades and all, How much students have scored greater than 60 percentage? Or what can be done? To make the student poor students, uh, score well like that. I'll be seeing a year by year whether. That problem is. Tracked, uh, along with that, how much placements, uh, students are getting, uh, whenever they are having, uh. This subject, I, their interviews, they are able to pause or not, whether, uh, the answers, they are able to provide the answers from the curriculum that is designed for this course. I'll ensure that one and I'll check whether it is. Uh. Continuously from year to year and whether there is any improvement that is shown.

So you track year-over-year results like exam scores, placements, and how well students apply the curriculum in interviews—that's pretty thorough. What would you do if you noticed faculty weren't updating their accreditation records or outcome data on time?

Like I'm unable to see your question.

Okay, so you’d look at placements, exam results, and whether students are actually using what they learned in interviews to see if things are working year after year. What would you do if you noticed faculty weren’t completing the accreditation reports on time, or the documentation quality was slipping?

Uh, everything should work properly.

Alright, Professor, let's consider a scenario that happens in academia more often than we'd like. Suppose a student submits a formal complaint alleging that your grading was biased, but at the same time, your department head is pressuring you to improve overall pass rates. How would you handle this situation and navigate the tension between academic integrity and institutional expectations?

Try to convey them that this these are the points where we are lagging. We have to correct that one. And. I should not behave in a rude manner. I'll try to. Make both the sides. Uh, go better in their way.

So you’d try to address the student’s complaint, investigate from both the student and faculty side, and avoid being confrontational while aiming for improvement—makes sense. But what if your department head insists you just increase the pass rate, even if you feel the grading was fair and the complaint isn’t justified? How would you handle that pressure?

Just to increase the pass rate. I uh, like uh, if the method is fair. And I cannot. Uh, just like that. Simply, I cannot increase the pass rate. Instead I'll try to find where and all the things are lagging. Like even though if it is fair maybe. It is reflected in a few students. Umm, Marks and all. Due to their low performance, I'll try to correct that one. And instead I won't be just increasing the pass rate like I'll try to find where and all the things are lagging and I'll try to correct that one.

Okay, so you’re not willing to sacrifice fairness even if there’s pressure from above, but you’d look for ways to improve performance that are genuine, not just inflating grades. And if your department head keeps pushing back, insisting you raise the numbers, what would you actually say or do in that situation?

And if there is genuinely somewhere like if I'm very strict and. For some cases I can. Genuinely upgrade my like if I am. I have the capo I have. I can award them some more marks. It like they have performed very well. And during my decisions if I have. Not at all. Given marks, I'll try to push them. And I'll try try to increase the path rate, which means that I will not randomly increase that one. I'll find a way whether there is a possibility of increasing the past percentage. If so, I'll try to do.

Given your background working with embedded systems, do you have any industry connections or experience that could help students access internships or placements with companies developing embedded products?

At present I have no direct. Industry connections. But I thought of collaborating so I have created proposals during submission and all I have collaborated. With the some 2 or 3 industries. And I have talked. Uh, if necessary. I can make arrangements for internship with those companies and all I'm having. Umm, like regularly I'm having collaboration with some companies. And I'll try to get fund from government agencies like an RF. So during that time we had collaboration, but intentionally never I didn't. Uh, send my students but. Uh, in NIT I have uh. Send some of my students. To get internship. And not exactly with industry.

Okay, so you’ve set up collaborations and even submitted proposals with a few industries, and you’ve sent students for internships at NIT but not directly to industry so far. Can you give one concrete example of a student project you’ve guided that aligns with emerging technologies, and walk me through how you ensured it was completed successfully?

Uh, sons or daughters may be living somewhere else. In that case, how we can weather. Where they are staying in which room? Or. Where they were actually to identify that one, I have applied the same principle. And. We have completed successfully. Uh, project and. Uh, they are going to present that in a conference on this April, uh, 9th. Actually. So that I feel that. Uh, I have completed. That ideas concrete. Project. And I have. Send it to a conference.

So, you’ve shown that you can take a research idea from proposal to grant, guide students through implementation, and reach conference publication. Let me shift gears a bit—when you’re teaching both theory and lab courses, how do you make sure students actually connect the theoretical concepts to the practical lab work, especially for weaker students?