On a lazy evening stroll by the FDII building, one can see a band of enthusiastic students working earnestly on what looks like an ATV model car. With sweat dripping from their foreheads, hands feverously moving about here and there, Inspired Karters BAJA needs no introduction.

Despite having only a few events scheduled during APOGEE, the excitement level is at an all-time high amongst the BAJA members. “For the first time ever, in collaboration with FS, there might be a demonstration of the working of our cars. We are very excited about this and are talking to the COSTAA regarding the same”, says Asad Husain, their captain. Apart from this, their cars will be displayed at the Student Automated Engineering stall throughout the fest for anyone who wishes to have a detailed look at it.

With over forty dedicated students working day in and day out, BAJA is not your typical run-of-the-mill technical team on campus. “Our entire team is divided into four sub-systems: Vehicle Dynamics, Power Train, Structure, Controls and Sponsorship. A couple of seniors and juniors are assigned to each sub-system, ensuring that the work is evenly distributed”, explains Asad. While the seniors remain in charge, the juniors execute decisions taken, thereby gaining immense knowledge in the process.

“Passion and dedication towards achieving our goal is what matters and the team has plenty of both”, says Asad. BAJA has achieved immense success in the past and was placed 8th at the national competition in 2015, winning awards in different categories such as ‘Design’ and ‘Weight Pull’. However, they haven’t tasted as much success recently: Finishing 34th in this year’s competition. The captain has his sights set higher and aims to achieve much more in his tenure as captain.

”The number of freshmen taking part in technical clubs has dwindled over the years. It is indeed a sad state of affairs”, laments Asad. While he concedes that people may have different interests altogether, he believes that a technical team has a lot to offer in terms of added knowledge and insightful experiences. He relishes his role as a captain. ”Dealing with the stress, keeping everyone motivated, handling relations between the two teams as well as the institute and manufacturers is tiresome, but not a burden” says Asad. We wish them the best of luck in their future endeavours.