Dr Suresh Kumar bid farewell to his time at BITS through an interactive session organised by BITS Embryo called ‘Bidding Adieu’. Fondly known as a “celebrity” professor, his first-year mathematics classes filled the Lecture Theatre Complex (LTC) to the brim. As a testament to the widespread love and respect that he enjoys, over 500 students across numerous batches logged into Google Meet to hear their beloved professor speak to them for the last time.
Owing to ‘strictly personal reasons’, Dr Suresh Kumar will be leaving BITS for NIT Kurukshetra after a tenure of seven years. He spoke of the many fond memories he has from his time on campus, the classes he took at LTC being a prominent example. The atmosphere was ‘electrifying’, he remarked, at many of the revision sessions he conducted at the end of the semester. All this and more, he said, makes this a very difficult decision for him, and he expressed his desire to someday return to BITS.
He felt that BITS introduced him to many things, one of them being the adoption of ‘quality textbooks’. The textbooks being followed at BITS fit the international standard, which—according to him—sets the institute apart from most other Indian institutes. He also commended the dedication of the students to their academics—many students make an effort by applying for projects under faculty, which he felt was a good learning opportunity for them. Prof. Kumar expressed his desire to implement some of these positive qualities in NIT Kurukshetra as well.
On being asked if there were some aspects of the curriculum at BITS that he would revise, Prof. Kumar felt that there were too many evaluatives per semester, echoing the concerns raised by students. With multiple quizzes, tutorial tests, mid-semester, and comprehensive examinations, he worries students are not able to think critically about their courses.
Prof. Kumar urged students to pursue a field of their interest rather than being trapped in the pursuit of material success. He cited an example from his own life—having completed his schooling, he delved straight into a Diploma in veterinary science. Having regretted blindly following his peers’ advice, he left his job to pursue his passion for mathematics. ‘Life is to enjoy; do a job that you truly like’, he asserted. Addressing his students, he implored them to take care of their parents and always seek their blessings.
He also talked about the importance of preserving one’s culture. He lamented the growing trend of people moving abroad and neglecting their familial responsibilities. In his advice for the 2020 batch, he asserted the importance of staying in touch with seniors to get a better idea of the various career opportunities available in the future.
Prof. Kumar expressed that he feels immense delight whenever one of his students makes him proud. ‘Students are my everything,’ he said. In his parting note, Prof. Kumar assured the students that they could always reach out to him. His class-notes and video lectures, that many students swear by, will also remain accessible to BITSians.
As Prof. Suresh Kumar’s last lecture came to an end, thunderous applause broke out in the virtual classroom, reminiscent of the response his concluding lectures at LTC had received.