Kandaswamy Subramanian [kandaswamy.subramanian@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Instructor: Kandaswamy Subramanian

This course introduces to the student how cosmic objects can be studied using various messengers, such as electromagnetic waves at a wide variety of bands,  gravitational waves and various energetic particles.  The course describes how these different signals originate, how they are detected, what information they carry and how to interpret them.

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Syllabus: 

Overview of Cosmic messengers: Electromagnetic radiation-Neutrinos-Gravitational waves-Cosmic rays-Atmospheric limitations-Ground based versus Space observatories-Coherent versus incoherent detection.

Radiative transfer-Black Body radiation- Optical telescopes-detectors-noise and statistics-photometry-X-ray and Gamma-ray telescopes- Observations of Stars, galaxies, GRBs incontinuum.

Bohr Model-Hydrogen atom-Lyman and Balmer series-Optical spectroscopy-Probing star formation, high redshift galaxies-absorption line systems.

 Radiation from moving charges - Bremsstrahlung, Synchrotron and Compton processes-Thermal vs non-thermal radiation - Acceleration of relativistic particles - polarization from Synchrotron emission and Compton scattering - selfabsorption

Radio telescopes-Single dish-Radio interferometers-aperture synthesis-image reconstruction-Probing radio galaxies, quasars, black holes, CMB-coherent emission from pulsars- 21 cm line from galaxies and the EOR- Molecular lines and cold gas

Neutrino detection-Solar and supernova neutrinos-neutrino oscillations-cosmic neutrinos from early universe

Cosmic Ray detectors-highest energy cosmic rays-origin?

Gravitational wave detectors-Quadrupole formula-LIGO detections-detecting black holes and neutron star mergers-Stochastic backgrounds as probe of supermassive black holes and early universe
 

The student will learn to appreciate the messengers and tools astronomers use to observe and understand the diverse phenomena that occur in the universe. 

Pre-requisites: PHY/AST-2850: “Physics of the Universe” [desirable]; exposure to Electricity and Magnetism and basic Quantum Theory.

Recommended Reading:

1. Astrophysical Techniques, C.R. Kitchin, IoP publishing
2. Astronomy Methods, Hale Bradt, Cambridge University Press
3. High Energy Astrophysics, Malcolm Longair, Cambridge University Press
4. Radiative Processes in Astrophysics, G.W. Rybicki and A.P. Lightman, Wiley
5. Gravitational Waves vol I, Theory and Experiments, M. Maggiore,  Oxford University Press
6. Physics of the Interstellar and Intergalactic Medium, B.T. Draine,  Princeton UniversityPress

 

3 assignments of totalling 50 marks, 1 mid term of 20 marks and end exam of 30 marks
 

Attendance of 80% of classes is minimum

Imroze Khan [imroze.khan@ashoka.edu.in] ,Kritika Garg [kritika.garg@ashoka.edu.in] ,Shivani [shivani.krishna@ashoka.edu.in ] ;

This course aims to introduce students to their local ecosystem and biological world by involving both fieldwork and lab work. The course will also have open-ended exercises wherein students will be encouraged to develop small questions and seek answers through experimentation.

N/A

Attendance and discussion (5%): Every week, there will be one class, where activities include field visits, lab exercises and discussion. Students will be evaluated on their participation in these, where participation grades will be based on quality of participation.

Weekly lab reports (90%): Students will have to submit weekly lab reports on their experiment. However, we will drop the lowest two assignment scores during final evaluation. We will consider best 9 assignments. You will be evaluated based on how structured and meticulous (and honest) you are, not entirely on the experimental results. We will also consider your critical abilities (e.g. pointing out strength and weakness of experimental methods, future direction) while writing the report.

Lab etiquettes (5%): You will be evaluated based on how you behave and follow the lab protocols in the lab.

Percentage to grade conversion: >= 90% A, 85- < 90 A-, 75- < 85 B+, 70- < 75 C+, 60- < 70 C, 40- < 60 D, <40 F.

Attendance is mandatory.  Absences are only excused if the student routes their excused absences via the OAA’s office.

It is not possible to repeat experiments that have been missed.

Imroze Khan [imroze.khan@ashoka.edu.in] ,Kritika Garg [kritika.garg@ashoka.edu.in] ,Shivani [shivani.krishna@ashoka.edu.in ] ;

This course aims to introduce students to their local ecosystem and biological world by involving both fieldwork and lab work. The course will also have open-ended exercises, wherein students will be encouraged to develop small questions and seek answers through experimentation.

Attendance and discussion (5%): Every week, there will be one class, where activities include field visits, lab exercises and discussion. Students will be evaluated on their participation in these, where participation grades will be based on quality of participation.

Weekly lab reports (90%): Students will have to submit weekly lab reports on their experiment. However, we will drop the lowest two assignment scores during final evaluation. We will consider best 9 assignments. You will be evaluated based on how structured and meticulous (and honest) you are, not entirely on the experimental results. We will also consider your critical abilities (e.g. pointing out strength and weakness of experimental methods, future direction) while writing the report.

Lab etiquettes (5%): You will be evaluated based on how you behave and follow the lab protocols in the lab.

Percentage to grade conversion: >= 90% A, 85- < 90 A-, 75- < 85 B+, 70- < 75 C+, 60- < 70 C, 40- < 60 D, <40 F.

Attendance is mandatory. Absences are only excused if the student routes their excused absences via the OAA’s office.

It is not possible to repeat experiments that have been missed.

Laasya Samhita [laasya.samhita@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Overview: This is an introductory course for students interested in biology. We will follow the development of ideas and experiments that best explain how life came to be. In doing so, we will explore concepts of both genetics and evolution, touching upon key ideas and debates that have shaped our current understanding. By the end of the course, students should have a broad understanding of both areas, laying the foundation for the biology curriculum at Ashoka university. Classes will be as follows:

Week 1

Introduction to evolution-I

Sub-topics: Brief history of evolutionary thought, misconceptions, evolution in action around us

Week 2

Introduction to evolution-II

Sub-topics: Evidence for evolution, natural selection, artificial selection

Week 3

Darwin and Mendel: genes and evolution -I

Sub-topics: Genes as the physical basis of heredity, Mendel’s laws (link with artificial selection)

Week 4

Genes and evolution-II

Sub-topics: Understanding monohybrid and dihybrid crosses, pedigree analysis

Week 5

Genes and evolution-III

Sub-topics: Exceptions to Mendel’s laws: linkage, epistasis, pleiotropy, penetrance and expressivity, phenocopy

Week 6

Linkage and gene mapping

Sub-topics: Bacteria, fungi and bacteriophages in gene mapping

Week 7

Introduction to population genetics: how allele frequencies feed into species evolution

Sub-topics: Mutation, variation, selection, genetic drift, Hardy-Weinberg law

Week 8

Sexual selection

Sub-topics: Sex-linked inheritance, Fisher’s runaway selection, the handicap principle

Week 9

DNA structure and function

Sub-topics: DNA structure, mutations and variation, the genetic code

Week 10

Real-world impact: Genetics

Sub-topics: Genetic disorders, gene manipulation (including CRISPR), ethical considerations

Week 11

Real world impact: Evolution

Sub-topics: Antimicrobial resistance, Pandemics, climate change

Week 12

Summary class, also movie screening (Inherit the wind) and discussion

 

 

Learning Outcomes: At the end of this course, students should be familiar with the following ideas:

• The basic criteria necessary for evolution by natural selection
• How can we test theories about evolution, or what evidence exists for natural selection
• Understand how evolution can be studied in the laboratory
• At least 2 examples of evolution in action around us
• That genes constitute the physical basis of heredity
• Mendel’s laws of genetics and at least 2 exceptions
• Reading pedigree trees and understanding how rare diseases can persist
• Understand the premise of applications to human health and endeavours. Eg: epidemiology, pandemic prediction, novel drug design

Textbooks

• Evolution by Mark Ridley (3rd edition)
• Evolutionary Analysis by Herron and Freeman (4th or 5th edition)
• Biology: A Global Approach by Campbell, Urry, Cain, Wasserman, Minorsky and Reece (11th edition).
• Genetics by Russell (2nd edition and above)

Other reading materials will be handed out in class.

There will be three components as described below ─

Exams:

There will be two exams: on February 28th and April 29th. I will consider the best two scores for the final grade.

Writing Assignment: Mini Review on a given topic (pick one out of the options given to you, to be handed out during the course), to be submitted on April 15th.

The paper should be approximately 50% summary of existing literature and 50% critical analysis or synthesis. Essays should be 4 pages long (1.5 line spaced in Times New Roman style, Font 12). I will grade your assignments based on the clarity of writing style and grammatical correctness (30%) and substance of critical and creative thought (70%). The write-up should be clear and avoid long and complicated sentences.

The review paper should include:

A general introduction to the topic (1 page)

Summaries of existing literature with critical evaluation of the issues presented; arranged under subheadings with logical relationships (2 pages)

A strong conclusion (1 page)

Proper references wherever required. Use professional referencing software like Zotero or Mendeley. You may ask the TAs to show you how to use these.

NOTE:

The deadline for the review paper will be on April 15th 2023. This is non-negotiable and we will not accept any submission beyond this deadline as we have other course assignments and responsibilities. So, please start writing in advance.

Class participation:

Active participation is strongly encouraged and recommended. Engaging in discussions and answering questions posed in class will count towards class participation.

Relative weightage on each grading component

Exam: 60%

The mini-review paper: 30%

Class participation:10%

Number to grade conversion

Grading may be absolute or relative, depending on class performance.

90 – 100 A; 85 – 89 A-; 80 – 84 B+; 75 – 79 B; 70 – 74 B-; 65 – 69 C+; 60 – 64 C; 55 – 59 C-; 50 – 54 D+; 45 – 49 D; 40 – 44 D-; < 40 F.

Course policy with respect to attendance and behaviour:

Although attendance is mandatory and will count towards your class participation, you can miss a maximum of 2 classes without leave. You will be randomly asked to participate in discussions as and when needed.

Please note that we (me and TFs) have multiple responsibilities apart from teaching this course. We all run multiple courses and laboratory experiments. Hence, do not ask for extensions for submitting exam copies/ assignments unless there are pressing emergency medical/ Health issues. A copy of a valid/ detailed medical certificate has to be submitted to me as well as to the departmental head.

Do not ask for an incomplete grade unless you have strong medical/ Health reasons. Please note that you may not be granted an ‘I’ since it also depends on our availability and schedule after this course gets over.

Please respect the timing of your scheduled meeting with me and TFs. 

If you copy or cheat in some other way on the review paper or exam, you will receive ‘F’ for the course, without any further discussion.

Any inappropriate gestures or discriminatory comments will be strictly dealt with. Please refrain from making comments not directly related to the course contents

Do not share the slides and question papers beyond the genetics and evolution [bio-1200] [bio-1200-1] classroom, without prior permission of the instructor. This is against the course, the instructor and the university policy.

Anup Padmanabhan [anup.padmanabhan@ashoka.edu.in] ,Kavita Agarwal [kavita.agarwal@ashoka.edu.in] ,Sandeep Ameta [sandeep.ameta@ashoka.edu.in] ;

This course aims to teach students the concepts of forward genetics by subjecting microorganisms to harsh environmental conditions and observing the phenotypes. Then, these mutated microorganisms will be used as an infection model system in the eukaryotic model organism in order to observe the effect of mutated microorganisms in the feeding environment of other organisms. The course will provide students with a basic understanding and hands-on experience in handling, manipulating, and investigating cell-biology problems using genetic tools. During the course, students will also learn several cell biology techniques useful in observing and characterizing the phenotypes in biological systems.

We will employ 2 genetic - Pseudomonas or E.coli (prokaryotic) and C. elegans or mammalian cells (eukaryotic) model systems along with several cell-biology techniques like cell culture, microscopy, and image analysis techniques.

During this course, the students will learn:

1. Handling,/ culturing/  growth of Pseudomonas or E. coli.
2. Forward genetics screen / Random mutagenesis and isolation of conditional mutants in Pseudomonas 
3. Exposure/ handling to C. elegans as a model organism 
4. Use of C.elegans as a heterologous host to study infection
5. Setting up infection assays
6. Differentiating and counting live/dead cells
7. Immunostaining of cell organellles
8. Qualitative and quantitative image analysis 

Knowledge of basic cell biology, microbiology and bacterial genetics will help. Examples of some good textbooks: ‘Genetics’ by Russell, ‘Genes’ by Levin et al, ‘Molecular Genetics’ by Stent, and http://www.wormbook.org/.

Students will be evaluated on :

1. Lab notebooks (10%), 

2. Overall participation (continuous assessment) during the lab sessions (70%), and  

3. Viva session and or final exam (20%) at the end of the semester.

Grades will be calculated based on Ashoka's grading policy.

Attendance is mandatory during the practical sessions as it will not be possible to repeat lab classes.

Anup Padmanabhan [anup.padmanabhan@ashoka.edu.in] ,Kavita Agarwal [kavita.agarwal@ashoka.edu.in] ,Sandeep Ameta [sandeep.ameta@ashoka.edu.in] ;

This course aims to teach students the concepts of forward genetics by subjecting microorganisms to harsh environmental conditions and observing the phenotypes. Then, these mutated microorganisms will be used as an infection model system in the eukaryotic model organism in order to observe the effect of mutated microorganisms in the feeding environment of other organisms. The course will provide students with a basic understanding and hands-on experience in handling, manipulating, and investigating cell-biology problems using genetic tools. During the course, students will also learn several cell biology techniques useful in observing and characterizing the phenotypes in biological systems.

We will employ 2 genetic - Pseudomonas or E.coli (prokaryotic) and C. elegans or mammalian cells (eukaryotic) model systems along with several cell-biology techniques like cell culture, microscopy, and image analysis techniques.

During this course, the students will learn:

1. Handling,/ culturing/  growth of Pseudomonas or E. coli.
2. Forward genetics screen / Random mutagenesis and isolation of conditional mutants in Pseudomonas 
3. Exposure/ handling to C. elegans as a model organism 
4. Use of C.elegans as a heterologous host to study infection
5. Setting up infection assays
6. Differentiating and counting live/dead cells
7. Immunostaining of cell organellles
8. Qualitative and quantitative image analysis 

Knowledge of basic cell biology, microbiology and bacterial genetics will help. Examples of some good textbooks: ‘Genetics’ by Russell, ‘Genes’ by Levin et al, ‘Molecular Genetics’ by Stent, and http://www.wormbook.org/.

Students will be evaluated on :

1. Lab notebooks (10%), 

2. Overall participation (continuous assessment) during the lab sessions (70%), and  

3. Viva session and or final exam (20%) at the end of the semester.

Grades will be calculated based on Ashoka's grading policy.

Attendance is mandatory during the practical sessions as it will not be possible to repeat lab classes.

Balaji Chattopadhyay [balaji.chattopadhyay@ashoka.edu.in] ,Sougata Roy [sougata.roy@ashoka.edu.in] ;

The laboratory classes are designed to provide the students with hands-on-experience of different aspects of biological sciences starting from molecular biology to ecology. The course is designed not only to understand the basic mechanism of biological processes but also will be beneficial to appreciate the use of biotechnological tools and techniques in academic research and industrial applications. The course will also introduce students to their local ecosystem and biological world by involving both fieldwork and lab work.

The students will learn basic methods in Biotechnology, Bioinformatics and Biodiversity.

The final grading of the student is based on continuous grading and examination. 

70% attendence is must for the course. 

Shivani [shivani.krishna@ashoka.edu.in ] ;

The course will cover a range of topics from individuals to ecosystems with an emphasis on theoretical foundations and recent developments in the field. We will begin with how ecological understanding is achieved, how conditions and resources influence individual species and then move to processes at higher levels of organization and end with rethinking some of the big questions in ecology. The topics covered will include physiological ecology, population ecology, species interactions, community ecology, succession and disturbance; ecosystem ecology, and biogeochemistry. Topics introduced in the lectures will be followed by in class-activities (and simulations) and discussions. For discussion sessions, I will suggest classic and recent research papers and students will lead discussions based on those. The course will allow reflecting on uncertainty and variation in natural processes from individual behavior to ecosystem services. It is recommended strongly to take Genetics and Evolution course prior to this since this course will build on some of the modules covered in that course.

Towards the end of this course, students will be able to (a) understand how ecologists empirically study processes occurring at various scales and apply evolutionary thinking to these processes (b) integrate proximate and ultimate factors to understand natural processes (c) quantitatively synthesize ecological research (d) explore applications of ecological concepts such as conservation, landscape management.

Begon, M., Harper, J. L., & Townsend, C. R. Ecology. Individuals, populations and communities. Blackwell scientific publications.

Scott, G. (2009). Essential animal behavior. John Wiley & Sons.

Davies, N. B., Krebs, J. R., & West, S. A. (2012). An Introduction to behavioural ecology. John Wiley & Sons.

Grading scheme for undergraduate students:

Absolute grading system will be followed for the course

Assignments - 30% (2 assignments of 15 marks each)

Presentations- 10%

Midterm (in class)- 25%

Final (in class)- 25%

Class participation and attendance- 10%

There will be two take-home assignments (15 marks each) and two examinations (midterm and final). A list of research papers will be circulated towards the second week of the course for discussions and presentations.

For graduate students:

Paper discussions and presentations- 10%; Assignments - 20% (2 assignments of 20 marks each); Reaction paper/critique paper- 30% (2 papers of 15 marks each); Midterm- 20%; Final- 20%

Graduate students are required to submit two written papers: 1500-word critique papers briefly summarizing and critically evaluating published research work, presenting personal viewpoints along with evidence backed by constructive criticism on a specific concept or research article.

No more than three unexcused absences will be allowed.

Laasya Samhita [laasya.samhita@ashoka.edu.in] ,Sandeep Ameta [sandeep.ameta@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Most biology courses segregate evolutionary thought from molecular biology. As a consequence, the molecular underpinnings of evolutionary processes remain at the periphery. In this advanced course, we aim to introduce students to the rich world of molecular evolution as well as the mechanisms thereof, starting with theory and ending with some techniques and real-world examples. The course is divided into two modules (M1: Laasya Samhita; M2: Sandeep Ameta).  The first module will cover the molecular basis of variation, adaptation and selection. We will discuss how experimental evolution can be carried out in the laboratory, and how genetics, molecular biology and evolution blend in as we look at the evolution of genes and genomes. The second module will cover the principles of directed evolution and how it can be used to evolve/select functional biomolecules for various applications. We will discuss various techniques used for aptamers/ribozymes, proteins, therapeutic antibodies, enzymes, and metabolic pathway evolution. Additionally, some recent developments in implementing machine learning in guiding directed evolution experiments will also be discussed.

Prerequisites: This course requires a basic understanding of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Evolution which are covered in the following courses: Introduction to Genetics and Evolution, Understanding Structure and Function, and Chemical Basis of Life. The first course is mandatory, and the other two are recommended but not a prerequisite for this course.

 

At the end of this course, we aim to have students familiar with the following ideas:

• Neutral versus beneficial or deleterious mutations.
• How gene duplications can contribute to evolution, mechanism, and examples.
• Understand how evolution can be studied in the laboratory.
• Understand the basis of the genetic code and how it can be manipulated.
• How a knowledge of evolution can be exploited to generate functional biomolecules.

Week 1 to Week 6: Introduction to Molecular Evolution by Dan Grauer and Wen Hsiung-Li (2nd edition), Strickberger’s Evolution (4th or 5th edition).  Reading material in the form of papers and notes as well as talk links will be circulated.

Week 7 to Week 12: This module will be mostly based on research papers and reviews. The following books can be referred to by students: Directed Enzyme Evolution: Screening and Selection (Frances H. Arnold, George Georgiou, Springer International Publishing); Directed Enzyme Evolution: Advances and Applications (Miguel Alcalde, Springer International Publishing); Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry 6th Edition (David L. Nelson, Michael M. Cox., Freeman Publishing). In addition, reading material in the form of papers and notes will be circulated.

As per Ashoka University policy.

The evaluation will be done by both the instructors separately and total marks will be averaged at the end of the course.

50 marks (Dr. Laasya Samhita):

The marks will be distributed between one assignment (25%) and one writing exercise (25%). Details will be discussed at the start of the course.

50 marks (Dr. Sandeep Ameta):

The marks will be distributed between one assignment (25%), active class participation (10%), and one end-semester exam (15%). The details will be discussed at the start of the course.

Overall three informed absences are allowed after which you will be penalized. 

Anurag Agrawal [anurag.agrawal@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Kasturi Mitra [Kasturi.mitra@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Course Name (code if available): Developmental Biology

Point of Contact person: Dr. Kasturi Mitra with Dr. Vijay Raghavan and Dr. Hiroshi Hamada

Overview: The field of developmental biology aims to understand how an organism develops from a single cell to fully matured. Interplay of various gene products (proteins) guide key cellular processes to allow the appropriate developmental task to happen at the right time and place. Errors in developmental processes lead to serious disorders and diseases. The course will take a multidisciplinary approach and will aim to cater to students beyond biology department with the goal of training minds to contribute in tackling major outstanding tasks in the broad field of fundamental developmental biology.

Learning Outcomes: This course will have both basic and advanced contents. The main learning outcome will be to understand all the genetic and cellular process in key  

Prerequisites: None. For students who have not taken the core Biology courses, extra reading materials will be provided.

Course Contents:

March 27th to Apr 4th

Feb 21st to 24th

Week

Broad topics to be covered

Details (subtopics)

Week 1

Refresher of the basic Biological concepts

Summary of topics covered in Bio-2 and Bio-3 courses

Week 2

Overview of development

Molecular and cellular processes involved in development

Week 3

Use of model systems and basic techniques (list)

Advantages and disadvantages of various developmental model systems

Week 4

Embryology and germ layer development

Events happening post fertilization upto formation of the three germ layers. Both basic and advanced concepts will be covered.

Week 5

Pattern formation (Vijay)

Involvement of morphogen gradients, lateral inhibition etc. Developmental timing will be covered. Basic and advanced concepts

Week 6

Development of symmetry and asymmetry (Hiroshi)

Basic and advanced concepts will be covered.

Week 7

Stem cells and regeneration

(Hiroshi)

Properties of embryonic, adult and neoplastic stem cells. Principles of regeneration and application in applied fields. Basic and advanced concepts will be covered.

Week 8a

Cellular reprogramming (Hiroshi)

Animal cloning and iPSC technology

Week 8b

Plant development (Utpal Nath-IISc, Usha-IISc, Kalika Prasad-IISER,Pune)

Week 9

Integrating disciplines (L mahadevan, Mukund Tattai, Archisman NCBS)

Importance of physics, math and engineering

Week 10

Neural development (Vijay)

Basic and advanced concepts will be covered.

Week 11

Developmental disorders of brain and behavior (Vijay/Sanjeev Jain)

Basic and advanced concepts will be covered

Week 12

Paper presentations

Students will present

Requirements (Reading List and other materials):

1. Molecular Cell Biology. Lodish H, Berk A, Kaiser CA, Krieger M, Bretscher A, Ploegh H, Amon A and Scott MP. 7th edition. New York: W. H. Freeman and Company.

2. Molecular Biology of the Cell, Bruce Alberts, Alexander Johnson, Julian Lewis, David Morgan, Martin Raff, Keith Roberts, and Peter Walter. 6th edition. New York: Garland Science.

3. Principle of Development, Lewis Wolpert, Cheryll Tickle and Alfonso Martinez Arias, 6th edition, Oxford University Press. This textbook explains principles of development (not too much detail), so may be suitable to undergraduate students. 

4. Additional reading, including research papers and review articles, will be provided. 

Alok Bhattacharya [alok.bhattacharya@ashoka.edu.in] ,Kavita Agarwal [kavita.agarwal@ashoka.edu.in] ,Rama Sundari Akondy [rama.akondy@ashoka.edu.in] ;

The aim of this course is to provide a bird’s eye view of human disease.  The complexity and diversity of different classes of infectious agents and  the mechanisms they use for survival and host evasion will be explored using some key examples. Non-communicable diseases are equally important to human health and we will examine pathobiological mechanisms behind metabolic syndrome, cancer and some rare genetic disorders. As we explore each topic throughout this course, we will also examine strategies for disease prevention and treatment. Please contact both instructors before the first two classes complete for any specific access or learning needs.

Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the diversity and complexity of infectious agents:

• Identify key examples of different classes of infectious agents.
• Analyze the mechanisms employed by infectious agents for survival and host evasion.

2. Evaluate the significance of non-communicable diseases in human health:

• Examine the pathobiological mechanisms underlying metabolic syndrome, cancer, and rare genetic disorders.
• Recognize the interconnectedness of various non-communicable diseases.

3. Apply knowledge of disease mechanisms to understand current prevention and treatment strategies:

• Investigate strategies for disease prevention and treatment across different disease types.
• Formulate connections between the understanding of disease mechanisms and the development of targeted interventions.

4. Integrate interdisciplinary perspectives on human disease:

• Synthesize information from various disciplines, including microbiology, pathology, and genetics.
• Demonstrate an appreciation for the interdisciplinary nature of studying human disease.

5. Engage in critical thinking and problem-solving using case studies or scientific literature to comprehend and critique current research in the field of human disease.

6. Communicate effectively about human disease concepts:

• Express complex scientific concepts related to human disease in both written and oral forms.
• Engage in discussions and collaborations with peers, demonstrating effective communication of ideas.

Expectations from students. It is important that students clarify doubts as we progress through the course. Students are expected to take active part in their learning experience and contribute to an environment conducive to learning by 

• Staying current with any mandatory reading / videos / knowledge checks / quizzes / assignments etc.
• sharing thoughts, questions or doubts as we progress; actively participating in discussions. This can be done ideally in class but if not, then over google classroom or over email.
• being enthusiastic about learning the subject, being mentally and physically present in class.
• Class participation, a continuous assessment component, can be accrued through various means beyond merely asking questions.

Prerequisites. For undergraduate students, completion of core biology courses is required for enrollment. A foundational understanding of cell and molecular biology, as well as immunology, is recommended. Students are encouraged to reach out to instructors for additional readings to enhance their knowledge and address any gaps in understanding.

Reading list. Students will be directed to sections / chapters from Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine and Microbiology with Diseases by Taxonomyby Robert W. Bauman as needed. Students are NOT expected to purchase these books. Additional media or readings will be provided by instructors as needed.

Students will be assessed by written or oral assignments given during the module (50%) and  an end semester exam (40%). Attendance (5%) and class participation (5%) will also count towards the final grade. Absolute grading will be used for the final grade. Please note again: Class participation, a continuous assessment component, can be accrued through various means beyond speaking in class.

As per OAA guidelines, students can take up to three absences with no documents required. This course allows for one more absence with no documentation but we appreciate prior information to the instructors. Further absences will need a valid reason and a timely doctor’s note or documentation as necessary. There is a 5 percent grade for attendance, absences beyond 6 classes will impact your final grade.

Rama Sundari Akondy [rama.akondy@ashoka.edu.in] ;

This course is for students who want to apply basic knowledge (from textbooks) towards understanding current research questions in immunology. Over the duration of the course, students will read, discuss and present talks on an instructor-determined set of 8-10 published or pre-print papers.

Please see the document attached for more details and contact the instructor for specific access or learning needs.

1. Recall:

• Recall the fundamental principles and concepts of immunology.
• Identify key terms, processes, and pathways that we come across in our readings.

2. Understand:

• Explain some of the current research questions in immunology.
• Interpret and summarize information from published or pre-print papers.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between basic immunological concepts and published research.

3. Apply basic immunological knowledge to analyze and critique research methodologies used in selected papers.

Students are required to have a fundamental knowledge of the immune system (students can do a self-assessment here https://forms.gle/pfRKVditAp1BDBpr6 - if you can easily answer at least 8 out of 10 questions, then this course is for you). If you have learnt immunology through self-study or as a course taught in your previous degree, please do the quiz and talk to the instructor.

6-10 main papers published in last 20 years or pre-prints (to be determined by the instructor) will be used. Textbooks for a refresher of fundamental concepts : Lauren Sompayrac’s How the immune system works and Kuby's immunology. Lower on the list (only for specific topics) : Janeway's Immunobiology.

1. Attendance - 10%
2. Paper presentation - 40% (20% for each of two talks, you can give up to four talks so the best two are counted).
3. Evaluation of your talk by your classmates - 10% (5% for each of two talks)
4. In class written assignments or low mark tests - 40%

• 1 and 4 are mandatory. Instead of  or in addition to (Extra credit) 2 and 3 you can submit a vaccine or immune system themed article to @IndiaBioscience (I need to see proof that the article has been submitted). This will counts towards 50% of your grade. The deadline for this artcile submission is January 5th 2024. (This is before the course starts so you can get a headstart on your assignments!). 

The final grade will be determined using relative grading.

As per OAA guidelines, students can take up to three absences without providing any excuse or documents. This course allows for one more absence with no documentation but the instructor requests being informed prior to class. Further absences will need a valid reason and a timely doctor’s note or documentation as necessary.  There is a 10 percent grade for attendance, absences beyond 6 classes will impact the final grade of the student.

Balaji Chattopadhyay [balaji.chattopadhyay@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Climate change has played a critical role in shaping the biological diversity in our planet. This course aims to introduce participants to the effects of climate change to biotic diversity, biogeography and human evolution focusing specifically on:

a. evolution and diversity in the last few million years, and

b. the contribution of genetics and genomics in understanding the evolution of natural populations during this period.

A significant portion is devoted towards introducing participants to the concepts and methods of population genetics, phylogenetics, molecular ecology, archaeogenetics/genomics etc. including elements of ancient DNA genomics and its application in understanding biotic evolution under climate change.

The course aims to equip students with conceptual and methodological knowhow of related evolutionary research and both case studies and hands-on exercises will be frequently used in this regard.

Students will learn how climate change has shaped the biodiversity on earth over a period of a billion years, with special focus on the evolution of current biodiversity. They will also learn how genomic data can be used to understand these associations. With the help of games and hands-on sessions, students will perform these analyses to understand the impact of climate change.

None

Assignments:                                      20%

Mid-term exam:                                  20%    

Final exam: Term paper                      50%

Class attendance and participation     10%

Most likely, we will use absolute numbers for grading (90 – 100 A; 85 – 89 A-; 80 – 84 B+; 75– 79 B; 70 – 74 B-; 65 – 69 C+; 60 – 64 C; 55 – 59 C-; 50 – 54 D+; 45 – 49 D; 40 – 44 D-; < 40 F). In case this scheme changes, we will inform you in advance

 

Course policies

Attendance is mandatory and it will count towards your class participation. You will be randomly asked to participate in discussions as and when needed. However, you can miss a maximum of 2 classes. 

Do not use mobile phones in class.

Please note that we have multiple responsibilities apart from teaching this course. We all run multiple courses and laboratory experiments. Hence, do not ask for extensions for submitting exam copies/ assignments unless there are pressing emergency medical/Health issues. A copy of a valid/ detailed medical certificate has to be submitted as well as to the departmental head.

Do not ask for an incomplete grade unless you have strong medical/ Health reasons. Please note that you may not be granted an ‘I’ since it also depends on our availability and schedule after this course gets over.

If you copy or cheat in some other way on the review paper or exam, as per the course policy, you will receive ‘F’ for the course, without any further discussion.

Do not share the slides, question papers beyond the classroom, without prior permission of the instructor. This is legally against the course, the instructor and university policy. 

Recording the lectures is not allowed

Finally, any inappropriate gesture or discriminatory comments (related to gender, class, caste, religion etc) will be strictly dealt with. Please refrain from making comments not directly related to the course contents

Anup Padmanabhan [anup.padmanabhan@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Modern biology is changing rapidly, and it has become unimaginable to teach biology in silos without discussing the underlying physical and chemical processes.  One of the main precepts behind this course is to discuss and analyze the physical concepts underlying biological phenomena. This elective course is aimed at students who wish to understand how physical principles governing molecular interactions come together during biological processes. 

The course will begin with simple order-of-magnitude estimates in biology. We will then move on to the basic quantifiable physical properties of biomolecules. We will then discuss the application of principles of physics to complex biological systems.

Understand and appreciate the role of mechanics and physical forces in biological processes.

Able to approach biological processes using physical equations.

Able to assumptions to build basic mathematical models in motion and force balance in biological processes.

No formal requirements. However, this is an advanced elective.  The participants are assumed to have a basic understanding of biology, high school physics and maths. If not , the student is required to brushup on these concepts. For any clarification on this, please discuss with the course co-ordinator.

Grading as per Ashoka Grading policy

Tutorial (1 hr/week) to be scheduled beyond the class hours

Assessment - 1 or 2 quizzes  and 1 presentation of a published paper

Requirements (Reading List and other materials):

• Biological Physics – Nelson and original research papers.
• iBiology seminars on relevant topics

Minimum 80% is mandatory. 

Sudipta Tung [sudipta.tung@ashoka.edu.in] ;

In the present century, exceptional advancements in computational power and numerical optimization routines have made quantitative methods critically important for solving biological problems. This course lays a basic foundation of model thinking and provides exposure to quantitative treatments of various biological processes.

During this course, the students will actively participate in learning several key quantitative biology techniques, including ODEs, cellular automata, phase plane analysis, stability analysis, steady-state analysis, quantifying chaos and population stability, through active participation in the class. Upon completion, the students will appreciate the rationale, principles and methodology of constructing and analysing models in various fields of biology, inter alia, population dynamics, microbiology, enzyme kinetic, epidemiology, and evolution.

The primary focus of this course will be on graphical interpretations and hands-on training sessions. The amount of mathematics involved will be minimal. Basic knowledge of coding in any computational programming language will be helpful for this course.

Quantitative thinking and modelling intuition in Biology

There are no prescribed text books for this course. Suitable reading materials will be shared after the lectures. Interested students may to go through the following books for additional reading.

1. Murray, J.D., 2007. Mathematical biology: I. An introduction (Vol. 17). Springer Science & Business Media.
2. Otto, S.P. and Day, T., 2011. A biologist's guide to mathematical modeling in ecology and evolution. Princeton University Press.
3. Strogatz, S.H., 2018. Nonlinear dynamics and chaos with student solutions manual: With applications to physics, biology, chemistry, and engineering. CRC press.
4. Railsback, S.F. and Grimm, V., 2019. Agent-based and individual-based modeling: a practical introduction. Princeton university press.

There are four grading components. Their relative weightages are given below.

Exam (best 2 out of 3): 40%

Classroom assignments 30%

DIY Project: 20%

Class participation: 10%

At the end of the course a letter-grade will be given based on the overall percentage marks as per the scheme below.

90 – 100 A
80 – 89 A-
75 – 79 B+
70 – 74 B
65 – 69 B-
60 – 64 C+
55 –59 C
50 – 54 C-
45 – 49 D+
40 – 44 D
<40 F

1. Attending classes is not mandatory.
2. If you decide to attend a class you should maintain general classroom norms, participate in collaborative learning, and be considerate to your classmates.
3. If you have a genuine reason to miss one of the exams (with approval from OAA), inform the instructors at the earliest so that we can schedule a makeup exam.
4. If you copy or cheat in some other way during exam, you will receive ‘F’ for the course, without any further discussion.
5. For the classroom assignments and DIY project, you are allowed to take help from your colleagues or other authentic resources on the web provided you acknowledge the sources appropriately.

Dilip Kumar [dilip.kumar@ashoka.edu.in] ;

This course aims to cover the basics of structural determination and prediction methods for biological macromolecules. This course will equip the students with recent developments in the field of structural biology and prepare them to utilize these methods for their research projects.

Isolation and characterization of carbohydrates and lipids (L1-L2)

Fundamentals of protein structures (L3)

Molecular cloning, Protein expression, and purification strategies (L4-L6)

Circular dichroism spectroscopy and single-molecule fluorescence methods for studying protein folding, stability, and interactions (L7)

Characterization of protein-protein/protein-ligand interactions (Biophysical methods) (L8)

Protein crystallization, screening and optimizing protein crystals, and X-ray diffraction (L9-L10)

Phasing strategies: MR and ab initio phasing (L11)

Model building, refinement, and validation (L12)

In solution studies: NMR and Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) (L13)

Neutron and Electron diffraction for protein structure determination (L14)

Cryo-EM: basic concepts of EM (L15)

Cryo-EM sample preparation: challenges and strategies (L16)

Negative stain EM and, cryo-EM single particle reconstruction, cryo-Electron tomography, cryo-CLEM (L17-L18)

Mass spectrometry for structural and functional characterization of proteins and complexes (L19-L20)

In silico tools for structure prediction (L21)

Structure visualization and analysis (L22)

Structural biology in drug discovery (L23)

Discussion and presentation by students (L24)

This course will equip the students with recent developments in the field of structural biology and prepare them to utilize these methods for their research projects

1. Biomolecular Crystallography: Principles, Practice, and Application to Structural Biology: Bernhard Rupp

2. Advances in Protein Molecular and Structural Biology Methods: Elsevier

3. Drenth, J., "Principles of Protein X-Ray Crystallography", 3rd edition, 2007 Springer

4. Online resources, review articles, and book chapters related to advanced topics

 

Relative grading:

Class attendance and participation: 15 marks

Assignments: Two assignments (30 marks each)

Final exam: 25 marks 

Minimum 75% attendance required (Relaxation only in case of medical or family urgencies)

Krishna Venkata Melnattur [krishna.melnattur@ashoka.edu.in] ,Sougata Roy [sougata.roy@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Rhythms of Life

Rhythms ranging from milliseconds to a year are observed across all kingdom of life. We will learn about all rhythms with special emphasis on the 24 hour circadian rhythms. Living organisms adapt to the surrounding environment by coordinating different biological tasks with the 24 h rotation of the earth with the help of a cell-based clock, termed as the circadian clock. Circadian clock generates self-sustaining endogenous rhythms in physiology, behaviour and metabolism that have wide implications in eukaryotes and prokaryotes. This course will give a brief overview of how circadian clocks generate temporal rhythms and their significance in survival and adaptability of the organisms.

Sleep

Sleep is a brain state we enter into and exit from daily. Further, it is not just us humans who sleep - sleep is near ubiquitous among animals. Yet, sleep remains enigmatic. In this section, we will introduce the neuroscience of sleep. We will begin with a description of sleep phenomenology, go on to discuss the circuits and transmitters that regulate sleep,  talk about sleep disorders, and finally consider some ideas about the functions of sleep. We will draw on sleep literature in humans, small mammals, and crucially very many invertebrates that are known to sleep

Rhythms of Life

Understanding the fundamentals and mechanism of temporal rhythms of behaviour, physiology, biochemistry and metabolism from a single celled to multicellular organisms

Sleep

Understanding the mechanisms that regulate sleep as well as the functional consequences of sleep for brain and body function.

This course is for UG who have completed Introduction to biology 2 or Introduction to biology 3 OR Biology M.Sc. OR PhD students.

Some printed material will be provided in the class. 

Some electronic reading materials will be provided in the class.

Rhythms of Life

a) Class Participation (5 marks).   b) One  exam of (20 marks).  c) Class assignments (15 Marks). d) Presentation (10 Marks). The grading rubric will be different for M.Sc. and PhD students and will be discussed during the class.

Sleep

a) Journal club style presentation on research paper of choice (25 points)
b) Written assignment - Use ChatGPT to generate a News & Views style article on a recent paper / preprint. Then analyse and critique ChatGPT's output (25 points)

Final score from both the section will be added and then graded on a curve

Rhythms of Life

1) Plagiarism or academic dishonesty (cheating on exams) will not be tolerated and will be dealt with utmost seriousness.

2) Attendance at theory and examinations are mandatory. There will be one theory exam attendance in theory is mandatory. If you miss any theory class, you must find out what you missed and make sure you understand it. If you need help regarding the course please request for appointment by dropping emails to Sougata Roy(sougata.roy@ashoka.edu.in).  3) It is expected that you will keep up to date notebooks for theory course. 4) I strongly advise not to use cell phones during the class.  Please silence your cell phones during the class. Laptops and tablets are allowed but strictly for note taking purpose. Cell phones or laptops are not allowed during exams unless advised otherwise.

Grievance redressal - Any grievance regarding marks should be discussed within 3 das after the marks has been distributed (for exams, assignments, presentations). Otherwise it will not be entertained at the later stages

Sleep

1) We have zero tolerance towards plagiarism. All submissions will be run though a plagiarism checker. Penalties for plagiarism could range from a deduction of 10 - 30 points (depending on severity). Further, all instances of plagiarism will be reported to OAA.

2) Attendance at lectures is mandatory. Absence of up to two classes is excused - no questions asked.

 

Jaisri Jagannadham [jaisri.j@ashoka.edu.in] ,Laasya Samhita [laasya.samhita@ashoka.edu.in] ;

The overall learning objective of this section of the module is to understand the principles behind basic molecular biology techniques, and develop hands-on experience with a few. Students are also expected to develop familiarity with basic data analysis largely using open-source scientific computing languages. Since the course has both lab and theory components, it will be asymmetrically structured, with 3 lab and theory hybrid classes of 3 hours each, and 6 X 1.5 hour theory classes to delve into R.

Ability to understand and apply the principles behind PCR, agarose and SDS gel electrophoresis, and organise and analyse basic data sets in R.

There are no text books for this course. However, ‘Molecular cloning’ by Sambrook and Green (2012 and beyond) is recommended. At least one edition is available on google books, and it can also be freely downloaded online. Material will be shared in class.

The following topics will be covered:

Principles and hands-on agarose gel electrophoresis

Principles and hands-on SDS gel electrophoresis

Principles and hands-on PCR

Analyzing and Interpreting biological data using open-source scientific computing language

Exploratory data analysis (EDA) & Visualization

Gene expression data handling & analysis

Dimensionality reduction

Grading will be absolute and according to the Ashoka grading rubric. For the lab component, it will be based on one assignment and performance in class. For the computational analysis, it will be based on class assignments.

90 – 100 A; 85 – 89 A-; 80 – 84 B+; 75 – 79 B; 70 – 74 B-; 65 – 69 C+; 60 – 64 C; 55 – 59 C-; 50 – 54 D+; 45 – 49 D; 40 – 44 D-; < 40 F.

Attendance is compulsory since all the learning outcomes depend on hands-on work. Leave will be granted only under extenuating circumstances with prior information. If you miss

more than one class, marks will be deducted as per the instructor's discretion.

Kasturi Mitra [Kasturi.mitra@ashoka.edu.in] ;

This is a mandaory course for MSc Biology 2nd year students only. Syllabus will be shared with them directly. 

Sandeep Ameta [sandeep.ameta@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Science provides an integrative approach to understanding the society around us. Therefore, as a scientist, it is crucial to understand how our actions will impact the society and environment. This course aims to educate students about scientific philosophy, methodology, and ethical considerations required for carrying out scientific research. Starting from the basics of working in the lab, this course aims to cover topics of data handling, understanding, interpreting, and communicating. The students will be then taught details of ethics in science and educate them to understand the impact of their actions on the society around. This course will be taught together with Dr. Durgadas Kasbekar (CDFD Hyderabad) as a guest lecturer who will be covering topics related to Ethics, along with a few classes by Dr. Alok Bhattacharya (Ashoka University).

Prerequisites: None

 

 

At the end of this course, we aim to have students have learnt about:

1: Scientific philosophy, hypothesis framing and developing a scientific idea.

2: Research methodology, designing experiments, appropriate controls, and data handling.

3: Communicating the scientific outcome.

4: Ethical consideration in executing and communicating science.

The course content will be prepared from multiple sources which will be sufficient to understand but the following book can be referred to for additional knowledge:  Research Methodology in the Medical and Biological Sciences (Petter Laake, Academic Press).

In addition, reading material in the form of notes will be circulated.

As per Ashoka University policy.

The grading will be done by each instructor separately and the total marks will be averaged at the end of the semester. 

50 marks (Dr. Sandeep Ameta):

The marks will be distributed between two assignments (20%), one group debate (20%), and active class participation (10%). The details will be discussed at the start of the course.

50 marks (Dr. Durgadas Kasbekar, Dr. Alok Bhattacharya):

Will be updated in due course. 

 

As per Ashoka University guidelines, overall 3 informed absences are allowed. 

Wei Li Hsu [wei.hsu@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Introduction to Mandarin is a beginner’s language course, specifically designed for students with no exposure to Modern Standard Chinese (putonghua 普通話). The course will introduce students to the Chinese language and culture and focus on basic speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. This includes an introduction to phonetics, basic vocabulary, and expressions of daily use. Various cultural activities will also be conducted during the semester.

The course will prepare the students to attain a certain level of understanding and proficiency in Chinese language through interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational modes. It will integrate Chinese culture into language learning through both written and audio-visual means to familiarize students with the culture and language. At the end of the class, students will be able to read and comprehend Chinese texts on various topics moderately without the aid of pinyin and tone marks. They will be able to give presentations in Chinese on a prepared topic and write short paragraphs and compositions on a limited range of topics and situations.

This course is part of a two-semester sequence building towards a TOCFL Novice certification.

Course timetable in Spring 2024: Mon/Wed/Fri 15:00-16:30 (taught by Hsu Weili Laoshi)

 

• Attendance 20%
• Assignment 65%
• Quiz 15%

• No points will be deducted for the first 3 absences. After that, 4% of attendance will be deducted for each subsequent absence.
• If you reach more than 8 absences at any point during the semester, you cannot continue the course and will not be granted credits. 
• Being more than 5 minutes late for class will be considered as an absence.

Shao Chin [shao.chin@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Introduction to Mandarin is a beginner’s language course, specifically designed for students with no exposure to Modern Standard Chinese (putonghua 普通話). The course will introduce students to the Chinese language and culture and focus on basic speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. This includes an introduction to phonetics, basic vocabulary, and expressions of daily use. The course will prepare the students to attain a certain level of understanding and proficiency in Chinese language through interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational modes. It will integrate Chinese culture into language learning through both written and audio-visual means to familiarize students with the culture and language. At the end of the class, students will be able to read and comprehend Chinese texts on various topics moderately without the aid of pinyin and tone marks. They will be able to give presentations in Chinese on a prepared topic and write short paragraphs and compositions on a limited range of topics and situations.

This course is part of a two-semester sequence building towards a TOCFL Novice certification at the end of the Spring semester.

CHI-1102 M/W/F 15:00–16:30 (taught by Shao Jhe Chin Laoshi)

Classroom performance,homework, regular short quizzes, attendence,video,participate in the TOCFL exam.

Two points are deducted for each absence. 

* No points will be deducted for the first 3 absences.More than 10 min late count as an absence.

* If you fail to attend more than 8 classes, you will not be allowed to continue the course.

Daniel Murray [daniel.murray@ashoka.edu.in] ;

This course introduces religion in modern China with an emphasis on the relationship between religion and politics. We will consider how different political authorities attempted to use, control, and suppress religious movements to various ends. We begin with a historical overview from the late Qing Dynasty up to the present. Then, for the rest of the course, each week will focus on a different theme in connection to contemporary China.

We will consider questions about the role of religious groups in society and their relationship with the state, how different institutions and practices get categorized as religion or not, how urban development has re-shaped the religious landscape, the interplay of religion and ethnicity, how religious ideas shape gender roles, the role of religious groups in philanthropic and environmental movements, and the use of new media technologies by religious groups. While some of these may initially appear detached from the political realm, the state plays a role in monitoring, regulating, and managing many aspects of them.
 

▫ Develop an understanding of the issues surrounding religion in modern China and be able to critically engage with these ideas.

▫ Read and analyze academic writing in terms of their argumentation, sources used, and rationale.
▫ Evaluate secondary academic sources.
▫ Use proper academic citation styles.
▫ Synthesize big ideas concisely in writing.
▫ Share your thoughts, opinions, or critiques of the assigned readings in class
▫ Connect issues discussed in the class with events in the real world.

Wei Li Hsu [wei.hsu@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Mandarin 4 is designed for students who have successfully completed Mandarin Level 3. This course introduces students to the Chinese language and culture, focusing on developing their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. The curriculum includes an introduction to pre-intermediate level vocabulary, grammar, and expressions for pre-intermediate use. Students will be prepared to attain a certain level of understanding and proficiency in the Chinese language through interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational modes.

The course integrates Chinese culture into language learning through various means, familiarizing students with both the culture and language. By the end of the semester, students should be able to read short, simple texts on familiar concrete topics, which consist of high-frequency everyday or job-related language. They should also be able to understand commonly used expressions and grasp the main point in a short conversation when conducted slowly and clearly.

Mandarin 4 is part of a two-semester sequence building towards a TOCFL A1-A2 certification at the end of the Spring semester.

Course Timetable for the Spring 2024 semester: Mon/Wed 10:10-11:40, Fri 16:40-18:10 (taught by Hsu Weili Laoshi).

• Attendance 20%
• Assignment 70%
• Quiz 10%

• No points will be deducted for the first 3 absences. After that, 4% of attendance will be deducted for each subsequent absence.
• If you reach more than 8 absences at any point during the semester, you cannot continue the course and will not be granted credits. 
• Being more than 5 minutes late for class will be considered as an absence.

Eloise Wright [eloise.wright@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Among the most vivid images of China’s modern history have been the extremes of decadent imperial courts and starving peasants. China’s sixteenth-century commercial revolution, in the context of the growing international trade in silver, transformed social and cultural life in every corner of society. Since then, arguments about the distribution of resources and the proper remedy for inequality have been central to political and social movements, especially during the twentieth century. In this course we will examine the economic bases of income inequality in Chinese history, investigate strategies Chinese governments and individuals have used to mitigate rural and urban poverty, and come to appreciate how these economic realities affected people at all levels of Chinese society. Wealth and poverty were experienced differently according to factors including (but not limited to) gender, age, level of education, disability, sexuality, ethnicity, and location. We will read primary sources which illuminate a wide range of perspectives and consider, in conversation with the secondary literature, how to synthesise these materials. The written assessment for this class will be a writing portfolio including that will build towards developing expertise on a single Chinese region or locality. It addition to an annotated bibliography, it will include a research paper or storymap (other final project options may be considered).

 

Preparation/participation: 30%

Annotated bibliography: 30%

Final project proposal: 10%

Final project: 30%

 

Note: >93 =A; >90 = A-; >87 = B+; >83 = B; >80 = B- etc

Shao Chin [shao.chin@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Mandarin 6 is for students who have completed Mandarin Level 5. The course will introduce students to the Chinese language and culture and focus on speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. This includes an introduction to intermidate level vocabulary, grammar and expressions of intermidate use. The course will prepare the students to attain a certain level of understanding and proficiency in Chinese language through interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational modes. It will integrate Chinese culture into language learning through both written and audio-visual means to familiarize students with the culture and language. At the end of the class, students will be able to read and comprehend Chinese texts on various topics moderately. They will be able to give presentations in Chinese on a prepared topic and write short paragraphs and compositions.

This course is part of a two-semester sequence building towards a TOCFL A2-B1 certification at the end of the Spring semester.

CHI-3102 M/W/F 10:10–11:40 (taught by Shao Jhe Chin Laoshi)

Attendence,homework,interview report,participate in the TOCFL exam.

Two points are deducted for each absence. 

* No points will be deducted for the first 3 absences.More than 10 min late count as an absence.

* If you fail to attend more than 8 classes, you will not be allowed to continue the course.

Sourav Pal [sourav.pal@ashoka.edu.in] ,Vidya Dnyaneshwar Avasare [vidya.avasare@ashoka.edu.in] ;

 

Chemistry is about study of interacting electrons and how the details form a variety of matter that is useful to the society, from renewable energy to healthcare. Historically, chemistry has been focusing on the variation of matter, how transformation takes place and that variation is reflected in a great variety of subjects. The topics in chemistry will cover the role of electrons, as manifested from quantum principles and how the interaction of electrons play crucial role in transformation of substances. In particular, the course will cover the following:

Part A

Atoms and Molecules in Chemistry

Basic Quantum Principles forming molecules from atoms

Bond breaking and bond making- The essence of chemistry

Thermodynamics and kinetics and their effects on chemical reactions

Catalysis- The heart of chemistry

Part B

Organic Molecules- The origin of life

Language of arrows in organic chemistry, electrophilicity, nucleophilicity and reactivity

Basic organic reactions- Addition, elimination, substitution, polymerization, oxidation, reduction, and functional group interconversion to build new molecules for applications in medicines and materials

Fundamental Physical Chemistry involved in transformation of molecules

Understanding of organic reactions and the reactivity 

None

Reading list to be updated

General Chemistry texts first year UG

Materials and videos from web

EndSem         40 %

Midsem          20 %

Quiz                20%

Assignment    20 %

 

Minimun 80 percent required.

Less than 80 percent attendance will result in negative marks 

Munmun Ghosh [munmun.ghosh@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Metalloproteins and Metalloenzyme 

• Theory of occurrence and function, active-site structure, and function of metalloproteins and metalloenzymes with various transition metal ions and ligand systems
• O2 binding properties of heme (haemoglobin and myoglobin) and non-heme proteins (hemocyanin & hemerythrin), their coordination geometry and electronic structure, co-operativity effect, binding of CO to Myoglobin, Hemoglobin, and their model compounds
• Representative synthetic models of heme and non-heme systems
• Iron–Sulfur Clusters, Iron-Protein structure

Electron transfer proteins

• Active site structure and functions of ferredoxin, rubredoxin and cytochromes, and their comparisons.
• Vitamin B12 and cytochrome P450 and their mechanisms of action, Model compounds

Metals in medicine (MIM)

• Therapeutic applications of cis-platin, transition metal radioisotopes (example: Tc, Co and Cu etc.) and MRI (Mn and Fe) agents.
• Superoxide Dismutase Mimics, Vanadium-Based Diabetes, Copper Toxicity (Disease States, and Treatments, Familial Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (FALS), Wilson and Menkes Diseases)
• Diagnostic agents (Gadolinium MRI Imaging Agents, Magnetic Imaging Considerations, Kinetics, and Thermodynamics of Complexes)
• Drugs Toxicity of metals - Cd, Hg and Cr toxic effects with specific examples.

Learning outcomes:

Bioinorganic Chemistry is an interdisciplinary subject and has grown interest in Chemistry, Biology, and medicine. This course will teach you various applications of metals in nature and in our daily life.

Students will be able to

• Explain natural enzymes mechanism in biological system.
• Utilize the principles of coordination complexes in understanding functions of biological systems.

Basic Knowledge and interest in Chemistry

References:

Textbooks:

1. J. E. Huheey, E. A. Keiter, R.L. Keiter and O. K. Mehdi, Inorganic Chemistry, Principles of Structure and Reactivity, 4th Edition, Pearson, 2006.

2. C. E. Housecroft and A. G. Sharpe, Inorganic Chemistry, 4th Edition, Pearson, 2012.

3. S. J. Lippard and J. M. Berg, Principles of Bioinorganic Chemistry, University Science Books, 1994.

Grading rubrics:

Quiz 30%

Assignment 40%

Exam 30%

70% attendance

Sourav Chatterjee [sourav.chatterjee@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Munmun Ghosh [munmun.ghosh@ashoka.edu.in] ,Santu Bera [santu.bera@ashoka.edu.in] ;

This course is an intensive introduction to the techniques of experimental chemistry, covers the principles and applications of instrumentation techniques for the identification and analysis of chemical compounds, and thus gives the students an opportunity to learn and master the basic chemistry lab techniques for carrying out experiments.

Course contents

1. Characterization Technique by Spectroscopy

    A. UV-Vis Spectroscopy: Verification of Lambert Beers Law.

• Measurement of lamda max and molar extinction coefficient of different organic, inorganic compounds and nanomaterials.
• To find the concentration of given unknown samples

   B. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy: Functional Groups Identification in Organic & Inorganic Molecules.

• Functional Groups Identification in organic & inorganic compounds (10-12 )
• Interpretation of IR spectra and characterization

   C. Fluorescence Spectroscopy:

• Quenching of anthracene molecules
• pH dependance absorbance of fluorescein and Rhodamine 6G

 

2. Karl-Fischer Titrator to Determine Water Content in Solvents

3. Gas Chromatography & Mass Spectrometry for Separation & Identification of Molecules

i) Analysis of organic contents in

• turmeric powder extract
• Lemon grass extract
• Merigold flower extract

ii) Monitoring chemical reaction to find the %  of products obtained (Ex. Nitration of anisole)

4. Electrochemistry:

• Determination of Ferrocene and Ferrocenium ion
• Redox reaction

Students will be able to

• Handle sophisticated analytical instruments
• Understand basic components of IR, FTIR, UV-Visible and Fluorescence spectroscopy
• Interpret IR, FTIR, UV-visible spectra and their applications
• Learn separations techniques like Gas Chromatography
• Handle Potentiostat and analyze the potentiograph

1. Banwell, C.N. (2006), Fundamentals of Molecular Spectroscopy, Tata McGraw-Hill Education.

2. Skoog, D. A.; Holler, F. J.; Crouch, S. (2006), Principles of Instrumental Analysis, Cengage Learning.

Final Exam & viva 60%

Lab notebook 20%

Attendance 20%

Attendence 70%

Vidya Dnyaneshwar Avasare [vidya.avasare@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Sourav Chatterjee [sourav.chatterjee@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Course description

This course is an undergraduate elective and a course for PhD program. This course covers the branch of chemistry which deals primarily with the linking of diseases, its mechanisms, development and how they can be modulated or reversed using the chemistry of compounds. The curriculum is designed with an objective to familiarize students with the fundamental concepts of medicinal chemistry in drug discovery, development, uses, and mechanism of drug action. The course is intended for students who have a background in chemistry, biochemistry, biology, biotechnology, pharmacy and interested in the process of medicinal chemistry. Students can gain knowledge of synthetic chemistry, process chemistry, pharmaceutical chemistry, computational chemistry, and basics of chemical understanding in biological mechanism throughout this special course.

Special features

This course is aimed at students with a strong interest in the biological aspects of chemistry in drug development in major disease areas. Students will have the opportunity to develop a comprehensive knowledge of chemistry alongside subject-specific and generic skills to develop a strong understanding of application of chemistry in contexts relevant to society and industry. This course also imparts building a strong base for all those who wish to pursue higher education in related fields.

Upon completion of this course, students will have the opportunity to develop a comprehensive subject-specific knowledge and understanding of medicinal chemistry alongside and how chemistry is extensively applied in the field of drug discovery. The intended outcome is to train students on various aspects of new drug discovery/development, target identification, lead discovery, optimization and the molecular basis of drug design and drug action, drug formulation, drug toxicity and bioavailability.

Books and references

1. An Introduction to Medicinal Chemistry, Graham L. Patrick

2. The Organic Chemistry of Drug Design and Drug Action, Richard B. Silverman

3. Lehninger’s Principles of Biochemistry, Cox and Nelson

For a detailed Course Description, please go through the attached file.

Assignment: 30%

Quiz: 20%

Presentation: 10%

Final Exam: 40%

70%

Deepak Asthana [deepak.asthana@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Learning Objectives:

Chemical analysis is the process through which nature of any substance and identity of its constituents is analysed. In this course we will perform tasks to identify some constituent ions (cations & anions) of some inorganic salts and learn methods to find out functional groups present in certain organic compounds. Procedures opted in qualitative analysis of any compound involve reactions that produce easily observable changes such as precipitation, colour change, gas release, smell etc. Generally, a simple three step scheme is followed. These three steps differentiate the ions in major groups, then into subgroup and then finally individual ion is characterized.

 

Contents:

Systematic qualitative analysis of the given organic compounds containing monofunctional Groups:

• carboxylic acid
• ester
• amine
• nitro
• amide

Qualitative analysis of carbohydrates: Glucose, Fructose, Lactose, Maltose, Sucrose

Systematic analysis of anion in a given inorganic salt

• Preliminary test with dilute sulphuric acid andthen confirmation of anionic species (Carbonate, sulphide, sulphite, nitrite, and acetate)
• Qualitative analysis of phosphate, sulfate, oxalate and nitrate anions
• Identification of halides (chloride, bromide and iodide)

Preliminary Examination of the Salt for Identification of Cation

• Colour based observation to find out possible cations
• Analysis of zero goup (ammonium), Group 1 & 2 cations (lead, copper)
• Analysis of Group 3 cations (aluminium, iron)
• Analysis of Group 4 cations (cobalt, nckel, manganese, zinc)
• Identification of barium and calcium ions

 

 

 

 

 

Lab Report (20%)

Mid-term Exam (30%)

Final term Exam (40%)

Attendance (10%)

Attendance 80%

Aryya Ghosh [aryya.ghosh@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Aryya Ghosh [aryya.ghosh@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Deepak Asthana [deepak.asthana@ashoka.edu.in] ,Santu Bera [santu.bera@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Learning Objectives:

This course will include topics from stimuli-responsive materials. Such systems are referred to as Smart Materials as they can quickly respond to certain external stimuli such as temperature, light, pH etc.

Smart Materials find a wide range of applications in biological as well as device-based applications. Houses having windows coated with smart materials can keep the house cool during the hot summer days by preventing the heat penetration, and same time can generate electricity as well. Self-healing materials can repair small fractures caused by applied stress and thereby increase the lifetime. For example, if car gets scratches, it may heal itself. Smart biomaterials have recently evolved as a highly fascinating area to become an integral component in the modern-day improvement of human condition and quality of life. These are said to impact the modern medicines in various ways. Tissue engineering, drug delivery systems, medical devices are some of the areas where smart biomaterials have significant role to play. Nevertheless, apart from biomedicine, biomaterials also play a crucial role in developing green technology.     

Under this course, we will study about the various types of smart and biomaterials that find applications in biomedical sciences, electronic materials, and modern displays. We will learn the fundamental principles behind properties that make them unique in their classes. Topics that will be discussed in more details are Hydrogels, Self-healing materials, Liquid crystals, and brief introduction to single molecule electronics and molecular machines. Different classes of natural biomaterials including their properties and functions will be discussed. Design of synthetic biomaterials that requires knowledge and understanding of chemistry, materials science, biology, engineering, and medicine, will be covered. The course has been designed to provide students a comprehensive idea and in-depth understanding of biomaterials.

Course contents:

1. Introduction: Smart Functional and Biomaterials: Optical Materials, Shape Memory Systems, Materials for drug delivery, Tissue engineering etc.

2. Hydrogels

• Introduction: hydrogels and their applications
• Chemistry behind solidification of liquids (water)
• Forces responsible for gelation: Noncovalent molecular interactions
• Structural features of a gelator: Amphiphiles
• Characterization of a gel 

Self-healing materials

• Introduction to self-healing materials and their applications
• Design of self-healing and self-restoring materials
• Chemistry behind self-healing process

3. Smart Optical Materials

• Chromogenic Materials
• Photochromic compounds: Chemistry and application in ophthalmic lenses
• Smart windows for homes

Organic light emitting devices (OLED)

• Introduction: light emitting devices (LED)
• Emission of light: Fluorescence & Phosphorescence
• Developmental history of LED
• Work principle of LEDs
• Materials used in LED
• Drawbacks of LED
• Organic LED (OLED): Generations of OLED

4. Liquid Crystals

• Liquid crystals and their applications
• Types of liquid crystals

5. Introduction to Biomaterials  

6. Natural Biomaterials

• Structure and properties of cell components (proteins, DNA, carbohydrates)
• Biocompatibility
• Mechanical property/elastic moduli
• Biodegradability
• Cell-matrices interaction/ host response to foreign materials

7. Artificial/synthetic Biomaterials

• Natural materials-based (proteins and peptides like collagen, Cellulose)
• Polymer-based (Poly(methyl methacrylate ))
• Ceramics (Hydroxyapatite)

8. Applications

• Next generation medical implants like artificial tissue, dental implants, vascular grafts
• Interface of biotechnology and engineering
• Green energy harvesting
• Bioelectrodes and biomedical sensors
• An emerging industry

Student will learn

• About various systems that are categorized as smart materials.
• Smart materials have huge industrial importance and are materials for future devices.
• This course will offer a basic understanding about the design and working principle.
• Topics that will be discussed in this course are from modern day research & technology problems and are still under developmental stage.
• The fundamental concepts of materials science as applied for biomaterials science.
• Biological properties need to be evaluated to understand the potential of a system as biomaterials.
• The preparation and properties of different artificial biomaterials.
• Concept of designing new biomaterials
• Understand the huge range of potential applications of biomaterials that makes them one of the most promising future materials.  

Polymeric and Self Assembled Hydrogels; From Fundamental Understanding to Applications. Royal Society of Chemistry (2013)

Supramolecular Gels; Materials and Emerging Applications. Wiley (2021)

Organic Light Emitting Devices; Synthesis, Properties and Applications. Wiley (2006)

Fundamentals of Smart Materials. Royal Society of Chemistry (2020)

Smart Materials for Drug Delivery, Volume 1. Royal Society of Chemistry (2013)

Structure and Properties of Liquid Crystals, by Lev M. Blinov. Springer (2010)

Self-Healing Polymers; From Principles to Applications. Wiley (2013)

Biomaterials Science and Biocompatibility by Frederick H. Silver, David L. Christiansen, Springer New York, NY, 1999 (doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-0557-9).

Biomaterials Science: An Introduction to Materials in Medicine by Buddy D. Ratner, Allan S. Hoffman, Frederick J. Schoen, Jack E. Lemons. Elsevier, 2004.

Advanced Biomaterials: Fundamentals, Processing, and Applications by Bikramjit Basu, Dhirendra S. Katti, Ashok Kumar, Wiley and Sons. 2009.

Tutorial Review Articles from ACS, RSC and Wiley journals

End sem 40%

Mid sem 30%

Assingment 30%

Attendance 10%

Attendance 80%

Deepak Asthana [deepak.asthana@ashoka.edu.in] ,Santu Bera [santu.bera@ashoka.edu.in] ;

The term “stereochemistry” has its origin in the Greek word “stereos” which means solid. As the name suggests, stereochemistry is the branch of chemistry that explores the properties of any compound that depend on the three-dimensional arrangement of the atoms/groups in the molecule. Compounds studied under this topic have identical chemical structures. Such compounds, called as stereoisomers, despite having exactly same elemental composition and formula may display huge differences in their properties, especially the way they interact with biological systems. A very basic example is found in the naturally occurring sugars which predominantly have D-chirality. We all know that the D-glucose is primary source of energy but L-glucose is totally different in that aspect. It is quite commonly observed fact that a particular enantiomer of the drug is biologically active while other remains silent. All this could be explained if their stereochemical aspects are considered. This course is designed to provide explanation about how certain subtle differences in spatial arrangements of atoms/groups in a compound can give rise to prominent effects. Stereochemistry is of particular importance in the field pharmaceuticals industry where it can provide great insights about designing new drugs.

This course will also have some selected topics from heterocyclic chemistry. The contents within this part will provide a broad understanding of the major classes of heterocyclic compounds.  Emphasis is given on the nomenclature, structure, properties, syntheses, and reactions of the simple 5 and 6-membered ring heterocycles, such as pyridines, pyrroles, furanes, thiophenes, indoles, quinoline and isoquinolines.

Course contents:

Introduction & Applictions:

• Importance of stereochemistry in real life: some examples and a short history of stereochemistry, experiments & methods
• The Significance of Chirality in Drug Design and Development
• Chemistry in 3D space, Chirality and its origin

Nomenclature and Terminology:

• Absolute (R/S and D,L) and relative configurations (Threo/erythro , syn/anti)
• Stereoisomers: Stereogenicity and topicity; Enantiomers, Diastereomers, Epimers, Anomers, Atropisomers

Conformatonal Analysis and It effect on recativities:

• Conformations of acyclic systems and of cyclopentane and cyclohexane (mono and disubstituted)
• Stereoelectronic and steric principles in reactions: Substitution, elimination and addition; selectivity and specificity

Chemistry of Heterocyclic compounds:

• Introduction, Importance, Classification and nomenclature
• Structure, aromaticity in 5-numbered and 6-membered rings containing one heteroatom

Synthesis & Recations of some common Heterocylcic Compounds:

• General methods of synthesis for: Furan, Pyrrole (Paal-Knorr synthesis, Knorr pyrrole synthesis, Hantzsch synthesis), Thiophene, Pyridine (Hantzsch synthesis), Indole(Fischer indole synthesis and Madelung synthesis, reduction of o-nitrobenzaldehyde), Quinoline and isoquinoline, (Skraup synthesis, Friedlander’s synthesis, Knorr quinoline synthesis

 

References:

-Stereochemistry by Eliel

-Stereochemistry by Nasipuri

-Introduction to the Chemistry of Heterocyclic compounds, John Welly& Sons (1976) by R.M. Acheson.

-The Chemistry of Heterocycles, 2nd Edition. By Theophil Eicher and Siegfried Hauptmann. 2003 Wiiey-VCH Veriag GmbH & Co. KGaA

-Heterocyclic Chemistry, 3rd edition, J. A. Joule, K. Mills, and G. F. Smith, 1995, Stanley Thornes (Publishers) Ltd

 

This course is designed to provide explanation about how certain subtle differences in spatial arrangements of atoms/groups in a compound can give rise to prominent effects.

Students will be able to learn the fundamentals of chirality and properties related to chiral and heterocyclic compounds. These two topics are important part of carbohydrate chemistry and pharma industry.

No Prerequisite.

Assignments (10%)

Mid-term Exam (40%)

Final term Exam (40%)

Attendance (10%)

Attendance 80%

Sourav Pal [sourav.pal@ashoka.edu.in] ;

A. Basic Quantum Mechanics: Postulates of quantum mechanics: Concept of stationary and nonstationary states; Ehrenfest Theorem and its consequences; Commutation of Operators and its significance in measurement; Some exactly solvable systems as examples of stationary states of energy

B: Introduction to group theory and its relevance to Quantum Mechanics: Properties of a group, Subgroup and Class, Symmetry operators and their relevance to stationary states in quantum mechanics; Wigner’s theorem; Concepts of groups in symmetry; Angular Momentum algebra and their representations;  Runge-Lenz symmetry of the Coulomb potential  with reference to the H atom solution; Matrix representation of groups; Operators and basis functions; Symmetry of Hamiltonian Operator; Unitary and Similarity transformation; Reducible and Irreducible representations; Schur's Lemma, Great Orthogonality Theorem and its consequences; Character tables, Wavefunctions as bases for irreducible representation, Direct product and significance; Symmetry adapted basis and the consequence in the solution of energy eigenfunctions; Discreet symmetries; Permutation symmetry with reference to many-particle problems

C: Applications to quantum chemistry and spectroscopy: Symmetry-adapted states and how these simplify matrix problems associated with quantum mechanis/ chemistry; Huckel calculations; Einstein A and B coefficients; dipolar interaction between light and matter;  time-dependent perturbation approach;  Weak and strong field interaction; Transition probability and Transition moment integral, Fermi's golden rule; Vibrational spectroscopy; Normal coordinates, normal modes and their symmetry; Selection rules for fundamental vibrational transitions

How symmetry is related to the Quantum Mechanics and the simplification in solution of quantum mechanics problems and the application to spectroscopy

 

Volker Heine- Group Theory in Quantum Mechanics- ScienceDirect, 1960

F A Cotton-Chemical Applications of Group Theory- 3rd Ed,  Wiley, 2008 

Michael Tinkham- Group Theory and Quantum Mechanics - Dover Publications, 2012

Other Standard Quantum Mechanics texts and books on symmetry

 

More books will be updated in this section

Midsem -15 %, Endsem 40%

Internal evaluation, Quiz and Assignment- 45 %

None in terms of marks, But the expectation is that students should attend all classes.

Dr. Tarique Anwar [tarique.anwar_tf@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Storytelling is a timeless human activity that is older even than
writing and is home to one of the oldest, richest and most culturally diverse traditions of
the world. This course is directed at individuals who wish to develop their knowledge of
Urdu through Storytelling. We will read classic popular Daastans like Bāgh o
Bahār (Qissa-i Chahār Darwesh), Dāstān-i Amīr Hamza, Fasana -e- Ajaeeb, that have
circulated in India and across the world and interpret them in relation to enduring
questions about power, justice, identity, knowledge and love. The Study of Qissebaazi is
framed for the students to learn about storytelling in the Urdu language focussing on
popular Daastans and short stories.

Attendance for lectures: Attendance is mandatory. Each absence will lead to loss of the attendance grade and more than 5 absences will be an automatic fail. 

Sai Mukhesh Chandra Jyothula [sai.jyothula_tf@ashoka.edu.in] ;

The course is divided into two modules. The course's first module will cover elementary Telugu, the alphabet, and basic vocabulary. We will move gradually from naming objects to comprehending poetic sentences. We will learn basic communication skills through in-class activities and exchanges. This foundation aims to foster an appreciation for the language's melodic sound and rhythmic flow.

The objective of the second module is to enhance foundational vocabulary by actively engaging with 20th-century poetry, both in its original and translations, and exploring protest poetry and cartoons. In each class, we read a few lines of poetry and examine Telugu content cartoons. The course acts as a foundation to spark further interest in Telugu literature.

Mary Margaret Christina Mohan [peggy.mohan@ashoka.edu.in] ;

This is a course about phonetics, which aims to explore the sounds used in human language,
and how they are pronounced and how they are written.
We will study the structure of the human vocal tract, the places of articulation, the different
types of sounds and the airstreams involved in producing them. This will give us a picture of
the variety of sounds in all the languages of South Asia, and will also explore sounds in
languages abroad. Besides vowels and consonants, we will also learn about syllable stress
and the tones found in tone languages of the Northeast.
At the end of the course the student will be able to produce the sounds of words in all the
languages of South Asia.

Gautam Choubey [gautam.choubey@ashoka.edu.in] ;

India’s reading culture, particularly in the Hindi–speaking regions, was shaped by the nationalist movement. Habits of reading, buying, circulation and editing were anchored to the exigencies of the anti-colonial struggle. However, post-independence, nationalism had to be imbued with a new epoch-making/anachronistic charge. India’s reading public, too, had to re-orient itself, seeking new associations with print that were driven by questions of usefulness, affordability and entertainment. By focussing on the material history of Hindi pocket books and comics—from their emergence in the late 1950s, consolidation and subsequent waning in the late 90s— the course attempts an exploration of Hindi public sphere's ‘vision’ for modern India, as projected in the domain of popular literature. 

Sanchit Toor [sanchit.toor@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Brajbhasha, or Braj, is the tongue of the people of present-day western Uttar Pradesh and its neighbouring areas. As the literary form of medieval Hindi, it became one of the primary registers of poetry, especially devotional poetry, in North India. Brajbhasha literature flourished through the works of Bhakti saint-poets, regional performative traditions, and the patronage of the Mughal court. This course provides an introduction to Brajbhasha language and literature. We will learn some basic grammar and vocabulary, read poems in Braj and translation, and follow their iterations in popular culture and cinema.  

Amit Kumar [amit.kumar@ashoka.edu.in] ;

What is the difference between a live performance and one that is being performed for the camera? 

The course explores how the camera becomes a medium to govern any performance, focusing on the elements of Time and Space. Further, we will be developing a Scene during the course, to be shot towards the end of the course. This development will focus on two aspects:

1) Performance of the actors

2) Elements of visual language- composition, colors, camera movement…

Ranjana Dave [ranjana.dave@ashoka.edu.in] ;

We live charged and frenetic lives as students in urban India. We work towards definitive endings: ‘deadlines’, ‘final exams’, ‘end-sem’ and more. Our bodies keep us going, working towards results and the possibility of rest. But is rest something you only ‘do’ at the end of the day, when you ‘crash’ for the night? What would it mean to think of rest as an embodied practice, as a way of being you consciously arrive at? This elective uses ideas from daily movement and performance to begin to think about what it means for the body to rest and ‘chill’ in urban environments. How do we find comfort, rest and relaxation even as we negotiate everything else happening around us? What does rest/ aaram even mean?  Can it mean different things to different people, to different bodies in different spaces? What does it look like when you actively practise or perform rest? 

 

In this CC, we will explore rest and relaxation as embodied practice in the following ways:

1) Try out simple (guided) movement exercises in the studio/ across campus 

2) Build on our own imagination of rest/ aaram/ chilling/ relaxation

3) Observe how others find ‘rest’ in public spaces 

4) Explore how other artists perform or depict rest in performance, cinema and the visual arts

5) Translate some of our observations into rhythm, movement, text and visuals, to play with what it means to ‘perform’ rest. 

Amit Kumar [amit.kumar@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Swang is a musical and comedic theatre performance that is popular in villages of Haryana. It is
performed by a group of artists who are singers, dancers, actors, and musicians. Swang texts
are often based on mythology, royal family stories and romantic folktales etc. They often focus
on moral values and ethics. The arrival of television and cinema has led to changes in Swang
texts and performances.
Saang (Swang): Text and Performance is a course that explores the folk theatre form of
Haryana, India. It covers discourses around its texts, and performances. It is a practice-based
module that will gradually evolve into a small performance with swang elements.The course will
help students understand the history of Swang, analyze Swang texts and performances, identify
socio-political relevance and concerns in Saang, and find out new dimensions of it.

Parshant Pradeep Kalia [parshant.kalia@ashoka.edu.in] ;

In this course there will be an emphasis on learning the basic movement vocabulary of Mayurbhanj Chhau, a martial dance form from Mayurbhanj in Odisha. The movements, said to be based on observations of flora and fauna as well as daily village chores, require a combination of various dance skills. These skills are strength, fluidity and balance. The course will introduce the students to all three of these aspects in equal measure. After the exploration of comparatively small units of dance, these units will also be tried out in longer sequences. In addition to the physical practice of the dance, social and historical aspects of the dance and how they influenced the particular aesthetic of Chhau will also be discussed. 

Anurupa Roy [anurupa.roy@ashoka.edu.in] ;

This course looks at aspects of puppet theater like building puppets with materials like paper and cardboard on the one hand and to explore the idea of the metaphor of puppets on another. The workshop will focus on exploring narratives using puppets and exloring non visual storytelling, dytopic and fantastical worlds and also the participants own stories. These would be sculpted with newspaper, paper cut outs, found objects and materials. These explorations would culminate in short sketches, live or digital or as interactive installations. 

Abhinaya Penneswaran [abhinaya.penneswaran@ashoka.edu.in] ;

How does movement evolve with context? What can context resolve in our chosen ways to move and dance? The course aims to create space to explore movement through some foundational dance techniques from jazz, contemporary dance, ballet and bharathanatyam, and to navigate context and accessibility of movement, and eventually exploring movement free of form. No prior training required. 

Ankita Chettri [ankita.chettri@ashoka.edu.in] ;

"Finding Your Voice : An Introduction to the Art of Singing" encourages fellow participants to get in touch with their musical side by rediscovering the relationship with their voice. The interactive course modules allow participants to draw upon their singing experiences and connect the same with diverse facets of vocal music.

 

The course will include vocal exercises and workouts, jam sessions, and aspects of A Cappella singing. The course will also include sessions wherein participants will sample a range of folk vocal music traditions, which are repositories of cultural expression. 

 

Students with prior musical experience are encouraged to join this course. Students with none, more so.

 

Debayan Gupta [debayan.gupta@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Welcome to CS 1101, your gateway to computer science. This is one section among three. All three sections of this course will be essentially the same. In this course we will cover: Concept of an algorithm; principle of mathematical induction; correctness of algorithms; efficiency of algorithms - time and space measures; algorithms to programs; specification, top-down development and step-wise refinement; the notion of state and finite state machine; imperative programs; correctness and loop invariants; basic algorithm design techniques; encapsulation, abstractions and modularity; basics of object-oriented programming; basic logic, soundness and completeness, example of a propositional resolution; an example of concurrency; an intro to numerical computation.

The course will be programming language independent, and will involve programming in multiple programming languages, in both functional and imperative styles.

We hope you will enjoy the class!

This course will introduce you to algorithmic and computational thinking, and programming in the small, and will address the following issues:

    Problem formulation in a precise and concise fashion and independent of language considerations.
    Design of simplealgorithms from a problem specification, as well as correctness and analysis of efficiency.
    The intermediate steps in the design of a program from an algorithm through a process of step-wise refinement. Language dependent considerations may be used in this process, but not elsewhere.

The emphasis throughout the course will be on the analysis required while designing correct and efficient algorithms. The course is intended to teach a student a systematic process of design -- beginning with problem formulation from an informal specification, through convincing arguments to algorithms, the analysis of their correctness and efficiency, and finally arriving at programs through a process of step-wise refinement. A programming language bias will be avoided and programs will be developed in both imperative and functional styles. We will cover fundamental algorithmic ideas that have had (and continue to have) a major influence on the evolution of computer science and several other disciplines, ranging from mathematics to biology to the social sciences.

    The first part of the course will introduce the basics of the functional and imperative models of computation, recursive and iterative processes, and the basics of programming using higher-order functions.
    The second part of the course will  introduce data-directed programming. It will emphasize on programming with records, lists, trees, arrays and developing abstract data types.
    The third part of the course will address the issues in design and analysis of simple algorithms. Examples will be taken from Divide and conquer, Backtracking, Logical resolution, Numerical algorithms, Randomized algorithms and Geometric algorithms.

This is an introductory course, so there are no prerequisite courses. We will however expect students to have mathmatics as subject in Class 12; alternatively they will need to pass the Calculus enabler course at Ashoka with a minimum of B grade. We will also expect basic familiarity with class 12 level mathematics (sets, relations, functions, basic logic and truth tables, basic counting and the principle of mathematical induction) – no prior programming experience is required, though it helps to be “computer literate”.

This course will have a midterm and a final exam:

    Midterm: 1.5 hours (first week of March, just before spring break)
    Final Exam: 1.5 hours (cumulative; during exam week)

The midterm and the final exam will be closed book. However, you will be allowed to bring and use one double-sided, letter-sized piece of paper with your own notes for the first quiz, and two for the final. These should not be necessary but might be helpful.

Attendance at the exams is mandatory. Legitimate conflicts can be discussed with the teaching staff but must be due to extenuating circumstances and discussed in advance. If a student misses either exam due to an emergency, make-up exams may be offered at the discretion of the instructor.

Invalid excuses: an interview; multiple exams on the same day; unprepared.

Regrade requests. Any student who feels that a quiz or final exam was not graded prop- erly may submit a regrade request. The request must be made online by the announced deadline. The request should include a detailed explanation of why she or he believes that a regrade is warranted. Please make sure you read the solutions carefully before requesting a regrade.

The final grade will be calculated as follows:

    Homework 40%
    Midterm 25%
    Final exam 25%
    Class participation 10%

100% attendance is expected. The TAs will keep track of class participation by students; this will include both active participation during lecture and on Piazza.

Debayan Gupta [debayan.gupta@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Welcome to CS 1101, your gateway to computer science. This is one section among three. All three sections of this course will be essentially the same. In this course we will cover: Concept of an algorithm; principle of mathematical induction; correctness of algorithms; efficiency of algorithms - time and space measures; algorithms to programs; specification, top-down development and step-wise refinement; the notion of state and finite state machine; imperative programs; correctness and loop invariants; basic algorithm design techniques; encapsulation, abstractions and modularity; basics of object-oriented programming; basic logic, soundness and completeness, example of a propositional resolution; an example of concurrency; an intro to numerical computation.

The course will be programming language independent, and will involve programming in multiple programming languages, in both functional and imperative styles.

We hope you will enjoy the class!

This course will introduce you to algorithmic and computational thinking, and programming in the small, and will address the following issues:

    Problem formulation in a precise and concise fashion and independent of language considerations.
    Design of simplealgorithms from a problem specification, as well as correctness and analysis of efficiency.
    The intermediate steps in the design of a program from an algorithm through a process of step-wise refinement. Language dependent considerations may be used in this process, but not elsewhere.

The emphasis throughout the course will be on the analysis required while designing correct and efficient algorithms. The course is intended to teach a student a systematic process of design -- beginning with problem formulation from an informal specification, through convincing arguments to algorithms, the analysis of their correctness and efficiency, and finally arriving at programs through a process of step-wise refinement. A programming language bias will be avoided and programs will be developed in both imperative and functional styles. We will cover fundamental algorithmic ideas that have had (and continue to have) a major influence on the evolution of computer science and several other disciplines, ranging from mathematics to biology to the social sciences.

    The first part of the course will introduce the basics of the functional and imperative models of computation, recursive and iterative processes, and the basics of programming using higher-order functions.
    The second part of the course will  introduce data-directed programming. It will emphasize on programming with records, lists, trees, arrays and developing abstract data types.
    The third part of the course will address the issues in design and analysis of simple algorithms. Examples will be taken from Divide and conquer, Backtracking, Logical resolution, Numerical algorithms, Randomized algorithms and Geometric algorithms.

This is an introductory course, so there are no prerequisite courses. We will however expect students to have mathmatics as subject in Class 12; alternatively they will need to pass the Calculus enabler course at Ashoka with a minimum of B grade. We will also expect basic familiarity with class 12 level mathematics (sets, relations, functions, basic logic and truth tables, basic counting and the principle of mathematical induction) – no prior programming experience is required, though it helps to be “computer literate”.

This course will have a midterm and a final exam:

    Midterm: 1.5 hours (first week of March, just before spring break)
    Final Exam: 1.5 hours (cumulative; during exam week)

The midterm and the final exam will be closed book. However, you will be allowed to bring and use one double-sided, letter-sized piece of paper with your own notes for the first quiz, and two for the final. These should not be necessary but might be helpful.

Attendance at the exams is mandatory. Legitimate conflicts can be discussed with the teaching staff but must be due to extenuating circumstances and discussed in advance. If a student misses either exam due to an emergency, make-up exams may be offered at the discretion of the instructor.

Invalid excuses: an interview; multiple exams on the same day; unprepared.

Regrade requests. Any student who feels that a quiz or final exam was not graded prop- erly may submit a regrade request. The request must be made online by the announced deadline. The request should include a detailed explanation of why she or he believes that a regrade is warranted. Please make sure you read the solutions carefully before requesting a regrade.

The final grade will be calculated as follows:

    Homework 40%
    Midterm 25%
    Final exam 25%
    Class participation 10%

100% attendance is expected. The TAs will keep track of class participation by students; this will include both active participation during lecture and on Piazza.

Subhashis Banerjee [suban@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Welcome to CS 1101, your gateway to computer science. In this course we will cover:

Concept of an algorithm; principle of mathematical induction; correctness of algorithms; efficiency of algorithms - time and space measures; algorithms to programs; specification, top-down development and step-wise refinement; the notion of state and finite state machine; imperative programs; correctness and loop invariants; basic algorithm design techniques; encapsulation, abstractions and modularity; basics of object-oriented programming; basic logic, soundness and completeness, example of a propositional resolution; an example of concurrency; an intro to numerical computation.

The course will be programming language independent, and will involve programming in multiple programming languages, in both functional and imperative styles.

We hope you will enjoy the class!

This course will introduce you to algorithmic and computational thinking, and programming in the small, and will address the following issues:

1. Problem formulation in a precise and concise fashion and independent of language considerations.
2. Designofsimplealgorithmsfromaproblemspecification,aswellascorrectnessand analysis of efficiency.
3. The intermediate steps in the design of a program from an algorithm through a process of step-wise refinement. Language dependent considerations may be used in this process, but not elsewhere.

The emphasis throughout the course will be on the analysis required while designing correct and efficient algorithms. The course is intended to teach a student a systematic process of design -- beginning with problem formulation from an informal specification, through convincing arguments to algorithms, the analysis of their correctness and efficiency, and finally arriving at programs through a process of step-wise refinement. A programming language bias will be avoided and programs will be developed in both imperative and functional styles. We will cover fundamental algorithmic ideas that have had (and continue to have) a major influence on the evolution of computer science and several other disciplines, ranging from mathematics to biology to the social sciences.

• The first part of the course will introduce the basics of the functional and imperative models of computation, recursive and iterative processes, and the basics of programming using higher-order functions. 
• The second part of the course will  introduce data-directed programming. It will emphasize on programming with records, lists, trees, arrays and developing abstract data types. 
• The third part of the course will address the issues in design and analysis of simple algorithms. Examples will be taken from Divide and conquer, Backtracking, Logical resolution, Numerical algorithms, Randomized algorithms and Geometric algorithms.

This is an introductory course, so there are no prerequisite courses. We will however expect students to have mathmatics as subject in Class 12; alternatively they will need to pass the Calculus enabler course at Ashoka with a minimum of B grade. We will also expect basic familiarity with class 12 level mathematics (sets, relations, functions, basic logic and truth tables, basic counting and the principle of mathematical induction) – no prior programming experience is required, though it helps to be “computer literate”.

This course will have a midterm and a final exam:

• Midterm: 1.5 hours (first week of March, just before spring break) 
• Final Exam: 1.5 hours (cumulative; during exam week)

The midterm and the final exam will be closed book. However, you will be allowed to bring and use one double-sided, letter-sized piece of paper with your own notes for the first quiz, and two for the final. These should not be necessary but might be helpful.

Attendance at the exams is mandatory. Legitimate conflicts can be discussed with the teaching staff but must be due to extenuating circumstances and discussed in advance. If a student misses either exam due to an emergency, make-up exams may be offered at the discretion of the instructor.

Invalid excuses: an interview; multiple exams on the same day; unprepared.

Regrade requests. Any student who feels that a quiz or final exam was not graded prop- erly may submit a regrade request. The request must be made online by the announced deadline. The request should include a detailed explanation of why she or he believes that a regrade is warranted. Please make sure you read the solutions carefully before requesting a regrade.

The final grade will be calculated as follows:

• Homework 40%
• Midterm 25%
• Final exam 25%
• Class participation 10%

100% attendance is expected. The TAs will keep track of class participation by students; this will include both active participation during lecture and on Piazza.

Partha Pratim Das [partha.das@ashoka.edu.in] ,Adwaiya Srivastav [adwaiya.srivastav_asp23@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Discrete mathematics is the study of mathematical structures that can be considered discrete (in a way analogous to discrete variables, having a bijection with the set of natural numbers) rather than continuous (analogously to continuous functions). A related but somewhat different interpretation of the phrase discrete mathematics denotes all those branches of mathematics that deal with discrete entities as opposed to continuous entities. For example, a typical undergraduate course on calculus will not be considered discrete in this sense, whereas probability theory is something that can come in both discrete and continuous flavors. Sound understanding of Discrete Mathematics is critical for all areas of Computer Science. Hence this course attempts to lay the foundation for a curriculum in CS. Many of the thematic areas as covered like – combinatorics (counting methods), graph theory, number theory, information theory, etc. – are deep and vast subject areas on their own. Interested students are encouraged to follow up on any area/s they might find interesting. However, everyone interested to pursue CS must grasp the fundamentals in all these well.

The course comprises 9 modules in 4 parts:

Part 1: Models and Proofs
1. Propositional and Predicate Logic
2. Proof Techniques

Part 2: Mathematical Structures
3. Basic Structures: Sets, Functions, Relations, Sequences and Matrices

Part 3: Computational Problem Solving
4. Problem Solving with Recursive Decomposition
5. Graphs and Trees
6. Models of Computation

Part 4: Techniques for Analyses
7. Counting
8. Number Theory
9. Probability and Information Theory

The detailed outline of topics in every module is given in the attached document.

To lay the mathematical foundations for computational thinking for the core and elective courses including Data Structures and Algorithm, Design and Analysis of Algorithms, Programming Languages and Translation, Theory of Computation, Design Practices in CS, Introduction to Machine Learning, Data Science and Management, and Information Security to build on.

The course:

1. introduces students to mathematical structures, tools, techniques, and frameworks for algorithmic and computational thinking
2. illustrates ways for problem formulation, representation, and analysis using mathematical models
3. elucidates how mathematical rigour and formalism ensure soundness and completeness of computation

The emphasis throughout the course is on teaching how various concepts and results of mathematics are used in correct, efficient, and robust computations. It trains the students to think and reason about computation in a programming language-agnostic manner. It complements the course on Introduction to Computer Science from mathematical perspective and thinking.

Slides with links to online resources

• Discrete Mathematics and its Applications, 7th Ed. by Kenneth H. Rosen (Primary Textbook)
• Concrete Mathematics – A Foundation for Computer Science, 2nd Ed. by Ronald L. Graham, Donald E. Knuth, and Oren Patashnik
• Discrete Mathematics for Computer Scientists and Mathematicians by Joe L. Mott, Abraham Kandel, and Theodore P. Baker.
• Applied Combinatorics by Fred Roberts and Barry Tesman.
• Graph Theory with Applications to Engineering and Computer Science by Narsingh Deo.
• Introduction to Graph Theory by Douglas B. West.
• Elements of Information Theory, 2nd Ed. by Thomas M. Cover and Joy A. Thomas

No book discusses all the topics. So it is important to attend all the lectures by the instructor. You are also expected to carefully study the solved problems that will periodically be posted.

The following is a tentative guideline for evaluations and the grading policy. It may undergo change that will be announced in the class and / or Google Classroom.

1. Assignments: There will be an assignment on each module to solve mathematical problems and/or
write mathematical proofs. All the assignments will
• be combined to contribute 20% to your final score.
• not carry the same credits.
• be released through the Google Classroom.
• be take-home with online submission through the Google Classroom.
• be individual. There will be no group assignment.

2. Quizzes: There will be three in-class quizzes that will require you to solve mathematical problems
and/or write mathematical proofs. All the quizzes will
• be combined to contribute 30% to your final score.
• carry the same credits.
• be conducted physically in the classroom with physical submission.

3. Mid-term Exam: Mid-term Exam will
• contribute 20% to your final score.
• be conducted physically in the classroom with physical submission.

4. End-term Exam: End-term Exam will
• contribute 30% to your final score.
• be conducted physically in the classroom with physical submission.

Attendance in every class is mandatory. Please note that the potential actions on getting low on attendance:

• If your attendance falls below 80% at any time during the semester or if you are absent from two consecutive classes, you will be reported to the Head, Computer Science.
• If your attendance falls below 60% at any time during the semester or if you are absent from four consecutive classes, you will be reported to the Head, Computer Science and Dean, Academic Affairs, and de-registration from the course would be sought.

The exemption to the above will be only on medical ground:

• Every missed attendance on medical ground must be corroborated by written certificate of incapacitation or prescription of rest issued from the infirmary at Ashoka. No other medical certificate will be accepted.

The certificate justifying the dates of the classes missed must be mailed prior to next class.

• No missed attendance will be allowed for representing in sports or other events, for taking examinations elsewhere, or on any other ground.

Partha Pratim Das [partha.das@ashoka.edu.in] ,Adwaiya Srivastav [adwaiya.srivastav_asp23@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Discrete mathematics is the study of mathematical structures that can be considered discrete (in a way analogous to discrete variables, having a bijection with the set of natural numbers) rather than continuous (analogously to continuous functions). A related but somewhat different interpretation of the phrase discrete mathematics denotes all those branches of mathematics that deal with discrete entities as opposed to continuous entities. For example, a typical undergraduate course on calculus will not be considered discrete in this sense, whereas probability theory is something that can come in both discrete and continuous flavors. Sound understanding of Discrete Mathematics is critical for all areas of Computer Science. Hence this course attempts to lay the foundation for a curriculum in CS. Many of the thematic areas as covered like – combinatorics (counting methods), graph theory, number theory, information theory, etc. – are deep and vast subject areas on their own. Interested students are encouraged to follow up on any area/s they might find interesting. However, everyone interested to pursue CS must grasp the fundamentals in all these well.

The course comprises 9 modules in 4 parts:

Part 1: Models and Proofs
1. Propositional and Predicate Logic
2. Proof Techniques

Part 2: Mathematical Structures
3. Basic Structures: Sets, Functions, Relations, Sequences and Matrices

Part 3: Computational Problem Solving
4. Problem Solving with Recursive Decomposition
5. Graphs and Trees
6. Models of Computation

Part 4: Techniques for Analyses
7. Counting
8. Number Theory
9. Probability and Information Theory

The detailed outline of topics in every module is given in the attached document.

To lay the mathematical foundations for computational thinking for the core and elective courses including Data Structures and Algorithm, Design and Analysis of Algorithms, Programming Languages and Translation, Theory of Computation, Design Practices in CS, Introduction to Machine Learning, Data Science and Management, and Information Security to build on.

The course:

1. introduces students to mathematical structures, tools, techniques, and frameworks for algorithmic and computational thinking
2. illustrates ways for problem formulation, representation, and analysis using mathematical models
3. elucidates how mathematical rigour and formalism ensure soundness and completeness of computation

The emphasis throughout the course is on teaching how various concepts and results of mathematics are used in correct, efficient, and robust computations. It trains the students to think and reason about computation in a programming language-agnostic manner. It complements the course on Introduction to Computer Science from mathematical perspective and thinking.

Slides with links to online resources

• Discrete Mathematics and its Applications, 7th Ed. by Kenneth H. Rosen (Primary Textbook)
• Concrete Mathematics – A Foundation for Computer Science, 2nd Ed. by Ronald L. Graham, Donald E. Knuth, and Oren Patashnik
• Discrete Mathematics for Computer Scientists and Mathematicians by Joe L. Mott, Abraham Kandel, and Theodore P. Baker.
• Applied Combinatorics by Fred Roberts and Barry Tesman.
• Graph Theory with Applications to Engineering and Computer Science by Narsingh Deo.
• Introduction to Graph Theory by Douglas B. West.
• Elements of Information Theory, 2nd Ed. by Thomas M. Cover and Joy A. Thomas

No book discusses all the topics. So it is important to attend all the lectures by the instructor. You are also expected to carefully study the solved problems that will periodically be posted.

To lay the mathematical foundations for computational thinking for the core and elective courses including Data Structures and Algorithm, Design and Analysis of Algorithms, Programming Languages and Translation, Theory of Computation, Design Practices in CS, Introduction to Machine Learning, Data Science and Management, and Information Security to build on.

The course:

1. introduces students to mathematical structures, tools, techniques, and frameworks for algorithmic and computational thinking
2. illustrates ways for problem formulation, representation, and analysis using mathematical models
3. elucidates how mathematical rigour and formalism ensure soundness and completeness of computation

The emphasis throughout the course is on teaching how various concepts and results of mathematics are used in correct, efficient, and robust computations. It trains the students to think and reason about computation in a programming language-agnostic manner. It complements the course on Introduction to Computer Science from mathematical perspective and thinking.

Attendance in every class is mandatory. Please note that the potential actions on getting low on attendance:

• If your attendance falls below 80% at any time during the semester or if you are absent from two consecutive classes, you will be reported to the Head, Computer Science.
• If your attendance falls below 60% at any time during the semester or if you are absent from four consecutive classes, you will be reported to the Head, Computer Science and Dean, Academic Affairs, and de-registration from the course would be sought.

The exemption to the above will be only on medical ground:

• Every missed attendance on medical ground must be corroborated by written certificate of incapacitation or prescription of rest issued from the infirmary at Ashoka. No other medical certificate will be accepted. The certificate justifying the dates of the classes missed must be mailed prior to next class.

• No missed attendance will be allowed for representing in sports or other events, for taking examinations elsewhere, or on any other ground.

Anirban Sen [anirban.sen@ashoka.edu.in] ;

This course covers fundamental algorithmic ideas that have had (and continue to have) a major influence on the evolution of computer science and several other disciplines, ranging from mathematics to biology to the social sciences. We will introduce students to the
mathematical modeling and solution of computational problems, and teach them how to design and analyze efficient algorithms. We will:

1. Cover the usual algorithmic paradigms and explore a toolkit of common algorithms.
2. Analyze the correctness and performance of these methods, and learn some principles of good design.
3. Explore different ways of thinking about and representing problems.

Detailed coverage: Techniques for the design and analysis of efficient algorithms, emphasizing methods useful in practice. Topics include divide-and-conquer; dynamic programming; greedy algorithms; branch and bound; backtracking; amortized analysis; graph algorithms, especially flow. Advanced topics may include computational geometry, number theoretic algorithms, polynomial and matrix calculations, caching, and optionally, distributed and parallel computing.

This course will enable students to think algorithmically and apply imporant algorithms to advanced areas, including but not limited to Computer Science.

Pre-requisites: Data Structures, Probability and Statistics. We will not be using a textbook as such, but if you really want one, you can use the third edition of the textbook Introduction to Algorithms by Cormen, Leiserson, Rivest, and Stein (MIT Press). Check the Google classroom for updates on office hours, class material, problem sets, and announcements.

This course will have two midterm quizzes, and, for some students, a final oral exam (tentative timings):

Quiz 1: March
Quiz 2: Late-April or early-May
Oral Exam (for some students): Last week of classes

The oral exam is only for some students at the discretion of the instructor. There will be no lecture on the two quiz days. Each of the quizzes and the oral exam will be closed book. Instructions regarding bringing additional materials to quizzes will be explicitly provided, if required.

Any student who feels that something was not graded properly may submit a regrade request. The request must be made online by the announced deadline. The request should include a detailed explanation of why they believe that a regrade is warranted.

The final grade will be based on ten problem sets (with the lowest two given half-weight), two quizzes, and a final oral exam. The grading breakdown is as follows:
Problem sets 40%
Quiz 1 30%
Quiz 2 30%
Oral exam NA

Attendance at the quizzes is mandatory. Legitimate conflicts can be discussed with the teaching staff but must be due to extenuating circumstances and discussed in advance. Attendance in class is strongly suggested as this is an extremely important course that would require absolutely clear understanding of the concepts -- merely going through the topic/syllabus or doing the homework alone might not be sufficient for the quizzes/examinations.

Goutam Kumar Paul [goutam.paul@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Maya Ramanath [maya.ramanath@ashoka.edu.in] ;

The subject - theory of computation, comprises the fundamental mathematical properties of computer hardware, software, and certain applications thereof. In studying this subject, we seek to determine what can and cannot be computed, how quickly, with how much memory, and on which type of computational model; to see a new, simpler, and more elegant side of computers, which we normally consider to be complicated machines; to learn conceptual tools that practitioner use in computer engineering. The main topics/subtopics covered will be:

• Automata and Languages

–  Regular Languages: Finite Automata, Non-determinism, Regular expressions, Non-regular lan- guages

–  Context Free Languages: Context free grammar, Push down automata, Non-context-free lan- guages, Deterministic context-free languages

• Computability Theory

– Turning Machines, Variants of Turning Machines, The definition of algorithm – Decidability: Decidable Language, Undecidability
– Reducibility

• Complexity Theory

– Time Complexity: Complexity Classes - P, NP – NP Hard, NP Completeness
– NP Complete Problems
– Intractability

Mahabir Prasad Jhanwar [mahavir.jhawar@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Mahabir Prasad Jhanwar [mahavir.jhawar@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Subhashis Banerjee [suban@ashoka.edu.in] ;

India is arguably the biggest deployer of Digital Public Goods (DPG, digital systems  in public life) with large public service applications  (in-use or contemplated) like national identity, phone-based payment systems, electronic voting, national-level health registry, national population and voter registries, public credit registry, income and other tax registries, face recognition based access control at airports and other facilities, bluetooth based contact tracing and a national intelligence grid.  It is undeniable that the DPGs have had a huge impact on public life in the last decade.

However, these systems also come with risks of exclusion and increased cost of transactions, and increased risks of privacy violations, especially for a population in which digital literacy is low. The privacy judgement of the Supreme Court of India read all such risks into the Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Indian constitution and broadly classified them as `privacy'. However, the technical and operational standards for such privacy protection are not yet well developed. This has led to a constant tension between the state and the civil society and privacy activists resulting in several constitutional cases in the Supreme court and various High courts. The possibilities of inferential privacy and other human rights violations with modern machine learning -- whether deliberate or inadvertent --  or unfair and discriminatory processing of data, compound the problem.

In this course we will unpack the privacy and other human rights requirements in such applications from both legal and technical points of view. We will investigate the possibilities of early alignment of the two and  examine if it is possible to outline the necessary and sufficient conditions for privacy protection, as envisaged by the privacy judgement of the Supreme court of India. We will  review the privacy enhancement techniques in computer science, ranging from encryption and applied cryptography, electronic voting, database and network security, trusted execution environments, blockchains, anonymization and other data minimisation techniques, and evaluate their suitability and efficacy for privacy protection. In the final part of the course we will investigate the architectural possibilities for privacy protection - from both  legal and technical perspectives - that may help not only in design but also in assessing vulnerabilities and omissions.

The evaluations in this course will be based on scribing, reading and presentations, small implementations and a project cum term paper.

In this course we will unpack the privacy and other human rights requirements in such applications from both legal and technical points of view. We will investigate the possibilities of early alignment of the two and  examine if it is possible to outline the necessary and sufficient conditions for privacy protection, as envisaged by the privacy judgement of the Supreme court of India. We will  review the privacy enhancement techniques in computer science, ranging from encryption and applied cryptography, electronic voting, database and network security, trusted execution environments, blockchains, anonymization and other data minimisation techniques, and evaluate their suitability and efficacy for privacy protection. In the final part of the course we will investigate the architectural possibilities for privacy protection - from both  legal and technical perspectives - that may help not only in design but also in assessing vulnerabilities and omissions.

The reading material in this course will be based on handouts, articles and research papers, Supreme Court judgements, Basic cryptography and system security texts.

CS training is not explicitly required for this course. However, familiarity with computational thinking will be very helpful.

The evaluations in this course will be based on scribing, reading and presentations, small implementations and a project cum term paper.

• Scribing: 30%
• Presentations: 20%
• Class participation and discussions: 10%
• Project cum term paper: 40%

100% class participation will be expected in this course.

Lipika Dey [lipika.dey@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Natural Language Processing - Theory and Applications

1. Basics of NLP : Syntax and Semantics - Parsing, Dependency, Named Entity Recognition

2. Deep Neural Models :

2.1 Representing Word meaning with word vectors 

2.2 From Neural Networks for word prediction to building large language models - LSTMs, Transformers, GPTs, Large Language Models (LLM) 

3. NLP applications - machine translation, question answering, summarization

4. Responsible Language Models -   dealing with bias and hallucination in LLMs

5. Designing LLM-based applications - Best practices

5.1 fine-tuning, Retrieval Augmented Generation, Chain of reasoning 

 

Students will learn the fundamentals of NLP, difference between analytical and generative tasks. They will also learn how language models are trained, resource requirements

Understanding of how language models can be used to obtain insights from large volumes of text for decision making ; a

The shortcomings of current models will also be discussed along with ethical implications

By end of the course students should be able to design their own applications using standard libraries

Machine Learning, Coding in Python / R 

Grading will be based on Continuous evaluation over multiple components

  1. Coding assignments - coding with NLP libraries in Python / R - grading based on submission of code, results and report along with insights obtained from task - 2 small coding assignments, 1 project of choice - in groups of 2

2.  Paper presentation - Application based papers will be shared - students will have to read and make presentations to entire class - in groups of 2

 3. Written exams - individual - 1 mid-semester, 1 end-semester

Approximate division of marks - 

Coding and result presentation - 40

Reading and Paper presentation - 20

Mid semester exam - 15

End semester examination - 2

Expected - 70% attendance

Krittika Bhattacharjee [krittika.bhattacharjee@ashoka.edu.in] ;

The Introduction to Critical Thinking course is grounded in the building of proficiency through focussed attention on the basic tasks that develop a critical mind: reading, writing, speaking, listening. It considers these vital acts – of reading a text closely, of making connections between different subjects, of participating in an ongoing conversation, of being discerning about source material – as essential habits that can be strengthened through repetition. The course provides space in which you can engage with a variety of source materials and understand how to ask questions that extend and enrich your understanding -- of situations, texts, institutions and people. It is also intended to be an induction into the distinct practices of academic research and writing within a university. By the close of the course, you will have a keener sense of your own processes of learning, thinking and writing, and a more robust sense of what it means to be ‘scholar’ in an active knowledge community constituted by your peers.

This is an unthemed ICT, which means that we will cycle through different topics rather than focus on one principle subject.

Reading

1. Breaking down texts into identifiable parts.

2. Making patterns and connections across texts

3. Building reading stamina and the ability to select texts

4. Understanding textual context, genre and source material

Writing 

1. Developing the craft of outlining, revising, editing

2. Applying form, voice, style, tone to affect writing

3. Developing logical, coherent, structured writing

4. Using explanatory, narrative and justificatory writing

Thinking

1. Practising converting thoughts into words

2. Narrowing down a curiosity or thought into a question

3. Constructing and developing a reasoned argument

4. Engaging meaningfully with multiple perspectives

Speaking and Listening

1. Aiming for confidence, clarity, coherence 

2. Practising and harnessing audience engagement 

3. Developing active and respectful listening to others 

4. Engaging meaningfully with ongoing discussions

You do not need to have any specific kind of training in order to do an ICT course. Nor is any ICT course geared towards preparing you specifically for a career in a particular subject or field. Rather, you can expect it to guide you in transition out of how you approached academic work in school to how you might approach it in a university setting, and to sharpen your understanding of what it means to be critical, questioning and deliberate in your approach to the world. 

ICT is writing-intensive. You can expect to work on longer assignments (the Mid-Term and the End-Term essays) over multiple rounds of feedback, as well as shorter assignments through the semester. You will also need to rehearse regular habits of reading (of academic texts and wider materials) and responding (to prompts, or given materials).Finally, as the ICT is a small cohort-oriented course, you can expect it to have a strong participation and interaction component, and can expect to work on projects both individually and in collaboration with your coursemates. 

The ICT will be graded on a number of elements. Your final assessment will account for your participation and performance in writing and non-writing components, and in formative work (building towards a bigger piece, or continuing a specific ‘habit’) and summative work (producing a final output). The components are below. 

1. Participation (in classes, meetings and peer work)

2. Regular Assignments 

3. Presentation 

4. A mid-term assignment of 800-1500 words involving the synthesis of multiple sources

5. An end-term Academic essay of 1500 - 2500 words

6. Improvement over the course

A standard Ashoka rubric will be used in your eventual ICT grade, wherein the highest possible grade is ‘A’ and the lowest possible grade is ‘F’.In general, grades in the ‘A’ range demonstrate that you have consistently exceeded the expectations of the course; grades in the ‘B’ range indicate that you have met the expectations for the course; grades in the ‘C’ range and below, demonstrate that you have fallen short of the expectations for this course. 

For this course, you are allowed three unexcused absences (for which you do not need permission from the instructor) and two excused absences (for which you do need permission from the instructor). The penalty for any absence beyond these five will be decided by the ICT instructor on a case-by-case basis. Please note that a consistent pattern of non-attendance may include discretionary penalties such as grade cuts.

 

If you are absent, the responsibility for making up for what has been missed -- by looking at class notes and/or speaking to classmates -- is yours. The responsibility for finding out about any homework that has been set for future classes is yours too. 

Saad Razi Shaikh [saad.shaikh@ashoka.edu.in] ;

In this course, you’ll learn how to read a text, how to write one, and how to navigate the reasoning that goes in both. A useful description of this triad is mastery of text, language, and logic. A simpler, more eloquent formation would be read, write, and think.

How do you read an academic text, losing on neither time nor comprehension? How do you write to express both depth and breadth, perhaps even pathos? How do you use logic, to unravel the reasoning of others, but also your own? This course will develop your skills across all three domains.

Although the reading-writing twins hover large over this course, they are expected to share, even cede room to other art-forms, such as music, photography, films, games, and comics. Classroom activities will consist of writing prompts, response papers, summaries; but also include annotation and mind-mapping exercises, close reading, and argument analysis. Throughout the semester, you will tinker with the elements of style, unpack ideas in robust prose, craft strong sentences, sharpen your editing knives; in summary, ace your writing game. These writing detours are more than handmaidens for hard logical arguments. Rather, they occupy a space of their own, anchoring, and enveloping ideas, often breathing life in them. You’ll learn not only the what of good writing, but also the why, and how. 

Reading

1. Breaking down texts into identifiable parts.

2. Making patterns and connections across texts

3. Building reading stamina and the ability to select texts

4. Understanding textual context, genre and source material

Writing 

1. Developing the craft of outlining, revising, editing

2. Applying form, voice, style, tone to affect writing

3. Developing logical, coherent, structured writing

4. Using explanatory, narrative and justificatory writing

Thinking

1. Practising converting thoughts into words

2. Narrowing down a curiosity or thought into a question

3. Constructing and developing a reasoned argument

4. Engaging meaningfully with multiple perspectives

Speaking and Listening

1. Aiming for confidence, clarity, coherence 

2. Practising and harnessing audience engagement 

3. Developing active and respectful listening to others 

4. Engaging meaningfully with ongoing discussions

You do not need to have any specific kind of training in order to do an ICT course. Nor is any ICT course geared towards preparing you specifically for a career in a particular subject or field. Rather, you can expect it to guide you in transition out of how you approached academic work in school to how you might approach it in a university setting, and to sharpen your understanding of what it means to be critical, questioning and deliberate in your approach to the world. 

ICT is writing-intensive. You can expect to work on longer assignments (the Mid-Term and the End-Term essays) over multiple rounds of feedback, as well as shorter assignments through the semester. You will also need to rehearse regular habits of reading (of academic texts and wider materials) and responding (to prompts, or given materials).Finally, as the ICT is a small cohort-oriented course, you can expect it to have a strong participation and interaction component, and can expect to work on projects both individually and in collaboration with your coursemates. 

The ICT will be graded on a number of elements. Your final assessment will account for your participation and performance in writing and non-writing components, and in formative work (building towards a bigger piece, or continuing a specific ‘habit’) and summative work (producing a final output). The components are below. 

1. Participation (in classes, meetings and peer work)

2. Regular Assignments 

3. Presentation 

4. A mid-term assignment of 800-1500 words involving the synthesis of multiple sources

5. An end-term Academic essay of 1500 - 2500 words

6. Improvement over the course

A standard Ashoka rubric will be used in your eventual ICT grade, wherein the highest possible grade is ‘A’ and the lowest possible grade is ‘F’.In general, grades in the ‘A’ range demonstrate that you have consistently exceeded the expectations of the course; grades in the ‘B’ range indicate that you have met the expectations for the course; grades in the ‘C’ range and below, demonstrate that you have fallen short of the expectations for this course. 

For this course, you are allowed three unexcused absences (for which you do not need permission from the instructor) and two excused absences (for which you do need permission from the instructor). The penalty for any absence beyond these five will be decided by the ICT instructor on a case-by-case basis. Please note that a consistent pattern of non-attendance may include discretionary penalties such as grade cuts.

If you are absent, the responsibility for making up for what has been missed -- by looking at class notes and/or speaking to classmates -- is yours. The responsibility for finding out about any homework that has been set for future classes is yours too. 

Saad Razi Shaikh [saad.shaikh@ashoka.edu.in] ;

In this course, you’ll learn how to read a text, how to write one, and how to navigate the reasoning that goes in both. A useful description of this triad is mastery of text, language, and logic. A simpler, more eloquent formation would be read, write, and think.

How do you read an academic text, losing on neither time nor comprehension? How do you write to express both depth and breadth, perhaps even pathos? How do you use logic, to unravel the reasoning of others, but also your own? This course will develop your skills across all three domains.

Although the reading-writing twins hover large over this course, they are expected to share, even cede room to other art-forms, such as music, photography, films, games, and comics. Classroom activities will consist of writing prompts, response papers, summaries; but also include annotation and mind-mapping exercises, close reading, and argument analysis. Throughout the semester, you will tinker with the elements of style, unpack ideas in robust prose, craft strong sentences, sharpen your editing knives; in summary, ace your writing game. These writing detours are more than handmaidens for hard logical arguments. Rather, they occupy a space of their own, anchoring, and enveloping ideas, often breathing life in them. You’ll learn not only the what of good writing, but also the why, and how. 

 

Reading

1. Breaking down texts into identifiable parts.

2. Making patterns and connections across texts

3. Building reading stamina and the ability to select texts

4. Understanding textual context, genre and source material

Writing 

1. Developing the craft of outlining, revising, editing

2. Applying form, voice, style, tone to affect writing

3. Developing logical, coherent, structured writing

4. Using explanatory, narrative and justificatory writing

Thinking

1. Practising converting thoughts into words

2. Narrowing down a curiosity or thought into a question

3. Constructing and developing a reasoned argument

4. Engaging meaningfully with multiple perspectives

Speaking and Listening

1. Aiming for confidence, clarity, coherence 

2. Practising and harnessing audience engagement 

3. Developing active and respectful listening to others 

4. Engaging meaningfully with ongoing discussions

You do not need to have any specific kind of training in order to do an ICT course. Nor is any ICT course geared towards preparing you specifically for a career in a particular subject or field. Rather, you can expect it to guide you in transition out of how you approached academic work in school to how you might approach it in a university setting, and to sharpen your understanding of what it means to be critical, questioning and deliberate in your approach to the world. 

ICT is writing-intensive. You can expect to work on longer assignments (the Mid-Term and the End-Term essays) over multiple rounds of feedback, as well as shorter assignments through the semester. You will also need to rehearse regular habits of reading (of academic texts and wider materials) and responding (to prompts, or given materials).Finally, as the ICT is a small cohort-oriented course, you can expect it to have a strong participation and interaction component, and can expect to work on projects both individually and in collaboration with your coursemates. 

The ICT will be graded on a number of elements. Your final assessment will account for your participation and performance in writing and non-writing components, and in formative work (building towards a bigger piece, or continuing a specific ‘habit’) and summative work (producing a final output). The components are below. 

1. Participation (in classes, meetings and peer work)

2. Regular Assignments 

3. Presentation 

4. A mid-term assignment of 800-1500 words involving the synthesis of multiple sources

5. An end-term Academic essay of 1500 - 2500 words

6. Improvement over the course

A standard Ashoka rubric will be used in your eventual ICT grade, wherein the highest possible grade is ‘A’ and the lowest possible grade is ‘F’.In general, grades in the ‘A’ range demonstrate that you have consistently exceeded the expectations of the course; grades in the ‘B’ range indicate that you have met the expectations for the course; grades in the ‘C’ range and below, demonstrate that you have fallen short of the expectations for this course. 

For this course, you are allowed three unexcused absences (for which you do not need permission from the instructor) and two excused absences (for which you do need permission from the instructor). The penalty for any absence beyond these five will be decided by the ICT instructor on a case-by-case basis. Please note that a consistent pattern of non-attendance may include discretionary penalties such as grade cuts.

If you are absent, the responsibility for making up for what has been missed -- by looking at class notes and/or speaking to classmates -- is yours. The responsibility for finding out about any homework that has been set for future classes is yours too. 

Raginee Sarmah [raginee.sarmah@ashoka.edu.in] ;

The Introduction to Critical Thinking course is grounded in the building of proficiency through focussed attention on the basic tasks that develop a critical mind: reading, writing, speaking, listening. It considers these vital acts – of reading a text closely, of making connections between different subjects, of participating in an ongoing conversation, of being discerning about source material – as essential habits that can be strengthened through repetition. The course provides space in which you can engage with a variety of source materials and understand how to ask questions that extend and enrich your understanding -- of situations, texts, institutions and people. It is also intended to be an induction into the distinct practices of academic research and writing within a university. By the close of the course, you will have a keener sense of your own processes of learning, thinking and writing, and a more robust sense of what it means to be ‘scholar’ in an active knowledge community constituted by your peers.

If you want to know more about the kinds of themes or topics we will be tackling, feel free to write to me. 

Reading

1. Breaking down texts into identifiable parts.

2. Making patterns and connections across texts

3. Building reading stamina and the ability to select texts

4. Understanding textual context, genre and source material

Writing 

1. Developing the craft of outlining, revising, editing

2. Applying form, voice, style, tone to affect writing

3. Developing logical, coherent, structured writing

4. Using explanatory, narrative and justificatory writing

Thinking

1. Practising converting thoughts into words

2. Narrowing down a curiosity or thought into a question

3. Constructing and developing a reasoned argument

4. Engaging meaningfully with multiple perspectives

Speaking and Listening

1. Aiming for confidence, clarity, coherence 

2. Practising and harnessing audience engagement 

3. Developing active and respectful listening to others 

4. Engaging meaningfully with ongoing discussions

You do not need to have any specific kind of training in order to do an ICT course. Nor is any ICT course geared towards preparing you specifically for a career in a particular subject or field. Rather, you can expect it to guide you in transition out of how you approached academic work in school to how you might approach it in a university setting, and to sharpen your understanding of what it means to be critical, questioning and deliberate in your approach to the world. 

ICT is writing-intensive. You can expect to work on longer assignments (the Mid-Term and the End-Term essays) over multiple rounds of feedback, as well as shorter assignments through the semester. You will also need to rehearse regular habits of reading (of academic texts and wider materials) and responding (to prompts, or given materials).Finally, as the ICT is a small cohort-oriented course, you can expect it to have a strong participation and interaction component, and can expect to work on projects both individually and in collaboration with your coursemates. 

The ICT will be graded on a number of elements. Your final assessment will account for your participation and performance in writing and non-writing components, and in formative work (building towards a bigger piece, or continuing a specific ‘habit’) and summative work (producing a final output). The components are below. 

1. Participation (in classes, meetings and peer work)

2. Regular Assignments 

3. Presentation 

4. A mid-term assignment of 800-1500 words involving the synthesis of multiple sources

5. An end-term Academic essay of 1500 - 2500 words

6. Improvement over the course

A standard Ashoka rubric will be used in your eventual ICT grade, wherein the highest possible grade is ‘A’ and the lowest possible grade is ‘F’.In general, grades in the ‘A’ range demonstrate that you have consistently exceeded the expectations of the course; grades in the ‘B’ range indicate that you have met the expectations for the course; grades in the ‘C’ range and below, demonstrate that you have fallen short of the expectations for this course. 

For this course, you are allowed three unexcused absences (for which you do not need permission from the instructor) and two excused absences (for which you do need permission from the instructor). The penalty for any absence beyond these five will be decided by the ICT instructor on a case-by-case basis. Please note that a consistent pattern of non-attendance may include discretionary penalties such as grade cuts.

If you are absent, the responsibility for making up for what has been missed -- by looking at class notes and/or speaking to classmates -- is yours. The responsibility for finding out about any homework that has been set for future classes is yours too. 

Raginee Sarmah [raginee.sarmah@ashoka.edu.in] ;

The Introduction to Critical Thinking course is grounded in the building of proficiency through focussed attention on the basic tasks that develop a critical mind: reading, writing, speaking, listening. It considers these vital acts – of reading a text closely, of making connections between different subjects, of participating in an ongoing conversation, of being discerning about source material – as essential habits that can be strengthened through repetition. The course provides space in which you can engage with a variety of source materials and understand how to ask questions that extend and enrich your understanding -- of situations, texts, institutions and people. It is also intended to be an induction into the distinct practices of academic research and writing within a university. By the close of the course, you will have a keener sense of your own processes of learning, thinking and writing, and a more robust sense of what it means to be ‘scholar’ in an active knowledge community constituted by your peers.

If you want to know more about the kinds of themes or topics we will be tackling, feel free to write to me. 

Reading

1. Breaking down texts into identifiable parts.

2. Making patterns and connections across texts

3. Building reading stamina and the ability to select texts

4. Understanding textual context, genre and source material

Writing 

1. Developing the craft of outlining, revising, editing

2. Applying form, voice, style, tone to affect writing

3. Developing logical, coherent, structured writing

4. Using explanatory, narrative and justificatory writing

Thinking

1. Practising converting thoughts into words

2. Narrowing down a curiosity or thought into a question

3. Constructing and developing a reasoned argument

4. Engaging meaningfully with multiple perspectives

Speaking and Listening

1. Aiming for confidence, clarity, coherence 

2. Practising and harnessing audience engagement 

3. Developing active and respectful listening to others 

4. Engaging meaningfully with ongoing discussions

You do not need to have any specific kind of training in order to do an ICT course. Nor is any ICT course geared towards preparing you specifically for a career in a particular subject or field. Rather, you can expect it to guide you in transition out of how you approached academic work in school to how you might approach it in a university setting, and to sharpen your understanding of what it means to be critical, questioning and deliberate in your approach to the world. 

ICT is writing-intensive. You can expect to work on longer assignments (the Mid-Term and the End-Term essays) over multiple rounds of feedback, as well as shorter assignments through the semester. You will also need to rehearse regular habits of reading (of academic texts and wider materials) and responding (to prompts, or given materials).Finally, as the ICT is a small cohort-oriented course, you can expect it to have a strong participation and interaction component, and can expect to work on projects both individually and in collaboration with your coursemates. 

The ICT will be graded on a number of elements. Your final assessment will account for your participation and performance in writing and non-writing components, and in formative work (building towards a bigger piece, or continuing a specific ‘habit’) and summative work (producing a final output). The components are below. 

1. Participation (in classes, meetings and peer work)

2. Regular Assignments 

3. Presentation 

4. A mid-term assignment of 800-1500 words involving the synthesis of multiple sources

5. An end-term Academic essay of 1500 - 2500 words

6. Improvement over the course

A standard Ashoka rubric will be used in your eventual ICT grade, wherein the highest possible grade is ‘A’ and the lowest possible grade is ‘F’.In general, grades in the ‘A’ range demonstrate that you have consistently exceeded the expectations of the course; grades in the ‘B’ range indicate that you have met the expectations for the course; grades in the ‘C’ range and below, demonstrate that you have fallen short of the expectations for this course. 

For this course, you are allowed three unexcused absences (for which you do not need permission from the instructor) and two excused absences (for which you do need permission from the instructor). The penalty for any absence beyond these five will be decided by the ICT instructor on a case-by-case basis. Please note that a consistent pattern of non-attendance may include discretionary penalties such as grade cuts.

If you are absent, the responsibility for making up for what has been missed -- by looking at class notes and/or speaking to classmates -- is yours. The responsibility for finding out about any homework that has been set for future classes is yours too. 

Dibyangee Saha [dibyangee.saha@ashoka.edu.in] ;

The Introduction to Critical Thinking course is grounded in the building of proficiency through focussed attention on the basic tasks that develop a critical mind: reading, writing, speaking, listening. It considers these vital acts – of reading a text closely, of making connections between different subjects, of participating in an ongoing conversation, of being discerning about source material – as essential habits that can be strengthened through repetition. The course provides space in which you can engage with a variety of source materials and understand how to ask questions that extend and enrich your understanding – of situations, texts, institutions and people. It is also intended to be an induction into the distinct practices of academic research and writing within a university. By the close of the course, you will have a keener sense of your own processes of learning, thinking and writing, and a more robust sense of what it means to be ‘scholar’ in an active knowledge community constituted by your peers.

You do not need to have any specific kind of training in order to do an ICT course. Nor is any ICT course geared towards preparing you specifically for a career in a particular subject or field. Rather, you can expect it to guide you in transition out of how you approached academic work in school to how you might approach it in a university setting, and to sharpen your understanding of what it means to be critical, questioning and deliberate in your approach to the world. 

ICT is writing-intensive. You can expect to work on longer assignments (the Mid-Term and the End-Term essays) over multiple rounds of feedback, as well as shorter assignments through the semester. You will also need to rehearse regular habits of reading (of academic texts and wider materials) and responding (to prompts, or given materials). Finally, as the ICT is a small cohort-oriented course, you can expect it to have a strong participation and interaction component, and can expect to work on projects both individually and in collaboration with your coursemates. 

Readings and Theme:

The theme for this section of ICT is "Sense and Sensibility: Towards meaning-making through Radical Doubt". Through our readings and class-discussions we will think about sensory faculties as tools for critical thinking, the meanings they generate, and how we arrive at them. The thematic concern of this course will enable us to undertake critical work in two directions: the reading of texts through sight, sound and feeling (smell, touch, taste); and conversely, the reading of every sensory experience as text — thus, subjecting empirical evidence to radical doubt. Through this practice, we shall locate readers and writers not only in a sensory world, but also within systems of knowledge and cultural production. The texts chosen cut across (and challenge) the categories of genre, form and medium. Expect to encounter photographs, songs, cinema, research papers, poems etc. As a class, we are most interested in the business of academic writing. Our exercises will, thus, focus on synthesizing authorial voices, formulating arguments, and developing robust methodologies for research. 

Listed below are prospective readings for the course: 

1. Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. Penguin UK, 2008.
2. Descartes, René. Meditations on first philosophy. Broadview Press, 2013.
3. Lee, Joel. "Odor and order: how caste is inscribed in space and sensoria." Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East 37.3 (2017): 470-490.
4. Kikon, Dolly. "Fermenting modernity: Putting akhuni on the nation's table in India." South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies 38.2 (2015): 320-335.
5. Hazarika, Bhaskar. Aamis. Signum Productions, 2019
6. Baudrillard, Jean. The Gulf War did not take place. Indiana University Press, 1995.

1. Mid-term Assignment (20% of total grade)

a) 15% for Synthesis Paper
b) 5% for Peer Review

2. End-term Assignment (40% of total grade)

a) 30% for Academic essay
b) 10% for Annotated Bibliography

3. Group Presentation (15% of total grade)

4. Course Engagement (25% of total grade)

a) 15% for class participation and continuous assessment 
b) 10% for turn-it-in assignments

• You are expected to excuse yourself from class in case you cannot attend it
• You will be notified if/when 3 absences are recorded.
• The penalty for more than five absences will be decided by the ICT instructor on a case-by-case basis. A consistent pattern of non-attendance may include discretionary penalties such as grade cuts.
• If you are absent, the responsibility for making up for what has been missed — by looking at class notes and/or speaking to classmates — is yours. An excused absence does not excuse you from take-home assignments.

Dibyangee Saha [dibyangee.saha@ashoka.edu.in] ;

The Introduction to Critical Thinking course is grounded in the building of proficiency through focussed attention on the basic tasks that develop a critical mind: reading, writing, speaking, listening. It considers these vital acts – of reading a text closely, of making connections between different subjects, of participating in an ongoing conversation, of being discerning about source material – as essential habits that can be strengthened through repetition. The course provides space in which you can engage with a variety of source materials and understand how to ask questions that extend and enrich your understanding – of situations, texts, institutions and people. It is also intended to be an induction into the distinct practices of academic research and writing within a university. By the close of the course, you will have a keener sense of your own processes of learning, thinking and writing, and a more robust sense of what it means to be ‘scholar’ in an active knowledge community constituted by your peers.

You do not need to have any specific kind of training in order to do an ICT course. Nor is any ICT course geared towards preparing you specifically for a career in a particular subject or field. Rather, you can expect it to guide you in transition out of how you approached academic work in school to how you might approach it in a university setting, and to sharpen your understanding of what it means to be critical, questioning and deliberate in your approach to the world. 

ICT is writing-intensive. You can expect to work on longer assignments (the Mid-Term and the End-Term essays) over multiple rounds of feedback, as well as shorter assignments through the semester. You will also need to rehearse regular habits of reading (of academic texts and wider materials) and responding (to prompts, or given materials). Finally, as the ICT is a small cohort-oriented course, you can expect it to have a strong participation and interaction component, and can expect to work on projects both individually and in collaboration with your coursemates. 

Readings and Theme:

The theme for this section of ICT is "Sense and Sensibility: Towards meaning-making through Radical Doubt". Through our readings and class-discussions we will think about sensory faculties as tools for critical thinking, the meanings they generate, and how we arrive at them. The thematic concern of this course will enable us to undertake critical work in two directions: the reading of texts through sight, sound and feeling (smell, touch, taste); and conversely, the reading of every sensory experience as text — thus, subjecting empirical evidence to radical doubt. Through this practice, we shall locate readers and writers not only in a sensory world, but also within systems of knowledge and cultural production. The texts chosen cut across (and challenge) the categories of genre, form and medium. Expect to encounter photographs, songs, cinema, research papers, poems etc. As a class, we are most interested in the business of academic writing. Our exercises will, thus, focus on synthesizing authorial voices, formulating arguments, and developing robust methodologies for research. 

Listed below are prospective readings for the course: 

1. Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. Penguin UK, 2008.
2. Descartes, René. Meditations on first philosophy. Broadview Press, 2013.
3. Lee, Joel. "Odor and order: how caste is inscribed in space and sensoria." Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East 37.3 (2017): 470-490.
4. Kikon, Dolly. "Fermenting modernity: Putting akhuni on the nation's table in India." South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies 38.2 (2015): 320-335.
5. Hazarika, Bhaskar. Aamis. Signum Productions, 2019
6. Baudrillard, Jean. The Gulf War did not take place. Indiana University Press, 1995.

1. Mid-term Assignment (20% of total grade)

a) 15% for Synthesis Paper
b) 5% for Peer Review

2. End-term Assignment (40% of total grade)

a) 30% for Academic essay
b) 10% for Annotated Bibliography

3. Group Presentation (15% of total grade)

4. Course Engagement (25% of total grade)

a) 15% for class participation and continuous assessment 
b) 10% for turn-it-in assignments

• You are expected to excuse yourself from class in case you cannot attend it
• You will be notified if/when 3 absences are recorded.
• The penalty for more than five absences will be decided by the ICT instructor on a case-by-case basis. A consistent pattern of non-attendance may include discretionary penalties such as grade cuts.
• If you are absent, the responsibility for making up for what has been missed — by looking at class notes and/or speaking to classmates — is yours. An excused absence does not excuse you from take-home assignments.

Chinmoy Saikia [chinmoy.saikia@ashoka.edu.in] ;

This course, Introduction to Critical Thinking, (ICT) will be an exercise at reading through the cracks, ruptures, bandages, and facades that constitute our social, economic, and emotional realities. While primary materials may range from peer reviewed articles to court verdicts to short films to memes, the focus will remain squarely on enabling and urging the student to read the text closely and to help them inculcate a range of scholarly habits. A major component of the course is to instill among the students an appreciation for structure and precision both in thought and writing, a dichotomy which the course will also attempt to bridge by engaging the student in discussions and debates. At the end of the semester, the students will not only be able to write a well researched essay but will also begin to interrogate the mechanisms through which knowledge is produced and reproduced.

Reading:

1. Breaking down texts into identifiable parts.

2. Making patterns and connections across texts

3. Building reading stamina and the ability to select texts

4. Understanding textual context, genre and source material

Writing 

1. Developing the craft of outlining, revising, editing

2. Applying form, voice, style, tone to affect writing

3. Developing logical, coherent, structured writing

4. Using explanatory, narrative and justificatory writing

Thinking

1. Practising converting thoughts into words

2. Narrowing down a curiosity or thought into a question

3. Constructing and developing a reasoned argument

4. Engaging meaningfully with multiple perspectives

Speaking,Listening

1. Aiming for confidence, clarity, coherence 

2. Practising and harnessing audience engagement 

3. Developing active and respectful listening to others 

4. Engaging meaningfully with ongoing discussions

 

You do not need to have any specific kind of training in order to do an ICT course. Nor is any ICT course geared towards preparing you specifically for a career in a particular subject or field. Rather, you can expect it to guide you in transition out of how you approached academic work in school to how you might approach it in a university setting, and to sharpen your understanding of what it means to be critical, questioning and deliberate in your approach to the world. 

 

This is a writing intensive course. You will be required to turn in short written assignments every week. For longer assignments, (the Mid-Term and the End-Term essays) you will be offered multiple rounds of feedback. You will also need to rehearse regular habits of reading (of academic texts and wider materials) and responding (to prompts, or given materials). You can expect it to have a strong participation and interaction component, and can expect to work on projects both individually and in collaboration with your coursemates. 

 

An exhaustive list of reading materials will be uploaded soon but you can expect it to be diverse in form and content. All reading will be done in class barring the odd unavoidable take home reading assignment. 

The ICT will be graded on a number of elements. Your final assessment will account for your participation and performance in writing and non-writing components, and in formative work (building towards a bigger piece, or continuing a specific ‘habit’) and summative work (producing a final output). 

 

The components are below. 

 

1. Participation (in class as well as in meetings with the instructor and the peer tutor): 15% of the final grade.

2. Regular Assignments. 15% of the final grade. 

3. Presentations: 15% of the final grade. 

4. A mid-term assignment of 800-1500 words involving the synthesis of multiple sources: 20% of the final grade. 

5. An end-term Academic essay of 1500 - 2500 words : 25% of the final grade. 

6. Improvement over the course : 10% of the final grade. 

A standard Ashoka rubric will be used in your eventual ICT grade, wherein the highest possible grade is ‘A’ and the lowest possible grade is ‘F’.In general, grades in the ‘A’ range demonstrate that you have consistently exceeded the expectations of the course; grades in the ‘B’ range indicate that you have met the expectations for the course; grades in the ‘C’ range and below, demonstrate that you have fallen short of the expectations for this course. 

For this course, you are allowed three unexcused absences (for which you do not need permission from the instructor) and two excused absences (for which you do need permission from the instructor). The penalty for any absence beyond these five will be decided by the ICT instructor on a case-by-case basis. Please note that a consistent pattern of non-attendance may include discretionary penalties such as grade cuts.

 

If you are absent, the responsibility for making up for what has been missed -- by looking at class notes and/or speaking to classmates -- is yours. The responsibility for finding out about any homework that has been set for future classes is yours too.

Chinmoy Saikia [chinmoy.saikia@ashoka.edu.in] ;

This course, Introduction to Critical Thinking, (ICT) will be an exercise at reading through the cracks, ruptures, bandages, and facades that constitute our social, economic, and emotional realities. While primary materials may range from peer reviewed articles to court verdicts to short films to memes, the focus will remain squarely on enabling and urging the student to read the text closely and to help them inculcate a range of scholarly habits. A major component of the course is to instill among the students an appreciation for structure and precision both in thought and writing, a dichotomy which the course will also attempt to bridge by engaging the student in discussions and debates. At the end of the semester, the students will not only be able to write a well researched essay but will also begin to interrogate the mechanisms through which knowledge is produced and reproduced.

Reading:

1. Breaking down texts into identifiable parts.

2. Making patterns and connections across texts

3. Building reading stamina and the ability to select texts

4. Understanding textual context, genre and source material

Writing 

1. Developing the craft of outlining, revising, editing

2. Applying form, voice, style, tone to affect writing

3. Developing logical, coherent, structured writing

4. Using explanatory, narrative and justificatory writing

Thinking

1. Practising converting thoughts into words

2. Narrowing down a curiosity or thought into a question

3. Constructing and developing a reasoned argument

4. Engaging meaningfully with multiple perspectives

Speaking,Listening

1. Aiming for confidence, clarity, coherence 

2. Practising and harnessing audience engagement 

3. Developing active and respectful listening to others 

4. Engaging meaningfully with ongoing discussions

You do not need to have any specific kind of training in order to do an ICT course. Nor is any ICT course geared towards preparing you specifically for a career in a particular subject or field. Rather, you can expect it to guide you in transition out of how you approached academic work in school to how you might approach it in a university setting, and to sharpen your understanding of what it means to be critical, questioning and deliberate in your approach to the world. 

 

This is a writing intensive course. You will be required to turn in short written assignments every week. For longer assignments, (the Mid-Term and the End-Term essays) you will be offered multiple rounds of feedback. You will also need to rehearse regular habits of reading (of academic texts and wider materials) and responding (to prompts, or given materials). You can expect it to have a strong participation and interaction component, and can expect to work on projects both individually and in collaboration with your coursemates. 

 

An exhaustive list of reading materials will be uploaded soon but you can expect it to be diverse in form and content. All reading will be done in class barring the odd unavoidable take home reading assignment. 

 

The ICT will be graded on a number of elements. Your final assessment will account for your participation and performance in writing and non-writing components, and in formative work (building towards a bigger piece, or continuing a specific ‘habit’) and summative work (producing a final output). 

 

The components are below. 

 

1. Participation (in class as well as in meetings with the instructor and the peer tutor): 15% of the final grade.

2. Regular Assignments. 15% of the final grade. 

3. Presentations: 15% of the final grade. 

4. A mid-term assignment of 800-1500 words involving the synthesis of multiple sources: 20% of the final grade. 

5. An end-term Academic essay of 1500 - 2500 words : 25% of the final grade. 

6. Improvement over the course : 10% of the final grade. 

A standard Ashoka rubric will be used in your eventual ICT grade, wherein the highest possible grade is ‘A’ and the lowest possible grade is ‘F’.In general, grades in the ‘A’ range demonstrate that you have consistently exceeded the expectations of the course; grades in the ‘B’ range indicate that you have met the expectations for the course; grades in the ‘C’ range and below, demonstrate that you have fallen short of the expectations for this course. 

For this course, you are allowed three unexcused absences (for which you do not need permission from the instructor) and two excused absences (for which you do need permission from the instructor). The penalty for any absence beyond these five will be decided by the ICT instructor on a case-by-case basis. Please note that a consistent pattern of non-attendance may include discretionary penalties such as grade cuts.

 

If you are absent, the responsibility for making up for what has been missed -- by looking at class notes and/or speaking to classmates -- is yours. The responsibility for finding out about any homework that has been set for future classes is yours too. 

Arpita Das [arpita.das@ashoka.edu.in] ;

In this course, you will develop and rehearse the habits that are essential to the development of a critical mind: reading, writing, speaking, listening and, of course, thinking. In effect, you will learn to ask the ‘why’ and ‘how’ questions alongside the ‘who’ and ‘what’ queries you have been posing through your school education. You will engage with a variety of source materials and understand how to ask questions that extend and enrich your understanding—of situations, texts, institutions and people. You will explore the distinctness of academic research and writing, and participate in an active knowledge community constituted by your peers. By the close of the course, you will have a clearer understanding of what it means to be a scholar in an academic setting, and a keener sense of your own processes of learning, thinking and writing.

The theme of this course this Monsoon Semester will be Reading the Other, where we will be reading narrative non-fiction works by David Baldwin, Meena Kandasamy, Nanjala Nyabola, Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar, Gopal Guru, Sharmila Rege and others to enable you to acquire the skills described above with an added understanding of what it means to read works by or about individuals or communities who are outside your own comfort zone.

 

Learning Outcomes

Reading:

1. Breaking down texts into identifiable parts.

2. Making patterns and connections across texts

3. Building reading stamina and the ability to select texts

4. Understanding textual context, genre and source material and documenting these via strategic note-making.

Writing 

1. Developing the craft of outlining, revising, editing

2. Applying form, voice, style, tone to affect writing

3. Developing logical, coherent, structured writing

4. Using explanatory, narrative and justificatory writing

Thinking

1. Practising converting thoughts into words

2. Narrowing down a curiosity or thought into a question

3. Constructing and developing a reasoned argument

4. Engaging meaningfully with multiple perspectives

Speaking-Listening

1. Aiming for confidence, clarity, coherence 

2. Practising and harnessing audience engagement 

3. Developing active and respectful listening to others 

4. Engaging meaningfully with ongoing discussions

 

 

You can expect to do regular reading (of academic texts and wider materials) in this course. These will be specified on a weekly basis on the schedule at the end of the course outline note. In addition, you can expect to write consistently, participate in giving and taking feedback, and work on medium-term projects both individually and in collaboration with your course mates.

Grading Rubric

The ICT will be graded on a rubric. The weightage of the elements, their exact definition, and the decision to add new elements, will be equally divided between the following parameters:

 

1. Participation (in classes, office hours’ meetings, and the weekly blog)

2. Research paper (a longform argumentative paper with citations, written in academic style)

3. Small summative written assignments (including a written quiz at mid-term) 

4. Presentations in class (including a group-based semester-end Debate)

 

For this course, you are allowed three unexcused absences (for which you do not need permission from the instructor) and two excused absences (for which you do need permission from the instructor). The penalty for any absence beyond these five will be decided by the ICT instructor on a case-by-case basis. Please note that a consistent pattern of non-attendance may include discretionary penalties such as grade cuts.

Varun Andhare [varun.andhare@ashoka.edu.in] ;

This Introduction to Critical Thinking (ICT) course, will engage with the question of criticality and criticism with some detail, examining a variety of texts and forms of criticism over a 13-week period. In doing so, we shall make connections between the art and practice of criticism both as a formal mode of writing and thinking as well as an everyday practice, drawing from the study of cinema, poetry, art, fiction, the internet, and the city of Delhi.

One of the key objectives of an ICT course is to develop with a critical mind the habits of writing, reading and the practices and ethics of research for undergraduate students. This course conceives of a number of these habits as formed through a community-based engagement, one which foregrounds aesthetic experiences as a collective activity. There will be a lot of group viewings when we get to our module on cinema, as well as a field trip later in the semester.

By the end of the course, you will have a keener sense of your own processes of learning, thinking and writing, and a more robust sense of what it means to be ‘scholar’ in an active knowledge community constituted by your peers.

Reading:

1. Breaking down texts into identifiable parts.

2. Making patterns and connections across texts

3. Building reading stamina and the ability to select texts

4. Understanding textual context, genre and source material

Writing 

1. Developing the craft of outlining, revising, editing

2. Applying form, voice, style, tone to affect writing

3. Developing logical, coherent, structured writing

4. Using explanatory, narrative and justificatory writing

Thinking

1. Practising converting thoughts into words

2. Narrowing down a curiosity or thought into a question

3. Constructing and developing a reasoned argument

4. Engaging meaningfully with multiple perspectives

Speaking,Listening

1. Aiming for confidence, clarity, coherence 

2. Practising and harnessing audience engagement 

3. Developing active and respectful listening to others 

4. Engaging meaningfully with ongoing discussions

You do not need to have any specific kind of training in order to do an ICT course. Nor is any ICT course geared towards preparing you specifically for a career in a particular subject or field. Rather, you can expect it to guide you in transition out of how you approached academic work in school to how you might approach it in a university setting, and to sharpen your understanding of what it means to be critical, questioning and deliberate in your approach to the world. 

ICT is writing-intensive. You can expect to work on longer assignments (the Mid-Term and the End-Term essays) over multiple rounds of feedback, as well as shorter assignments through the semester. You will also need to rehearse regular habits of reading (of academic texts and wider materials) and responding (to prompts, or given materials).Finally, as the ICT is a small cohort-oriented course, you can expect it to have a strong participation and interaction component, and can expect to work on projects both individually and in collaboration with your coursemates. 

The ICT will be graded on a number of elements. Your final assessment will account for your participation and performance in writing and non-writing components, and in formative work (building towards a bigger piece, or continuing a specific ‘habit’) and summative work (producing a final output). 

These components are below. 

1. Participation (in classes, meetings and peer work)

2. Regular Assignments 

3. Presentation 

4. A mid-term assignment of 700 words involving the synthesis of multiple sources

5. An end-term academic essay of 2,000 words

6. Improvement over the course

A standard Ashoka rubric will be used in your eventual ICT grade, wherein the highest possible grade is ‘A’ and the lowest possible grade is ‘F’.In general, grades in the ‘A’ range demonstrate that you have consistently exceeded the expectations of the course; grades in the ‘B’ range indicate that you have met the expectations for the course; grades in the ‘C’ range and below, demonstrate that you have fallen short of the expectations for this course

This course does not have a minimum attendance requirement but operates on an honour-code with regards to absences. Students wil need to communicate the reasons for their absences to the PT and instructor, and will be expected to keep up with the material discussed in class through the PT or your peer buddies.

Varun Andhare [varun.andhare@ashoka.edu.in] ;

This Introduction to Critical Thinking (ICT) course, will engage with the question of criticality and criticism with some detail, examining a variety of texts and forms of criticism over a 13-week period. In doing so, we shall make connections between the art and practice of criticism both as a formal mode of writing and thinking as well as an everyday practice, drawing from the study of cinema, poetry, art, fiction, the internet, and the city of Delhi.

One of the key objectives of an ICT course is to develop with a critical mind the habits of writing, reading and the practices and ethics of research for undergraduate students. This course conceives of a number of these habits as formed through a community-based engagement, one which foregrounds aesthetic experiences as a collective activity. There will be a lot of group viewings when we get to our module on cinema, as well as a field trip later in the semester.

By the end of the course, you will have a keener sense of your own processes of learning, thinking and writing, and a more robust sense of what it means to be ‘scholar’ in an active knowledge community constituted by your peers.

Reading:

1. Breaking down texts into identifiable parts.

2. Making patterns and connections across texts

3. Building reading stamina and the ability to select texts

4. Understanding textual context, genre and source material

Writing 

1. Developing the craft of outlining, revising, editing

2. Applying form, voice, style, tone to affect writing

3. Developing logical, coherent, structured writing

4. Using explanatory, narrative and justificatory writing

Thinking

1. Practising converting thoughts into words

2. Narrowing down a curiosity or thought into a question

3. Constructing and developing a reasoned argument

4. Engaging meaningfully with multiple perspectives

Speaking,Listening

1. Aiming for confidence, clarity, coherence 

2. Practising and harnessing audience engagement 

3. Developing active and respectful listening to others 

4. Engaging meaningfully with ongoing discussions

You do not need to have any specific kind of training in order to do an ICT course. Nor is any ICT course geared towards preparing you specifically for a career in a particular subject or field. Rather, you can expect it to guide you in transition out of how you approached academic work in school to how you might approach it in a university setting, and to sharpen your understanding of what it means to be critical, questioning and deliberate in your approach to the world. 

ICT is writing-intensive. You can expect to work on longer assignments (the Mid-Term and the End-Term essays) over multiple rounds of feedback, as well as shorter assignments through the semester. You will also need to rehearse regular habits of reading (of academic texts and wider materials) and responding (to prompts, or given materials).Finally, as the ICT is a small cohort-oriented course, you can expect it to have a strong participation and interaction component, and can expect to work on projects both individually and in collaboration with your coursemates. 

The ICT will be graded on a number of elements. Your final assessment will account for your participation and performance in writing and non-writing components, and in formative work (building towards a bigger piece, or continuing a specific ‘habit’) and summative work (producing a final output). 

These components are below. 

1. Participation (in classes, meetings and peer work)

2. Regular Assignments 

3. Presentation 

4. A mid-term assignment of 700 words involving the synthesis of multiple sources

5. An end-term academic essay of 2,000 words

6. Improvement over the course

A standard Ashoka rubric will be used in your eventual ICT grade, wherein the highest possible grade is ‘A’ and the lowest possible grade is ‘F’.In general, grades in the ‘A’ range demonstrate that you have consistently exceeded the expectations of the course; grades in the ‘B’ range indicate that you have met the expectations for the course; grades in the ‘C’ range and below, demonstrate that you have fallen short of the expectations for this course

This course does not have a minimum attendance requirement but operates on an honour-code with regards to absences. Students wil need to communicate the reasons for their absences to the PT and instructor, and will be expected to keep up with the material discussed in class through the PT or your peer buddies.

Sidharth Singh [sidharth.singh@ashoka.edu.in] ;

The Introduction to Critical Thinking course is grounded in the building of proficiency through focussed attention on the basic tasks that develop a critical mind: reading, writing, speaking, listening. It considers these vital acts – of reading a text closely, of making connections between different subjects, of participating in an ongoing conversation, of being discerning about source material – as essential habits that can be strengthened through repetition. The course provides space in which you can engage with a variety of source materials and understand how to ask questions that extend and enrich your understanding -- of situations, texts, institutions and people. It is also intended to be an induction into the distinct practices of academic research and writing within a university. By the close of the course, you will have a keener sense of your own processes of learning, thinking and writing, and a more robust sense of what it means to be ‘scholar’ in an active knowledge community constituted by your peers.

If you want to know more about the kinds of themes or topics we will be tackling, feel free to write to me. 

Reading

1. Breaking down texts into identifiable parts.

2. Making patterns and connections across texts

3. Building reading stamina and the ability to select texts

4. Understanding textual context, genre and source material

Writing 

1. Developing the craft of outlining, revising, editing

2. Applying form, voice, style, tone to affect writing

3. Developing logical, coherent, structured writing

4. Using explanatory, narrative and justificatory writing

Thinking

1. Practising converting thoughts into words

2. Narrowing down a curiosity or thought into a question

3. Constructing and developing a reasoned argument

4. Engaging meaningfully with multiple perspectives

Speaking and Listening

1. Aiming for confidence, clarity, coherence 

2. Practising and harnessing audience engagement 

3. Developing active and respectful listening to others 

4. Engaging meaningfully with ongoing discussions

You do not need to have any specific kind of training in order to do an ICT course. Nor is any ICT course geared towards preparing you specifically for a career in a particular subject or field. Rather, you can expect it to guide you in transition out of how you approached academic work in school to how you might approach it in a university setting, and to sharpen your understanding of what it means to be critical, questioning and deliberate in your approach to the world. 

ICT is writing-intensive. You can expect to work on longer assignments (the Mid-Term and the End-Term essays) over multiple rounds of feedback, as well as shorter assignments through the semester. You will also need to rehearse regular habits of reading (of academic texts and wider materials) and responding (to prompts, or given materials).Finally, as the ICT is a small cohort-oriented course, you can expect it to have a strong participation and interaction component, and can expect to work on projects both individually and in collaboration with your coursemates. 

The ICT will be graded on a number of elements. Your final assessment will account for your participation and performance in writing and non-writing components, and in formative work (building towards a bigger piece, or continuing a specific ‘habit’) and summative work (producing a final output). The components are below. 

1. Participation (in classes, meetings and peer work)

2. Regular Assignments 

3. Presentation 

4. A mid-term assignment of 800-1500 words involving the synthesis of multiple sources

5. An end-term Academic essay of 1500 - 2500 words

6. Improvement over the course

A standard Ashoka rubric will be used in your eventual ICT grade, wherein the highest possible grade is ‘A’ and the lowest possible grade is ‘F’.In general, grades in the ‘A’ range demonstrate that you have consistently exceeded the expectations of the course; grades in the ‘B’ range indicate that you have met the expectations for the course; grades in the ‘C’ range and below, demonstrate that you have fallen short of the expectations for this course. 

For this course, you are allowed three unexcused absences (for which you do not need permission from the instructor) and two excused absences (for which you do need permission from the instructor). The penalty for any absence beyond these five will be decided by the ICT instructor on a case-by-case basis. Please note that a consistent pattern of non-attendance may include discretionary penalties such as grade cuts.

If you are absent, the responsibility for making up for what has been missed -- by looking at class notes and/or speaking to classmates -- is yours. The responsibility for finding out about any homework that has been set for future classes is yours too. 

Sidharth Singh [sidharth.singh@ashoka.edu.in] ;

The Introduction to Critical Thinking course is grounded in the building of proficiency through focussed attention on the basic tasks that develop a critical mind: reading, writing, speaking, listening. It considers these vital acts – of reading a text closely, of making connections between different subjects, of participating in an ongoing conversation, of being discerning about source material – as essential habits that can be strengthened through repetition. The course provides space in which you can engage with a variety of source materials and understand how to ask questions that extend and enrich your understanding -- of situations, texts, institutions and people. It is also intended to be an induction into the distinct practices of academic research and writing within a university. By the close of the course, you will have a keener sense of your own processes of learning, thinking and writing, and a more robust sense of what it means to be ‘scholar’ in an active knowledge community constituted by your peers.

If you want to know more about the kinds of themes or topics we will be tackling, feel free to write to me. 

Reading

1. Breaking down texts into identifiable parts.

2. Making patterns and connections across texts

3. Building reading stamina and the ability to select texts

4. Understanding textual context, genre and source material

Writing 

1. Developing the craft of outlining, revising, editing

2. Applying form, voice, style, tone to affect writing

3. Developing logical, coherent, structured writing

4. Using explanatory, narrative and justificatory writing

Thinking

1. Practising converting thoughts into words

2. Narrowing down a curiosity or thought into a question

3. Constructing and developing a reasoned argument

4. Engaging meaningfully with multiple perspectives

Speaking and Listening

1. Aiming for confidence, clarity, coherence 

2. Practising and harnessing audience engagement 

3. Developing active and respectful listening to others 

4. Engaging meaningfully with ongoing discussions

You do not need to have any specific kind of training in order to do an ICT course. Nor is any ICT course geared towards preparing you specifically for a career in a particular subject or field. Rather, you can expect it to guide you in transition out of how you approached academic work in school to how you might approach it in a university setting, and to sharpen your understanding of what it means to be critical, questioning and deliberate in your approach to the world. 

ICT is writing-intensive. You can expect to work on longer assignments (the Mid-Term and the End-Term essays) over multiple rounds of feedback, as well as shorter assignments through the semester. You will also need to rehearse regular habits of reading (of academic texts and wider materials) and responding (to prompts, or given materials).Finally, as the ICT is a small cohort-oriented course, you can expect it to have a strong participation and interaction component, and can expect to work on projects both individually and in collaboration with your coursemates. 

The ICT will be graded on a number of elements. Your final assessment will account for your participation and performance in writing and non-writing components, and in formative work (building towards a bigger piece, or continuing a specific ‘habit’) and summative work (producing a final output). The components are below. 

1. Participation (in classes, meetings and peer work)

2. Regular Assignments 

3. Presentation 

4. A mid-term assignment of 800-1500 words involving the synthesis of multiple sources

5. An end-term Academic essay of 1500 - 2500 words

6. Improvement over the course

A standard Ashoka rubric will be used in your eventual ICT grade, wherein the highest possible grade is ‘A’ and the lowest possible grade is ‘F’.In general, grades in the ‘A’ range demonstrate that you have consistently exceeded the expectations of the course; grades in the ‘B’ range indicate that you have met the expectations for the course; grades in the ‘C’ range and below, demonstrate that you have fallen short of the expectations for this course. 

For this course, you are allowed three unexcused absences (for which you do not need permission from the instructor) and two excused absences (for which you do need permission from the instructor). The penalty for any absence beyond these five will be decided by the ICT instructor on a case-by-case basis. Please note that a consistent pattern of non-attendance may include discretionary penalties such as grade cuts.

If you are absent, the responsibility for making up for what has been missed -- by looking at class notes and/or speaking to classmates -- is yours. The responsibility for finding out about any homework that has been set for future classes is yours too. 

Devapriya Roy [devapriya.roy@ashoka.edu.in] ;

In a liberal arts university where the emphasis is on original thinking and the pursuit of knowledge, you will find yourself drawn into many conversations, whether purely academic or about the world we inhabit. You will find that these ongoing conversations will be enriched more and more by your contributions, as you learn to think critically, argue effectively, and write seriously. The aim of this course is to:

• Familiarize you with genres – and attendant jargon – that you might encounter in the course of your academic life, in Ashoka and beyond;
• Nudge you towards finding your own voice;
• Teach you the fundamentals of scholarly research in a discipline-agnostic way;
• Hand-hold you as you become comfortable with the writing process, irrespective of what you might be required to write;
• Inculcate reading and writing habits that will stand you in good stead for the rest of your life.

READING:

• Breaking down texts into identifiable parts
• Making patterns and connections across texts
• Building reading stamina and the ability to select texts
• Understanding textual context, genre and source material

WRITING:

• Working with explanatory, narrative or justificatory writing styles
• Developing logical, coherent, structured texts appropriate to the occasion
• Developing the craft of outlining, revising, editing and incorporating thoughtful feedback
• Writing to a deadline!

THINKING:

• Learning to think critically about a text
• Narrowing down a curiosity or thought into a question
• Constructing and developing a reasoned argument
• Engaging meaningfully with multiple perspectives

SPEAKING-LISTENING

• Aiming for confidence, clarity, coherence 
• Practising and harnessing audience engagement 
• Developing active and respectful listening skills when others communicate 
• Engaging meaningfully with ongoing discussions

RESEARCH

• Learn to locate scholarly sources
• Learn to connect your opinions to larger conversations in the discipline
• Learn to use sources to add value to your own opinions and arguments
• Learn to attribute responsibly

 

The semester will have four modules:

1. Active Reading
2. Research Project
3. Argument Essay
4. Academic Writing

Readings will be handed out in advance and there will be a fair amount of variety. You may find yourself reading a short story one week, several OpEds during another, and an academic paper next! You will need to come to class having read the assigned text in advance. 

Once I have read your first in-class submission, I will share the detailed course outline that we shall follow in the weeks ahead. But the very nature of this course makes it two-way in nature, and your interests, your requirements, and your learning arc will help shape the syllabus – and readings might change depending on the interests, needs and chemistry of the classes.

Your major written submissions will be under “Research Project” and “Argument Essay” while for modules 1 and 4, there will be multiple smaller assignments and exercises. In the course of the semester, you will be graded on the following:

• The Research Paper
• The Argument Essay
• Various in-class group presentations
• The in-class citations quiz at the end of term, as well as other in-class quizzes that will be announced in the prior class
• The 15-minute book-club
• Classroom participation, involvement in class activities, other short assignments and overall commitment to the writing life
• Regularity in submitting homework
• Peer participation
• IMPROVEMENT IN THE COURSE OF THE SEMESTER

For each major submission, the grading rubric will be shared with you in advance.

The usual Ashoka norms will apply. Since your contributions in the classroom are noted and add to your final grade, do try to be regular and punctual. The philosophy of this class is that every week we build on what was accomplished in the previous week. It’s not a syllabus-based course where you merely ‘cover’ something that was missed on your own, but a collaborative studio space where your contribution to each class actually shapes it. So regularity and active participation are desirable.

Devapriya Roy [devapriya.roy@ashoka.edu.in] ;

In a liberal arts university where the emphasis is on original thinking and the pursuit of knowledge, you will find yourself drawn into many conversations, whether purely academic or about the world we inhabit. You will find that these ongoing conversations will be enriched more and more by your contributions, as you learn to think critically, argue effectively, and write seriously. The aim of this course is to:

• Familiarize you with genres – and attendant jargon – that you might encounter in the course of your academic life, in Ashoka and beyond
• Nudge you towards finding your own voice
• Teach you the fundamentals of scholarly research in a discipline-agnostic way
• Hand-hold you as you become comfortable with the writing process, irrespective of what you might be required to write
• Inculcate reading and writing habits that will stand you in good stead for the rest of your life

READING:

• Breaking down texts into identifiable parts
• Making patterns and connections across texts
• Building reading stamina and the ability to select texts
• Understanding textual context, genre and source material

WRITING:

• Working with explanatory, narrative or justificatory writing styles
• Developing logical, coherent, structured texts appropriate to the occasion
• Developing the craft of outlining, revising, editing and incorporating thoughtful feedback
• Writing to a deadline!

THINKING:

• Learning to think critically about a text
• Narrowing down a curiosity or thought into a question
• Constructing and developing a reasoned argument
• Engaging meaningfully with multiple perspectives

SPEAKING-LISTENING

• Aiming for confidence, clarity, coherence 
• Practising and harnessing audience engagement 
• Developing active and respectful listening skills when others communicate 
• Engaging meaningfully with ongoing discussions

RESEARCH

• Learn to locate scholarly sources
• Learn to connect your opinions to larger conversations in the discipline
• Learn to use sources to add value to your own opinions and arguments
• Learn to attribute responsibly

 

The semester will have four modules:

1. Active Reading
2. Research Project
3. Argument Essay
4. Academic Writing

Readings will be handed out in advance and there will be a fair amount of variety. You may find yourself reading a short story one week, several OpEds during another, and an academic paper next! You will need to come to class having read the assigned text in advance. 

Once I have read your first in-class submission, I will share the detailed course outline that we shall follow in the weeks ahead. But the very nature of this course makes it two-way in nature, and your interests, your requirements, and your learning arc will help shape the syllabus – and readings might change depending on the interests, needs and chemistry of the classes.

Your major written submissions will be under “Research Project” and “Argument Essay” while for modules 1 and 4, there will be multiple smaller assignments and exercises. In the course of the semester, you will be graded on the following:

• The Research Paper
• The Argument Essay
• Various in-class group presentations
• The in-class citations quiz at the end of term, as well as other in-class quizzes that will be announced in the prior class
• The 15-minute book-club
• Classroom participation, involvement in class activities, other short assignments and overall commitment to the writing life
• Regularity in submitting homework
• Peer participation
• IMPROVEMENT IN THE COURSE OF THE SEMESTER

For each major submission, the grading rubric will be shared with you in advance.

The usual Ashoka norms will apply. Since your contributions in the classroom are noted and add to your final grade, do try to be regular and punctual. The philosophy of this class is that every week we build on what was accomplished in the previous week. It’s not a syllabus-based course where you merely ‘cover’ something that was missed on your own, but a collaborative studio space where your contribution to each class actually shapes it. So regularity and active participation are not only desirable but necessary.

Arpita Das [arpita.das@ashoka.edu.in] ;

In this course, you will develop and rehearse the habits that are essential to the development of a critical mind: reading, writing, speaking, listening and, of course, thinking. In effect, you will learn to ask the ‘why’ and ‘how’ questions alongside the ‘who’ and ‘what’ queries you have been posing through your school education. You will engage with a variety of source materials and understand how to ask questions that extend and enrich your understanding—of situations, texts, institutions and people. You will explore the distinctness of academic research and writing, and participate in an active knowledge community constituted by your peers. By the close of the course, you will have a clearer understanding of what it means to be a scholar in an academic setting, and a keener sense of your own processes of learning, thinking and writing.

The theme of this course this Monsoon Semester will be Reading the Other, where we will be reading narrative non-fiction works by David Baldwin, Meena Kandasamy, Nanjala Nyabola, Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar, Gopal Guru, Sharmila Rege and others to enable you to acquire the skills described above with an added understanding of what it means to read works by or about individuals or communities who are outside your own comfort zone.

 

Learning Outcomes

Reading:

1. Breaking down texts into identifiable parts.

2. Making patterns and connections across texts

3. Building reading stamina and the ability to select texts

4. Understanding textual context, genre and source material and documenting these via strategic note-making.

Writing 

1. Developing the craft of outlining, revising, editing

2. Applying form, voice, style, tone to affect writing

3. Developing logical, coherent, structured writing

4. Using explanatory, narrative and justificatory writing

Thinking

1. Practising converting thoughts into words

2. Narrowing down a curiosity or thought into a question

3. Constructing and developing a reasoned argument

4. Engaging meaningfully with multiple perspectives

Speaking-Listening

1. Aiming for confidence, clarity, coherence 

2. Practising and harnessing audience engagement 

3. Developing active and respectful listening to others 

4. Engaging meaningfully with ongoing discussions

 

 

You can expect to do regular reading (of academic texts and wider materials) in this course. These will be specified on a weekly basis on the schedule at the end of the course outline note. In addition, you can expect to write consistently, participate in giving and taking feedback, and work on medium-term projects both individually and in collaboration with your course mates.

Grading Rubric

The ICT will be graded on a rubric. The weightage of the elements, their exact definition, and the decision to add new elements, will be equally divided between the following parameters:

 

1. Participation (in classes, office hours’ meetings, and the weekly blog)

2. Research paper (a longform argumentative paper with citations, written in academic style)

3. Small summative written assignments (including a written quiz at mid-term) 

4. Presentations in class (including a group-based semester-end Debate)

 

For this course, you are allowed three unexcused absences (for which you do not need permission from the instructor) and two excused absences (for which you do need permission from the instructor). The penalty for any absence beyond these five will be decided by the ICT instructor on a case-by-case basis. Please note that a consistent pattern of non-attendance may include discretionary penalties such as grade cuts.

Kundan Sen [kundan.sen@ashoka.edu.in] ;

This course introduces students to critical thinking and writing through an emphasis on close reading, attention to detail, and a slow, deliberative articulation of logical arguments. Students will undertake a reading and writing intensive coursework in which readings will be organised around a meditation on ‘the Self’, that goes beyond disciplinary constraints and attempts to understand the self as an emergent phenomenon with a relationship to space, time, and media, each of which will be an area of investigation. 

The first section aims to move away from the universalising language that one encounters in utterances such as ‘the unmarked citizen’ or ‘the rational individual’. The readings in this section aim to help one understand the self as a complex and multidimensional entity, which emerges relationally with others, as a ‘presentation’, and narratively as a ‘construct’. The second section then looks at how the self is an inherently ‘spatialised’ entity with readings that speak to the relationship between space and selfhood through cultural concepts such as ‘place-making’, and ‘lifeworlds’. In this, we will also be interested in exploring the ways in which such spatialised, cultural expressions of selfhood get articulated through an engagement with and in various forms of media, especially internet mediated social-media that pervades our ordinary lifeworlds. The course provides space in which you can engage with a variety of source materials and understand how to ask questions that extend and enrich your understanding -- of situations, texts, institutions and people. It is also intended to be an induction into the distinct practices of academic research and writing within a university.

Reading:

1. Breaking down texts into identifiable parts.

2. Making patterns and connections across texts

3. Building reading stamina and the ability to select texts

4. Understanding textual context, genre and source material

 

Writing:

1. Developing the craft of outlining, revising, editing

2. Applying form, voice, style, tone to affect writing

3. Developing logical, coherent, structured writing

4. Using explanatory, narrative and justificatory writing

 

Thinking:

1. Practising converting thoughts into words

2. Narrowing down a curiosity or thought into a question

3. Constructing and developing a reasoned argument

4. Engaging meaningfully with multiple perspectives

 

Speaking, Listening:

1. Aiming for confidence, clarity, coherence 

2. Practising and harnessing audience engagement 

3. Developing active and respectful listening to others 

4. Engaging meaningfully with ongoing discussions

 

 

You do not need to have any specific kind of training in order to do an ICT course. Nor is any ICT course geared towards preparing you specifically for a career in a particular subject or field. Rather, you can expect it to guide you in transition out of how you approached academic work in school to how you might approach it in a university setting, and to sharpen your understanding of what it means to be critical, questioning and deliberate in your approach to the world. 

Students can expect to undertake reading and short writing assignments each week, with a longer mid-term writing assignment and a final end-term research paper. 

Short-Writing Assignments: These are the elementary blocks of the course aimed at performing crucial habit-building around the act of writing. Students will be required to produce short pieces of writing (around 500 words) each week based on the reading they would have undertaken in the preceding week. Students will ideate about their thoughts and opinions on the readings and class discussions and articulate them in these short pieces. These will be due before class each Monday. 

Long-Writing Assignments: These will comprise the mid-terms assignment (800-1000 words) and the end-semester research paper (1500-2000 words). Students will be evaluated on the basis of their critical thinking skills as well as their writing skills in reference to the grading rubric that students shall be familiarised with. 

In addition to writing, this course is focused on developing an extensive reading habit among students and as such, students shall be required to undertake reading tasks each week, from a range of articles, academic essays, anthologies, and books. The writings assignments shall be based on students reading of these texts and therefore emphasis shall be placed on close reading and attention to detail and a careful dissection of ideas presented in each text. (The reading list shall be updated in consultation with the cohort).  

The ICT will be graded on a number of elements. Your final assessment will account for your participation and performance in writing and non-writing components, and in formative work (building towards a bigger piece, or continuing a specific ‘habit’) and summative work (producing a final output). 

 

The components are below. 

 

1. Participation (in classes, meetings and peer work)

2. Regular Assignments 

3. Presentation 

4. A mid-term assignment of 800-1500 words involving the synthesis of multiple sources

5. An end-term Academic essay of 1500 - 2500 words

6. Improvement over the course

A standard Ashoka rubric will be used in your eventual ICT grade, wherein the highest possible grade is ‘A’ and the lowest possible grade is ‘F’.In general, grades in the ‘A’ range demonstrate that you have consistently exceeded the expectations of the course; grades in the ‘B’ range indicate that you have met the expectations for the course; grades in the ‘C’ range and below, demonstrate that you have fallen short of the expectations for this cours

For this course, students are allowed three unexcused absences (for which you do not need permission from the instructor) and two excused absences (for which you do need permission from the instructor). The penalty for any absence beyond these five will be decided by the ICT instructor on a case-by-case basis. Please note that a consistent pattern of non-attendance may include discretionary penalties such as grade cuts.

Kundan Sen [kundan.sen@ashoka.edu.in] ;

This course introduces students to critical thinking and writing through an emphasis on close reading, attention to detail, and a slow, deliberative articulation of logical arguments. Students will undertake a reading and writing intensive coursework in which readings will be organised around a meditation on ‘the Self’, that goes beyond disciplinary constraints and attempts to understand the self as an emergent phenomenon with a relationship to space, time, and media, each of which will be an area of investigation. 

The first section aims to move away from the universalising language that one encounters in utterances such as ‘the unmarked citizen’ or ‘the rational individual’. The readings in this section aim to help one understand the self as a complex and multidimensional entity, which emerges relationally with others, as a ‘presentation’, and narratively as a ‘construct’. The second section then looks at how the self is an inherently ‘spatialised’ entity with readings that speak to the relationship between space and selfhood through cultural concepts such as ‘place-making’, and ‘lifeworlds’. In this, we will also be interested in exploring the ways in which such spatialised, cultural expressions of selfhood get articulated through an engagement with and in various forms of media, especially internet mediated social-media that pervades our ordinary lifeworlds. The course provides space in which you can engage with a variety of source materials and understand how to ask questions that extend and enrich your understanding -- of situations, texts, institutions and people. It is also intended to be an induction into the distinct practices of academic research and writing within a university.

Reading:

1. Breaking down texts into identifiable parts.

2. Making patterns and connections across texts

3. Building reading stamina and the ability to select texts

4. Understanding textual context, genre and source material

 

Writing:

1. Developing the craft of outlining, revising, editing

2. Applying form, voice, style, tone to affect writing

3. Developing logical, coherent, structured writing

4. Using explanatory, narrative and justificatory writing

 

Thinking:

1. Practising converting thoughts into words

2. Narrowing down a curiosity or thought into a question

3. Constructing and developing a reasoned argument

4. Engaging meaningfully with multiple perspectives

 

Speaking, Listening:

1. Aiming for confidence, clarity, coherence 

2. Practising and harnessing audience engagement 

3. Developing active and respectful listening to others 

4. Engaging meaningfully with ongoing discussions

 

You do not need to have any specific kind of training in order to do an ICT course. Nor is any ICT course geared towards preparing you specifically for a career in a particular subject or field. Rather, you can expect it to guide you in transition out of how you approached academic work in school to how you might approach it in a university setting, and to sharpen your understanding of what it means to be critical, questioning and deliberate in your approach to the world. 

Students can expect to undertake reading and short writing assignments each week, with a longer mid-term writing assignment and a final end-term research paper. 

Short-Writing Assignments: These are the elementary blocks of the course aimed at performing crucial habit-building around the act of writing. Students will be required to produce short pieces of writing (around 500 words) each week based on the reading they would have undertaken in the preceding week. Students will ideate about their thoughts and opinions on the readings and class discussions and articulate them in these short pieces. These will be due before class each Monday. 

Long-Writing Assignments: These will comprise the mid-terms assignment (800-1000 words) and the end-semester research paper (1500-2000 words). Students will be evaluated on the basis of their critical thinking skills as well as their writing skills in reference to the grading rubric that students shall be familiarised with. 

In addition to writing, this course is focused on developing an extensive reading habit among students and as such, students shall be required to undertake reading tasks each week, from a range of articles, academic essays, anthologies, and books. The writings assignments shall be based on students reading of these texts and therefore emphasis shall be placed on close reading and attention to detail and a careful dissection of ideas presented in each text. (The reading list shall be updated in consultation with the cohort).  

The ICT will be graded on a number of elements. Your final assessment will account for your participation and performance in writing and non-writing components, and in formative work (building towards a bigger piece, or continuing a specific ‘habit’) and summative work (producing a final output). 

 

The components are below. 

 

1. Participation (in classes, meetings and peer work)

2. Regular Assignments 

3. Presentation 

4. A mid-term assignment of 800-1500 words involving the synthesis of multiple sources

5. An end-term Academic essay of 1500 - 2500 words

6. Improvement over the course

A standard Ashoka rubric will be used in your eventual ICT grade, wherein the highest possible grade is ‘A’ and the lowest possible grade is ‘F’.In general, grades in the ‘A’ range demonstrate that you have consistently exceeded the expectations of the course; grades in the ‘B’ range indicate that you have met the expectations for the course; grades in the ‘C’ range and below, demonstrate that you have fallen short of the expectations for this cours

For this course, students are allowed three unexcused absences (for which you do not need permission from the instructor) and two excused absences (for which you do need permission from the instructor). The penalty for any absence beyond these five will be decided by the ICT instructor on a case-by-case basis. Please note that a consistent pattern of non-attendance may include discretionary penalties such as grade cuts.

Jasleen Kaur Bagga [jasleen.bagga@ashoka.edu.in] ;

The Introduction to Critical Thinking course is grounded in the building of proficiency through focussed attention on the basic tasks that develop a critical mind: reading, writing, speaking, listening. It considers these vital acts – of reading a text closely, of making connections between different subjects, of participating in an ongoing conversation, of being discerning about source material – as essential habits that can be strengthened through repetition. The course provides space in which you can engage with a variety of source materials and understand how to ask questions that extend and enrich your understanding – of situations, texts, institutions and people. It is also intended to be an induction into the distinct practices of academic research and writing within a university. By the close of the course, you will have a keener sense of your own processes of learning, thinking and writing, and a more robust sense of what it means to be ‘scholar’ in an active knowledge community constituted by your peers.

 

Learning Outcomes

Reading:

1. Breaking down texts into identifiable parts.

2. Making patterns and connections across texts

3. Building reading stamina and the ability to select texts

4. Understanding textual context, genre and source material

Writing

1. Developing the craft of outlining, revising, editing

2. Applying form, voice, style, tone to affect writing

3. Developing logical, coherent, structured writing

4. Using explanatory, narrative and justificatory writing

Thinking

1. Practising converting thoughts into words

2. Narrowing down a curiosity or thought into a question

3. Constructing and developing a reasoned argument

4. Engaging meaningfully with multiple perspectives

Speaking,Listening

1. Aiming for confidence, clarity, coherence

2. Practising and harnessing audience engagement

3. Developing active and respectful listening to others

4. Engaging meaningfully with ongoing discussions

You do not need to have any specific kind of training in order to do an ICT course. Nor is any ICT course geared towards preparing you specifically for a career in a particular subject or field. Rather, you can expect it to guide you in transition out of how you approached academic work in school to how you might approach it in a university setting, and to sharpen your understanding of what it means to be critical, questioning and deliberate in your approach to the world.

ICT is writing-intensive. You can expect to work on longer assignments (the Mid-Term and the End-Term essays) over multiple rounds of feedback, as well as shorter assignments through the semester. You will also need to rehearse regular habits of reading (of academic texts and wider materials) and responding (to prompts, or given materials). Finally, as the ICT is a small cohort-oriented course, you can expect it to have a strong participation and interaction component, and can expect to work on projects both individually and in collaboration with your coursemates.

The ICT will be graded on a number of elements. Your final assessment will account for your participation and performance in writing and non-writing components, and in formative work (building towards a bigger piece, or continuing a specific ‘habit’) and summative work (producing a final output).

The components are below.

Participation (in classes, meetings and peer work) 

Weekly Assignments 

Presentations

Podcast Project 

A mid-term assignment 

An end-term assignment 

Improvement over the course 

A standard Ashoka rubric will be used in your eventual ICT grade, wherein the highest possible grade is ‘A’ and the lowest possible grade is ‘F’. In general, grades in the ‘A’ range demonstrate that you have consistently exceeded the expectations of the course; grades in the ‘B’ range indicate that you have met the expectations for the course; grades in the ‘C’ range and below, demonstrate that you have fallen short of the expectations for this course.

 

For this course, you are allowed three unexcused absences (for which you do not need permission from the instructor) and two excused absences (for which you do need permission from the instructor). The penalty for any absence beyond these five will be decided by the ICT instructor on a case-by-case basis. Please note that a consistent pattern of non-attendance may include discretionary penalties such as grade cuts.

If you are absent, the responsibility for making up for what has been missed -- by looking at class notes and/or speaking to classmates -- is yours. The responsibility for finding out about any homework that has been set for future classes is yours too.

Jasleen Kaur Bagga [jasleen.bagga@ashoka.edu.in] ;

The Introduction to Critical Thinking course is grounded in the building of proficiency through focussed attention on the basic tasks that develop a critical mind: reading, writing, speaking, listening. It considers these vital acts – of reading a text closely, of making connections between different subjects, of participating in an ongoing conversation, of being discerning about source material – as essential habits that can be strengthened through repetition. The course provides space in which you can engage with a variety of source materials and understand how to ask questions that extend and enrich your understanding -- of situations, texts, institutions and people. It is also intended to be an induction into the distinct practices of academic research and writing within a university. By the close of the course, you will have a keener sense of your own processes of learning, thinking and writing, and a more robust sense of what it means to be ‘scholar’ in an active knowledge community constituted by your peers.

Reading:

1. Breaking down texts into identifiable parts.

2. Making patterns and connections across texts

3. Building reading stamina and the ability to select texts

4. Understanding textual context, genre and source material

Writing

1. Developing the craft of outlining, revising, editing

2. Applying form, voice, style, tone to affect writing

3. Developing logical, coherent, structured writing

4. Using explanatory, narrative and justificatory writing

Thinking

1. Practising converting thoughts into words

2. Narrowing down a curiosity or thought into a question

3. Constructing and developing a reasoned argument

4. Engaging meaningfully with multiple perspectives

Speaking,Listening

1. Aiming for confidence, clarity, coherence

2. Practising and harnessing audience engagement

3. Developing active and respectful listening to others

4. Engaging meaningfully with ongoing discussions

You do not need to have any specific kind of training in order to do an ICT course. Nor is any ICT course geared towards preparing you specifically for a career in a particular subject or field. Rather, you can expect it to guide you in transition out of how you approached academic work in school to how you might approach it in a university setting, and to sharpen your understanding of what it means to be critical, questioning and deliberate in your approach to the world.

ICT is writing-intensive. You can expect to work on longer assignments (the Mid-Term and the End-Term essays) over multiple rounds of feedback, as well as shorter assignments through the semester. You will also need to rehearse regular habits of reading (of academic texts and wider materials) and responding (to prompts, or given materials). Finally, as the ICT is a small cohort-oriented course, you can expect it to have a strong participation and interaction component, and can expect to work on projects both individually and in collaboration with your coursemates.

The ICT will be graded on a number of elements[1]. Your final assessment will account for your participation and performance in writing and non-writing components, and in formative work (building towards a bigger piece, or continuing a specific ‘habit’) and summative work (producing a final output).

The components are below.

Participation (in classes, meetings and peer work) 

Weekly Assignments 

Presentations 

Podcast Project 

A mid-term assignment 

An end-term assignment

Improvement over the course 

A standard Ashoka rubric will be used in your eventual ICT grade, wherein the highest possible grade is ‘A’ and the lowest possible grade is ‘F’. In general, grades in the ‘A’ range demonstrate that you have consistently exceeded the expectations of the course; grades in the ‘B’ range indicate that you have met the expectations for the course; grades in the ‘C’ range and below, demonstrate that you have fallen short of the expectations for this course.

 

For this course, you are allowed three unexcused absences (for which you do not need permission from the instructor) and two excused absences (for which you do need permission from the instructor). The penalty for any absence beyond these five will be decided by the ICT instructor on a case-by-case basis. Please note that a consistent pattern of non-attendance may include discretionary penalties such as grade cuts.

If you are absent, the responsibility for making up for what has been missed -- by looking at class notes and/or speaking to classmates -- is yours. The responsibility for finding out about any homework that has been set for future classes is yours too.

Rashmi Muraleedhar [rashmi.muraleedhar@ashoka.edu.in] ;

In this course, you will develop and rehearse the habits that are essential to the development of a critical mind: reading, writing, speaking, listening and - of course - thinking. You will engage with a variety of source materials and understand how to ask questions that extend and enrich your understanding -- of situations, texts, institutions and people. You will explore the distinctness of academic research and writing, and participate in an active knowledge community constituted by your peers. By the close of the course, you will have a clearer understanding of what it means to be a scholar in an academic setting, and a keener sense of your own processes of learning, thinking and writing.

Reading: 

1. Breaking down texts into identifiable parts.

2. Making patterns and connections across texts

3. Building reading stamina and the ability to select texts

4. Understanding textual context, genre and source material

 

Writing:

1. Developing the craft of outlining, revising, editing

2. Applying form, voice, style, tone to affect writing

3. Developing logical, coherent, structured writing

4. Using explanatory, narrative and justificatory writing

 

Thinking

1. Practising converting thoughts into words

2. Narrowing down a curiosity or thought into a question

3. Constructing and developing a reasoned argument

4. Engaging meaningfully with multiple perspectives

 

Speaking-Listening

1. Aiming for confidence, clarity, coherence 

2. Practising and harnessing audience engagement 

3. Developing active and respectful listening to others 

4. Engaging meaningfully with ongoing discussions

You can expect to do regular reading (of academic texts and wider materials) in this course. The reading list will be communicated to you directly by your instructor and will be included in your course outline as well. In addition, you can expect to write consistently, participate in giving and taking feedback, and work on medium-term projects both individually and in collaboration with your coursemates

This course will be graded on the basis of the general criteria, listed below:

1. Class Participation (20%) : Participating in class discussions, Class reflection blog entries, Office hours with instructor and peer tutor, in-class group work

2. Short Assignments (10%) : smaller summative assignments, homework, outlines, drafts

3. Mid-Term: Literature Review Paper (25%) : longform synthesis paper written in academic style, 1000 words, APA style of citations

4. End-Term: Academic Essay (30%): longform argumentative essay written in academic style, 2000 words, APA style of citations

5. Presentation (15%) : semester-long group project, non-written submission, in-class presentations

 

This course does not have a minimum attendance requirement but operates on an honour-code with regards to absences. Students wil need to communicate the reasons for their absences to the PT and instructor, and will be expected to keep up with the material discussed in class through the PT or your peer buddies.

Rashmi Muraleedhar [rashmi.muraleedhar@ashoka.edu.in] ;

In this course, you will develop and rehearse the habits that are essential to the development of a critical mind: reading, writing, speaking, listening and - of course - thinking. You will engage with a variety of source materials and understand how to ask questions that extend and enrich your understanding -- of situations, texts, institutions and people. You will explore the distinctness of academic research and writing, and participate in an active knowledge community constituted by your peers. By the close of the course, you will have a clearer understanding of what it means to be a scholar in an academic setting, and a keener sense of your own processes of learning, thinking and writing.

Reading: 

1. Breaking down texts into identifiable parts.

2. Making patterns and connections across texts

3. Building reading stamina and the ability to select texts

4. Understanding textual context, genre and source material

Writing:

1. Developing the craft of outlining, revising, editing

2. Applying form, voice, style, tone to affect writing

3. Developing logical, coherent, structured writing

4. Using explanatory, narrative and justificatory writing

Thinking:

1. Practising converting thoughts into words

2. Narrowing down a curiosity or thought into a question

3. Constructing and developing a reasoned argument

4. Engaging meaningfully with multiple perspectives

Speaking-Listening:

1. Aiming for confidence, clarity, coherence 

2. Practising and harnessing audience engagement 

3. Developing active and respectful listening to others 

4. Engaging meaningfully with ongoing discussions

You can expect to do regular reading (of academic texts and wider materials) in this course. The reading list will be communicated to you directly by your instructor and will be included in your course outline as well. In addition, you can expect to write consistently, participate in giving and taking feedback, and work on medium-term projects both individually and in collaboration with your coursemates.

This course will be graded on the basis of the general criteria, listed below:

1. Class Participation (20%) : Participating in class discussions, Class reflection blog entries, Office hours with instructor and peer tutor, in-class group work

2. Short Assignments (10%) : smaller summative assignments, homework, outlines, drafts

3. Mid-Term: Literature Review Paper (25%) : longform synthesis paper written in academic style, 1000 words, APA style of citations

4. End-Term: Academic Essay (30%): longform argumentative essay written in academic style, 2000 words, APA style of citations

5. Presentation (15%) : semester-long group project, non-written submission, in-class presentations

This course does not have a minimum attendance requirement but operates on an honour-code with regards to absences. Students wil need to communicate the reasons for their absences to the PT and instructor, and will be expected to keep up with the material discussed in class through the PT or your peer buddies.

Nazish Ashraf Mir [nazish.mir_phd20@ashoka.edu.in] ;

The main objective of this course is to investigate the relationship between literature and imprisonment. Why do people write in prisons? Why do people write about prisons? Why should we read these narratives? These writings have often been valued as counter histories or for the political significance they hold. But what happens when we read these narratives as literature? What does a literary framework do that other disciplines of engagement cannot? How does a literary framework enhance the socio-political importance of these writings but also what are some of the ethical constraints that come with its association with the literary and how does it challenge the limitations of literature itself ? Though the relationship between writing and imprisonment is as old as the institution of confinement, we will focus on how prison literature in postcolonial and post emancipation era offers a distinct critique of imprisonment that has gained its legitimacy in the rhetoric of modernity, in its claims of upholding humane, democratic values and its promises of being reformative in nature. We will explore how the narrative power of these writings investigates the construction of categories like ‘the human’ and ‘the criminal’, thereby revealing how carceral structures participate in the formation of racial and colonial subjectivities as outside of the domain of the human, that constantly need to be disciplined into being one but can never be.  Some of the prison narratives we will look at are Behrouz Boochani’s No Friend but the Mountains, Sinan Antoon’s Ijaam, Naguib Mahfouz’s Karnak Cafe, Mohamedou Ould Slahi’s Guantanamo Diary, Elias Khourey’s Yalo, Chester Himes’s Cast the First Stone and Varavara Rao’s Captive Imagination.

S Satish Kumar [s.kumar@ashoka.edu.in] ;

In The Souls of Black Folk, published first in 1903, William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, asks a question so powerful that we are yet to entirely understand its immense profundity: “How does it feel to be a problem?” In the posing of such a seemingly prosaic question, Du Bois radically alters the ways in which we apprehend the “systemic” machinations of “power,” by framing them in uncompromisingly experiential terms. In this course, we will be endeavoring to work with such a framing in understanding the fundamentals of a field of inquiry often referred to as Critical Race Theory. While this course will focus largely on critically examining race, race consciousness and racism in literary and cultural texts across Europe and the United States, it will also look at race at the intersections of and in counterpoints with other marginalities such as gender and gender identity, class, caste, sexuality, and nationality. We will be attempting to map the contours of a wider landscape of bigotry, and in doing so reflect upon the insights that such a cartography can offer regarding the “systemic” forces that shape our own experiential locus and locations.

Anni Kumari [anni.kumari@ashoka.edu.in] ;

This course encourages students to engage with drawing-based processes that emphasize experience, transition, dialogue, and memory as integral to meaning-making. We will be looking at contemporary drawing practices, including works by William Kentridge, Kara Walker, Nalini Malani, Chitra Ganesh, and Nikhil Chopra. We will be re-questioning the idea of ‘what is a drawing’ and what role it plays in critiquing contemporary socio-political systems. Students may work with cut-outs, stencils, printmaking, and collages as means of experimenting with new ways of seeing, experiencing, and visualizing, leading towards a collective on-site work as part of the end-semester presentations.

Amit Kumar [amit.kumar@ashoka.edu.in] ;

This course helps one express their personality, thoughts and emotions using tools of free form art as well as basic tools of graphic design. The student will ultimately achieve a motif, logo, composition that’s a symbolic reflection of a part of them. 

 

The course will begin with understanding the basic elements and principles of design, something that is taught in first year of every design school. Following this, we will identify these elements and principles in visual arts to understand how semiotics aesthetically add a lot of hidden meaning to any artwork - from basic logos to famous fine art pieces. The second of the program will be practise led; students will get a chance to try several art mediums - both dry and wet, to choose their favourite. The last few classes would be then to learn a few frameworks of expressing oneself in design, bringing together every learning from the first half of the course.

Sampurna Dutta [sampurna.dutta@ashoka.edu.in] ;

In this visual communication course, we'll explore letterforms, the vocabulary and principles of
typography, and their relation to message and purpose. This studio-focused class nurtures
typographic thinking through drawing and grid work, enhancing students' ability to "see" type
for legibility and readability. Students will sharpen their evaluative skills through the critique
format and set specific goals for their type project. Students will experiment with everyday items
to create unique typefaces and finally design their own typeface or revival project. Despite the
emphasis on professional typography, there's flexibility for everyone to delve into their unique
interests—such as graffiti and street signage.

Amit Kumar [amit.kumar@ashoka.edu.in] ;

The course will focus on introducing a weekly practice of collage making for the students along
with engaging in discussions about art appreciation for the duration of the semester.
Each class is designed to engage students kinesthetically, exploring different styles of analogue
collaging. We will work with cutting out images from magazines, newpapers, wrappers, waste
materials, and then creating/montaging single-framed narrative collages from our harvest. We
will heavily focus on taking objects and images out of their intended context and appropriating
them to furnish our narratives. For instance, images of the Lotus temple and the dome from Bara
Imambara can be combined to look like an extraterrestrial spaceship. The idea is to expand the
limits of our imaginations and have fun while we do it. Students will be encouraged to tap into
their imaginations/inner world to make collages.
Each class will also focus on the cultural significance of collage as a medium. We will be tracing
the history of collaging, that became a post war symbol of resistance and think about how it
evolved as a means to question and challenge the dysfunctional norms of the society. We will
also dwell into the art practices of a few Dadaist and Surrealist artists; while also explore how
collaging is employed in zines, posters, banners and flyers in feminist and other
establishment-resistant contexts.
We will work towards using collage as a political tool to creatively express/communicate our
desires, inhibitions, and emotions, especially anger.
A few questions that we will discuss; How can art be a form of resistance? How do we critically
lace our artistic projects with sincerity and positivity while dealing with politically complex
subjects?

Outcomes: We will explore different styles of collage making using different materials, creating one piece of
art in each class.

Amit Kumar [amit.kumar@ashoka.edu.in] ;

A hands-on, demonstration-oriented course that introduces students to textiles as an art medium. It delves into the history of Textile Art, exploring various processes and materials. The course aims to nurture creative self-expression by guiding students through the art creation process. Students can concentrate on a single theme, such as Gender, Slice of Life, Portraits, Conflicts, or a focal premise of their preference (no imposed restrictions). Students will experiment with diverse textile processes, including weaving, fabric and paper printmaking, textile surface manipulation, mixed-material exploration, natural dyeing, wet felting, and more. Additional techniques can be incorporated as per the artwork requirements. The course will conclude with an individual art piece from every student and a collective/class art piece displayed at the final exhibition.

Amit Kumar [amit.kumar@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Hold the camera and you become the subject, whatever we film is a reflection of our understanding of the world. We can be curious to know the world around us by looking at this viewfinder, still this image creation is never purely observational or objective. It's a very unique and personal view over the things we choose to capture/exhibit. 

Who am I ?

How do I feel?

Does it hurt?

Does it heal?

What I look at, when I look at myself

In this creative documentary course, Letters to self : Cinema as therapy, we dive into the art of storytelling through the lens of self and others, and explore the relation of turning the camera on self and other discovering how the both approaches hold the mirror to the human experience of our innermost feelings. The course looks at the image and sound design through the concept of a “scene” and how to craft it, why we need to create it, how to give it a cinematic language to capture our expression. Throughout the course there will be a series of exercises and film screenings revolving around “Personal is Universal” which encourages students to think critically, investigate their own perspectives and engage in self reflection. 

Amit Kumar [amit.kumar@ashoka.edu.in] ;

This course will focus on the different methods of drawing such as drawing through memory and through observation, so as to develop an approach towards visual expression. We will explore different drawing techniques such as mark-making, stippling, cross-hatching and lines created through free hand movement onto the paper.The course will encourage the students to be a part of independent and collaborative drawing exercises, and visually create in expected and unexpected ways. From preparatory to unfinished drawings and moving onto finished drawings, students can arrive at works in colour and monochrome.

Amit Kumar [amit.kumar@ashoka.edu.in] ;

This course explores how drawing, painting and movement practice can inspire and inform each other. How can working with the body deepen one's approach to drawing and painting, and vice versa? Can changing how we relate to our senses change how we create and think about visual art? This course delves into these questions through practical study and exercises across artistic mediums. Emphasis will lie on the sketchbook or process notebook as a primary site for artistic practice. Prior experience in drawing, painting or embodied work is not needed. By opening to the sensory, we reorient to the ways in which we relate to and experience the world. 

Amit Kumar [amit.kumar@ashoka.edu.in] ;

"With every passing day, the mundanity of daily life threatens to burst through the seams of reality and weigh everything down like so many melting clocks. One’s salvation lies in embracing the absurd, surrendering to the surreal for succour. From floating fruit to precariously perched pachyderms, we will dive into the bizarre, the uncanny, the irrational, and all that is more real than real.

The course will focus on how surreal art has been used as a way to respond to reality itself, and especially to expose the absurdity of what is accepted as routine. We will traverse the impossible stairways of surreal art, be it traditional visual media, acts of resistance & rebellion, or even modern physical creations that deconstruct the normative. Students will spend the semester creating a portfolio of visual art or a series of installations that melds their subconscious with the world surrounding them."

Archishman Sarker [archishman.sarker@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Pottery is an ancient and primal medium of creative expression of form. The course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the art and science of pottery. It will combine hands-on studio work with in-depth theoretical exploration, offering students the opportunity to develop a holistic understanding of the art and practice of pottery. This co-curricular course introduces students to the history and cultural significance of pottery across different civilisations, and develops students’ practical skills in pottery-making techniques in order to explore the philosophy, aesthetics, semantics and symbolism of pottery as an art form.

Sumana Roy Ghosh [sumana.roy@ashoka.edu.in] ;

 In this course, students will be exposed to different genres of creative writing: poem, short story, essay, letter, interview, graphic narrative, literary criticism. Classes will be discussion heavy with regular writing assignments and workshops.

Janice Erica Pariat [janice.pariat@ashoka.edu.in] ;

In this course, students will experiment with several creative genres—spoken storytelling, poetry, prose—as a means of developing different imaginative approaches to experience. The emphasis will be on generating substantial amounts of raw material, and advancing a body of this work toward completion. Each craft lecture will be tied to a set of readings that will be discussed in class. At the end of the course, students will learn how to look at literature from the point of view of a practitioner and apply writing techniques to a variety of rhetorical situations. Anyone who wants to earn this minor or take creative writing courses, must successfully complete this course. There are no prerequisites for this course.

Saikat Majumdar [saikat.majumdar@ashoka.edu.in] ;

How does one capture in English lives that are not lived in English? That is one of the defining challenges for the writer for whom English arrives as a literary language as a legacy of colonialism and globalization in contexts beyond the Anglosphere. In this course, we shall watch the paths taken by others who have grappled with this question, reading a selection of English fiction, poetry, and nonfiction by writers from sub-Saharan Africa, south Asia, the West Indies, and other possible locations on the globe where English co-exists with other indigenous and creolized languages. We will then turn to our own experience and discuss the possibilities before us as writers and translators who work with English as a medium of literature, with the chaos of many tongues around us.

Arunava Sinha [arunava.sinha@ashoka.edu.in] ;

This course is an intensive immersion in reading as preparation to be a writer. It involves reading 10 novellas and novels (tentative reading list below), participating in discussions, writing short papers, and making a presentation. The objective is to read in a way that will inform your writing subsequently.     

Haruki Murakami: Drive My Car
Alessandro Barricco: Silk
Annie Zaidi: Prelude to a Riot
Han Kang: The Vegetarian
KR Meera: Qabar
Anushka Jasraj: Radio Story
Adrian Tomine: ‘Amber Sweet’ from Killing and Dying
Vivek Shanbhag: Sakina's Kiss
Sally Rooney: Normal People
Aravind Jayan: Teen Couple have Fun Outdoors
Perumal Murugan: One Part Woman
Meg Mason: Sorrow and Bliss
Natalie Ginzburg: A Dry Heart

20%: Class participation (including attendance)
60%: Four pieces of 500 words each on one selected work from the readings, to be submitted at the end of weeks 3, 6, 9, 12
20%: A presentation on a chosen book-length text from outside the readings

You are permitted TWO absences in a semester for non-health/non-emergency reasons.

Beyond this there will be half a grade cut (from class participation and attendance) for each subsequent missed class.

Janice Erica Pariat [janice.pariat@ashoka.edu.in] ;

In this course, students will experiment with the genre—folk tales, parables, chain tales, as well the as the modern form of the short story—as a means of developing different imaginative approaches to experience. Using a workshop format, students will learn craft through close readings of each other’s work. The emphasis will be on generating raw material and advancing a chunk of this work toward completion. During the semester, we will discuss a set of craft elements and students will be expected to apply those craft elements in their own writing while critiquing the work of their classmates. In short, this course will teach students the basic techniques of short fiction, how to apply those in their own writing and how to look at literature from the practitioner's point of view.

Sumana Roy Ghosh [sumana.roy@ashoka.edu.in] ;

This is a workshop for poets, readers of poetry, and those with an interest in the ‘poetic’. We will look at form, content and aesthetic, the classical, canonical and the contemporary. We will write in each class, share and analyze our work with our peers, read poems from across languages and cultures, learn from close reading, study sub-genres, technique and rhetorical devices, and also prepare our work for possible publication in journals and magazines. By the end of the workshop each participant can expect to have a significant number of poems that might lead to a possible collection of poems.

Arunava Sinha [arunava.sinha@ashoka.edu.in] ;

This will be an intensive pen-on-paper – physical or digital – approach to practical translation of fiction, non-fiction, poetry or any other form. Students will work on producing 20,000 words in translation from a language of their choice into English. We will be translating every week, sharing our translations with one another, critiquing them, and solving translation-related problems that we encounter through discussion and debate. Since this is a workshop, feedback and suggestions to the work being done by the entire class will be a crucial aspect of this course.

Students should have completed the Reading for Writing / Reading to Write course and the Introduction to Creative Writing Course.

100% grade from end semster submission of translated text.

Arpita Das [arpita.das@ashoka.edu.in] ;

The Publishing Workshop aims to work with the students to hone their skills at editing their own writing to develop it into a publishable manuscript as well as to have a clear understanding of how their writing would be received by the publishing ecosystem. The pedagogy will include both hands-on exercises and presentations of the students' work as well as interactions with visiting publishing editors.

 Students should have their thesis first draft ready when the semester starts for sure. Without that it is very difficult to proceed through the semester.  

The Publishing Seminar aims to equip you with the tools to editor-proof your writing and make it ready for submission for publication. 

Please make sure the first draft of your thesis is ready at the beginning of the semester.

Grading will be done on the basis of class participation through the semester, and quality of the thesis (this part will be graded jointly with the students' thesis advisors).

Three unexcused absences and two excused. 

Janice Erica Pariat [janice.pariat@ashoka.edu.in] ;

This course functions as a “laboratory” for working writers of fiction. It will follow a studio format where each student takes turns to submit a piece of fiction that the class will workshop when they meet. Each submission is limited to 1,500-3,000 words. We will also be reading a series of short novellas through the semester to instigate class discussion on craft and literary technique. 

 

Sneha Bakshi [sneha.bakshi@ashoka.edu.in] ;

This course will be an introduction into the economic way of thinking about the world and of analyzing questions and figuring out answers. It will cover both Microeconomics and Macroeconomics and lay the foundation for the methodology and practices in both.

This course aims to equip students with basic comprehension of demand, supply, markets, the economic basis for trade, national income accounting, prices and inflation, real and nominal measures of GDP, and help students understand externalities and welfare, the choices in the labor market and its resulting level of employment, and the role of government in markets and the economy. Additional Microeconomics & Macroeconomics topics might be covered depending on the pace of the course.

The Economy, by The CORE project/team; and The Economy: A South Asian Perspective, by The CORE project/team.

Both are available online on The Core website.

Class Participation (Attendance + Surprise Quizzes) = 12

Assignments or take-home Quizzes = 18.

Exams (One or Two) = 70.

Attendance will be taken randomly in some classes at some unannounced time, and will contribute to your grade. There will also be short unannounced/surprise Quizzes in class. Students will be graded on their responses in these Quizzes, either individually or in groups. If you miss a class in which a Quiz/Jam was held or you fail to turn in your response to a Quiz/Jam, you miss the opportunity to score on that Quiz/Jam. Points on attendance and class Quizzes/Jams will together contribute to a student’s performance on ‘Class participation’, which is 12 points on the course total of 100.

Sneha Bakshi [sneha.bakshi@ashoka.edu.in] ;

This course will be an introduction into the economic way of thinking about the world and of analyzing questions and figuring out answers. It will cover both Microeconomics and Macroeconomics and lay the foundation for the methodology and practices in both.

This course aims to equip students with basic comprehension of demand, supply, markets, the economic basis for trade, national income accounting, prices and inflation, real and nominal measures of GDP, and help students understand externalities and welfare, the choices in the labor market and its resulting level of employment, and the role of government in markets and the economy. Additional Microeconomics & Macroeconomics topics might be covered depending on the pace of the course.

The Economy, by The CORE project/team; and The Economy: A South Asian Perspective, by The CORE project/team.

Both are available online on The Core website.

Class Participation (Attendance + Surprise Quizzes) = 12

Assignments or take-home Quizzes = 18.

Exams (One or Two) = 70.

Attendance will be taken randomly in some classes at some unannounced time, and will contribute to your grade. There will also be short unannounced/surprise Quizzes in class. Students will be graded on their responses in these Quizzes, either individually or in groups. If you miss a class in which a Quiz/Jam was held or you fail to turn in your response to a Quiz/Jam, you miss the opportunity to score on that Quiz/Jam. Points on attendance and class Quizzes/Jams will together contribute to a student’s performance on ‘Class participation’, which is 12 points on the course total of 100.

Ayush Pant [ayush.pant@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Please see the attached detailed course outline. 

Ayush Pant [ayush.pant@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Please see the attached detailed course outline. 

Aparajita Dasgupta [aparajita.dasgupta@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Please see attached sample syllabus from previous year-the format will remain the same.

Aparajita Dasgupta [aparajita.dasgupta@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Please see attached sample syllabus from previous year-the format will remain the same.

Tanya Jain [tanya.jain@ashoka.edu.in] ;

PFA the document for course catalogue.

Tanya Jain [tanya.jain@ashoka.edu.in] ;

PFA the document for course catalogue.

Pragya Jain [pragya.jain@ashoka.edu.in] ;

This course introduces students to all the mathematical tools necessary for the study of economics at the undergraduate level. We start with preliminary topics like logic and reasoning. First few topics include set theory, linear equations and their solutions. We will learn to apply these concepts to some applications from economics. We will then cover univariate and multivariate calculus, and rules of differentiation. Some of the material will be proof-based and technical. Once basic calculus is covered, we will study optimization techniques and linear algebra. We will apply theorems from these topics to different optimization problems in Economics like the consumer's utility maximization problem.

By the end of the course students should be adept at calculating derivatives, slopes of different graphs, concavity and convexity, single variable and multivariable optimization, comparative statics. Students are expected to learn proof techniques like the method of contradiction, direct proof, contrapositive, and mathematical induction. This will set a foundation for more advanced topics in Economics.

Prerequisites:

1. Basic algebra

2. Logic and reasoning

I will assume knowledge of class 12th Mathematics or Calculus Enabler course

(Students will be given problem sets regularly throughout the semester for practice.)

 

1. Essential Mathematics for Economic Analysis, Fifth Edition (2016) by Knut Sydsæter, Peter Hammond, Arne Strøm and Andrés Carvajal, Pearson Education Inc.

 

Others: 

1. Fundamental Methods of Mathematical Economics by Chiang, Alpha C.

2. Mathematics for Economic Analysis, by Sydsæter and Hammond's, 2002, Pearson Education.

3. Fundamental Methods of Mathematical Economics, by Chiang and Wainwright, 4th Edition,  McGraw Hill Education . 

Student grades have four components: final exam (50% weightage), first mid-term (20% weightage), second mid-term exam (20% weightage), and the total score in all problem sets combined (10% weightage).

The syllabus for the first and second mid-term exams will be announced in class and on AMS.

The instructor does not entertain marks obsession. Students should make use of office hours for any extra help or resources they require.

The Ashoka grading scheme:

A/A- letter grade = outstanding. Students know the mathematical techniques and have the ability to apply them in novel problems.

B+/B/B- letter grade = good. Students have expertise in most of the mathematical techniques taught in the course. They may lack creativity in problem solving but are well trained to do well in any mathematical or applied course.

C+/C/C- letter grade = adequate. Student knows enough. If s/he tries to revise the course content, s/he shall do well in any application of the course content.

D+/D/D- letter grade = barely satisfactory. Student knows little. S/he requires guidance and then s/he would be able to apply the courses’ concepts.

F letter grade = unsatisfactory. Student knows less than 40% of the course content. S/he has not achieved the minimum standards for this course.

If you miss 8 classes or less than that, you will be awarded an extra credit of 2%. If you miss either 9 or 10 classes, you will be given 1% extra credit. If you miss more than 10, you will not be given any advantage.

Attendance during mid-term exams and final exams is compulsory, no exam will be re-taken.

Mihir Bhattacharya [mihir.bhattacharya@ashoka.edu.in] ;

This course is compulsory for all Economics Majors, PPE as well as Economics Minor. This course introduces students to all the mathematical tools necessary for the study of economics at the undergraduate level. We start with preliminary topics like logic and reasoning. First few topics include set theory, linear equations and their solutions. We will learn to apply these concepts to some applications from economics. We will then cover univariate and multivariate calculus, and rules of differentiation. Some of the material will be proof-based and technical. Once basic calculus is covered, we will study optimization techniques and linear algebra. We will apply theorems from these topics to different optimization problems in Economics like the consumer's utility maximization problem.

By the end of the course students will be adept at calculating derivatives of functions, linear approximation, concavity and convexity, single variable and multivariable optimization, the Lagrange's method. We will cover optimization examples like utility maximization, profit maximization, cost minimization, etc. These topics will form the foundation for further analysis in Economics. 

Students are expected to learn proof techniques like the method of contradiction, direct proof, contrapositive, and mathematical induction. This will enable them to learn more advanced topics in Economics.

Prerequisites:  Basic algebra and logical reasoning. I will assume knowledge of class 12th Mathematics or Calculus Enabler course.

References: 

Main textbook:  

1. Essential Mathematics for Economic Analysis, Fifth Edition (2016) by Knut Sysæter, Peter Hammond, Arne Strøm and Andrés Carvajal, Pearson Education Inc.

Others: 

1. Fundamental Methods of Mathematical Economics by Chiang, Alpha C.

2. Mathematics for Economic Analysis, by Sydsæter and Hammond's, 2002, Pearson Education.

3. Fundamental Methods of Mathematical Economics, by Chiang and Wainwright, 4th Edition,  McGraw Hill Education . 

Grading weights: 20% for Assignments/Quizzes and tests, 40% for midterms and 40% for finals.  Bonus points for exceptional class participation. 

Relative grading but conditional on thresholds being cleared. For example, if a student has top rank but has scored below 85% of the total, that student may not qualify for the highest grade. This does not mean that anyone above 85% will get the highest grade. Similar thresholds will exist for other grades as well. A student will require 40 % or more to pass the course. 

Students who consistently respond in class and make useful comments get points throughout the semester and get bonus points in the end.

Use of laptops and mobile phones are not allowed. All handwriting-based ipads, tablets and notepads are allowed.

Yatish Arya [yatish.arya@ashoka.edu.in] ;

PFA document

Yatish Arya [yatish.arya@ashoka.edu.in] ;

PFA document

Swagata Bhattacharjee [swagata.bhattacharjee@ashoka.edu.in] ;

The course, the second one in the Microeconomics sequence, is an introduction to strategic reasoning. While Microeconomics I focused on single agent decision making, in this course we will explore strategic interactions when multiple economic actors make decisions and each one's action affects the others. Economists use the mathematical toolkit of Game Theory to study strategic interactions. The course will, therefore, equip you with the toolkit of game theory. We will cover complete information games and its applications in different contexts like firm competitions, auctions, public good provision, etc. Time permitted, we will also discuss the games of incomplete information and Bayesian learning.

The course will teach you one of the most widely used tool in modern microeconomics: game theory. You should be able to model real life situations using game theoretic reasoning and apply the logic.

    Textbook:

  ∙  Strategy: An Introduction to Game Theory by Joel Watson (ISBN: 9788130915999)
  ∙  A Course in Game Theory by Osborne and Rubinstein (ISBN: 9788120351868)
  ∙  The main reference will be the lecture slides outlining the material, which will be uploaded weekly on Moodle.

Assignments    15%
Class Participation    15%
Midterms    20%+20%
Final    30%
 

Attendance in lectures and active class participation is highly recommended. The in-class quizzes will not be announced beforehand and missed quizzes can not be taken at any other time. 

Swagata Bhattacharjee [swagata.bhattacharjee@ashoka.edu.in] ;

The course, the second one in the Microeconomics sequence, is an introduction to strategic reasoning. While Microeconomics I focused on single agent decision making, in this course we will explore strategic interactions when multiple economic actors make decisions and each one's action affects the others. Economists use the mathematical toolkit of Game Theory to study strategic interactions. The course will, therefore, equip you with the toolkit of game theory. We will cover complete information games and its applications in different contexts like firm competitions, auctions, public good provision, etc. Time permitted, we will also discuss the games of incomplete information and Bayesian learning.

The course will teach you one of the most widely used tool in modern microeconomics: game theory. You should be able to model real life situations using game theoretic reasoning and apply the logic.

    Textbook:

  ∙  Strategy: An Introduction to Game Theory by Joel Watson (ISBN: 9788130915999)
  ∙  A Course in Game Theory by Osborne and Rubinstein (ISBN: 9788120351868)
  ∙  The main reference will be the lecture slides outlining the material, which will be uploaded weekly on Moodle.

Assignments    15%
Class Participation    15%
Midterms    20%+20%
Final    30%
 

Attendance in lectures and active class participation is highly recommended. The in-class quizzes will not be announced beforehand and missed quizzes can not be taken at any other time. 

Abhinash Borah [abhinash.borah@ashoka.edu.in] ;

Please see attached syllabus

Please see attached syllabus

Please see attached syllabus

Please see attached syllabus