K S Balaji - The coolest Physics Prof ever...
It was June 1996. I was a class 11 student contemplating whether to prepare for the IIT JEE. An earlier attempt to meet a renowned professor, the venerable Balasubramaniam aka Balsu or Balu resulted in heartbreak.A friend of mine suggested that I meet KS Balaji at his Gandhinagar, Adyar residence in Madras. I went to his residence reluctantly mindful of the disgrace I had suffered under Balsu. KSB invited me to his room upstairs and treated me with dignity not generally conferred to students. That started my 2 year association with KSB. I was a shy type, never asked questions, but my mind was a sponge savoring all that was on offer in KSB's classes. Our schooling system with its penchant for discipline had turned me into a insecure wreck. I can still remember a problem that KSB solved in class, that I didn't quite understand, but I never had the courage to ask for his help in solving the problem. The problem is still fresh in my mind and I know KSB's solution was brilliant. Despite my inhibitions, I turned to be the best student of his class. In 1998 when I give the IIT entrance exam, all I knew was little bit of Physics. That was enough to get me a rank in the exam but wasn't good enough to get me an admission to any of the best engineering departments in the IIT's. The following years saw me studying in 3 academic institutions of repute. KSB had set a benchmark for teaching and no one else has been able to come close. KSB's classes had instilled a sense of scientific temper in me. It had instilled in me an ability and an eagerness to look for the first principles in all aspects of life. A learning that has been a pillar of hope at times of personal failing. 13 years after I last met the man, I still owe the man for whatever I am today, a tribute to one of the coolest professors in India.