SHANKARA LAKSHMI NARAYANA
BS (Data Science)
For those who possess an enduring curiosity, education is never a destination but a lifelong journey. Maddala Venkata Shannkara Lakshmi Narayana embodies this spirit of continuous learning.Having completed his BTech in Electrical Engineering in 1984, MTech in Computer Science and Engineering in 1986, and a second MTech in Industrial Engineering in 1989 from IIT Delhi, his decades-long career in industry was a testament to his rigour. Having served as Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), he looked back and accepted that his degrees were now archaic and the world had moved forward.
While continuing his consulting work and teaching as a visiting professor in places like Zambia and Botswana, the pandemic would turn things around. He discovered the IIT Madras BS Degree in Data Science and Applications near the height of the pandemic and saw it an opportune prospect due to its modernity and relevance in the current market.
Trusting the academic standards of IIT, he enrolled in the programme.The transition was not easy, for refreshing his concepts in Mathematics, Statistics and Computers from knowledge decades old was arduous. But with strict discipline, he grasped them. However, his bigger challenges were more personal; at an age when family responsibilities naturally take precedence, raising a daughter and son in the midst and making sure their future prospects are brightest split his time.
There would be days when there were no periods of leisure, and in retrospect, he is thankful for it. And to add to the list, his memory was not as sharp as it was in the past. What he had learnt a week prior would be lost by half. Rather than dwelling on the limitation, he adapted -, creating long and short notes and with vigorous revision, he would keep himself up to date. While it wasn’t memory enhancement, it was working with his limitations. He even underwent surgery during the programme, during which he took term-breaks, owing to the flexibility of the course.
Completing the programme left an unexpected void, the overflowing well of time now without assignments and projects. The course and its quality of pedagogy introduced him to a new field and rekindled his love for learning after a 38 year long gap.
Recently, he was able to understand a majority of a report published by Google’s team of researchers, something that caught him off guard.
He has also taken part in NPTEL courses, namely “Consumer Behavior” and “Data Mining” by IIT Kharagpur, and “Science of Happiness and Wellbeing” By IIT Kanpur, topping in all three. He was impressed by the diversity of courses and the content offered. The knowledge helped him thoroughly in his consultancy work with startups in Bengaluru.
As he continues his consulting work and remains involved with startups, he often reflects on the advantages young learners possess. Physical stamina, strong memory, and the ability to devote long hours to study are gifts that should not be taken for granted. He believes students should use those advantages to work hard, understand concepts deeply, and explore different ways of learning.
He stands testament that learning is an unending process and with the right mindset and an appreciation for who we are, every difficulty and limitation can be worked around.
~written by Krishneal Dutta
