Hi Folks!
I’m Basil Faruqui, a third-year undergrad from the Chemical Engineering Department and currently serving as the Events Manager at Techfest. When I’m not busy giving GWs (gyan sessions) in SAC, you might find me swinging a racquet at the Lawn Tennis Court or playing football in H2 Grounds. From the very beginning of my time here, I’ve been passionate about exploring everything the institute has to offer—be it cultural activities, tech teams, academics, IBs, etc.
About My SURP (Summer Undergraduate Research Project) :
At the end of my first year, I made the rookie mistake of looking at the resumes of seniors (not recommended!). This left me overwhelmed and anxious about what lay ahead. I didn’t have any “glamorous” PoRs, major projects, or outstanding skills that would make me stand out. Just when I was feeling lost, the SURP application mail landed in my inbox, offering me a ray of hope.
The Summer Undergraduate Research Program presented an opportunity to work on a project of my choice, spanning multiple departments, subject to a relevant assignment and a formal interview. However, as a sophomore, the opportunities were limited—some projects had CPI cutoffs, and sophies were often competing with senior batches.
Given my interests and career aspirations, I applied for two projects: a Management-strategy-focused project in SJMSOM and a mathematical book-authoring project under Prof. Rekha Santhanam.
Selection Procedure :
To prepare, I reached out to previous participants of the book-authoring project to understand what kind of work was expected and what the selection process entailed. They were incredibly helpful, sharing insights about their experiences and the challenges they faced. Their guidance gave me a clearer picture of the project’s scope and helped me align my expectations.
For the assignment, I had to draft a detailed outline of how I would approach creating a story-themed book that integrates STEM concepts. This exercise not only tested my creativity but also gave me a sneak peek into the kind of work I’d be doing if selected.
The interview was equally thorough. Prof. Rekha asked questions about my motivation for joining the project, my time commitments over the summer, and whether I had any prior experience explaining STEM topics in an engaging way, particularly through stories. I shared examples of how I’d simplified complex ideas for my peers during study sessions and highlighted my interest in creative writing.
Eventually, I was selected for the book-authoring project, where we were tasked with writing a story-themed mathematics book aimed at high school students. The goal was to integrate practical learning into the book to introduce advanced mathematical concepts while emphasizing first-principle thinking.
Get-Set-Go!
Eventually, six of us were selected for the project. Each participant had to pick a different topic for their book to avoid overlapping. Initially, I chose Probability as my topic, but I later had to change it to the Binomial Theorem as another team member had also chosen Probability. While I was initially hesitant about the change, the shift turned out to be for the better—it aligned more closely with my strengths and gave me the opportunity to approach the topic in a way that would make it engaging and accessible for high school students.
Initially, I struggled to finalize the storyline for my book. But thanks to regular guidance sessions with Prof. Rekha and her structured feedback, I found my footing. The first month was dedicated to creating a content outline and planning the chapter flow. Once that was sorted, the actual writing process became smoother, partly because of my prior interest in literature.
We were also provided with books authored by previous project participants for reference, which proved invaluable. As part of the project, we visited schools and interacted with high school students. These interactions gave us deeper insights into our target audience’s understanding and learning patterns.
My friends often found the nature of this project fascinating—it wasn’t the routine lab-based or theoretical research one expects in a math department. This uniqueness is precisely what drew me to it in the first place.
After nearly a year, when the content was complete, the real challenge began. I spent a lot of time paraphrasing and refining the text to make it engaging and relatable. With Prof. Rekha’s final proofreading and suggestions from my associates, I moved on to the technical aspect of converting my work into LaTeX. This was a laborious yet rewarding process, as it gave me a newfound respect for researchers and publishers who navigate the complexities of publishing technical content
To add the finishing touch, I designed an eye-catching cover page for the book (yes, you can judge this book by its cover!) and the title ‘Binomial Wisdom’. If you’re interested, you can check out the work here: https://www.amazon.in/Binomial-Wisdom-Friends-Dilemma-Expedition-ebook/dp/B0D9F6L5QB?dplnkId=138390f8-596f-4707-b89a-0cf7edd5279c
While I initially planned to publish a hard copy, I learned that the process is both time-consuming and expensive—requiring coordination with a publishing house and acquiring an ISBN for copyright. Prof. Rekha kindly offered to manage this, but the timeline was extended to 2026. Impatient to showcase my work (and add “published author” to my resume), I opted to publish it on Kindle. This platform was free, and convenient, and allowed me to reach a broader audience digitally.
Although monetizing the book wasn’t my motivation, and Prof. Rekha intends to share it as a not-for-profit learning activity for school students, publishing it was a fulfilling experience.
Takeaways :
This project has undoubtedly been one of the highlights of my second year, combining creativity, learning, and technical challenges in a truly rewarding way. It wasn’t just a task to complete—it was an opportunity to think critically, communicate ideas effectively, and adapt to entirely new experiences.
I strongly believe that Positions of Responsibility or projects that take you beyond your comfort zone are crucial for personal growth. They help you develop new skill sets while challenging your mindset and broadening your perspectives. For me, diving into this book project was an entirely new experience—merging mathematics with storytelling was something I’d never imagined myself doing. Yet, it was precisely this novelty that made the journey so enriching.
Experiences like these teach you to embrace uncertainty, navigate newer directions, and grow more confident with every step forward. (Okay, I know this is starting to sound like a GW session, so I’ll leave it at that!)
