Dr. G. Sudha – NPTEL STAR
Dr. Sudha G, an Associate Professor in the Department of ECE, describes herself not by her title, but as a lifelong and continuous learner. With 23 years of teaching experience and a recent PhD in Wireless Sensor Networks, her approach is shaped by discipline, self-motivation, and a constant thirst for growth.
Born and raised in Thiruvarur, Dr. Sudha has always been a diligent student. She holds a BE in Electronics and Communications Engineering and an ME in Applied Electronics, graduating with a gold medal and distinction.
Unlike many, her NPTEL journey began not by choice but by challenge, when her institution introduced NPTEL courses for faculty. “Initially, I was very hesitant,” she recalls. “But since it was an instruction from the institute, I started with a course on Wireless Ad Hoc and Sensor Networks.”
In that very first course, she ranked in the top 2% with a high score – and there was no looking back after that. Since then, Dr. Sudha has completed 56 NPTEL courses, achieving topper status in 22 of them. She has also received domain certifications in five areas: Data Science, Faculty Development (Advanced), Patents and Intellectual Property Rights, VLSI Design, and Communication & Signal Processing.
A learner receives a domain certification only after successfully completing all the core and elective courses grouped within a specific field.
She currently has two more certifications in progress – one in Psychology and another in Systems. “Psychology was new to me, but it helped me understand myself better, and my students too,” she shares.
Having earned nearly every STAR recognition, she is now pursuing the coveted Mega Star and Champion titles. To be a Mega Star, one to top at least six of those eight exams, while the Champion title requires one must pass at least eight exams.
Her learning strategy is very methodical. For each course, she maintains long-format handwritten notes. “Even now, I write down everything. I treat every subject like I’m a student again,” she smiles.
She says this approach is inspired by her deeply motivating instructors, such as Prof. Balaraman Ravindran and Prof. Aditya Jagannathan. “Their enthusiasm, clarity, and depth of explanation are just incredible. I’ve taken almost every course offered by Prof. Aditya Jagannathan,” she shares.
Dr. Sudha values how the NPTEL platform encourages her to think critically. She now applies this same approach to her own teaching, encouraging her students to develop a deeper understanding of concepts.
Despite juggling a full-time teaching schedule and managing a joint family household and administrative work, she dedicates 1.5-2 hours daily to NPTEL courses. Sometimes late at night, or sometimes early in the morning. “My family jokes about me pushing myself too hard, but they know how much I love learning.”
Beyond her personal growth, Dr. Sudha ensures that her students and other faculty also benefit from NPTEL. She is a strong believer in collaborative learning and often enrolls in courses with her colleagues. “When we handle a course in college that matches an NPTEL offering, we all take it up together,” she shares. “We motivate each other and remind each other of deadlines; it has become a shared mission.”
“I also share my notes with fellow faculty on one condition that they return them carefully”, she laughs.
Looking ahead, her goals are clear. She wants to continue exploring advanced and interdisciplinary subjects through NPTEL, such as nanotechnology, and a postdoctoral research stint is also on her radar.
“NPTEL changed how I teach and how I think,” she says. “It reshaped my confidence in taking on new subjects, even those I wasn’t familiar with before. Thanks for everything.”
– written by Asha Thangaraj