Karthik C Airani
As a Senior Research Engineer and a part-time PhD scholar at NIT Calicut, Karthik C Airani already had a demanding professional and academic routine. NPTEL added four more subjects to it – and, unexpectedly, brought back the student in him.
Karthik’s foray into NPTEL was initially driven by a requirement for his PhD coursework, where he needed to accumulate a certain number of credits. What began as an obligation soon transformed into a profound learning experience.
“After entering the NPTEL courses, I understood it is not just some random tutorial, “
Karthik shares. He was particularly impressed by the depth of the subjects and the clarity with which professors explained fundamental concepts and mathematical equations. The rigour of the courses gave him greater confidence in understanding and relating research papers to his own work.
His dedication to learning is evident in his study routine. To manage the workload, Karthik took two months away from his professional commitments and devoted 8-10 hours a day to four subjects: Quantum Computing, Python, Machine Learning, and Computational Mathematics. A key aspect of his learning strategy was to complete all assignments independently.
“We were good students when we were only students,” she observes.
he recounts, emphasising how solving problems on his own significantly bolstered his understanding.
Among the various courses, two hold a special place for Karthik: “Quantum Computing: Algorithms and Limitations Through the Query Model” by Prof. Rajat Mittal, from IIT Kanpur, and “Machine Learning for Engineering and science applications” by Prof. Balaji Srinivasan and Prof. Ganapathy Krishnamurthi from IIT Madras. He praises Professor Mittal’s intuitive teaching style in Quantum Computing, which made complex mathematical insights accessible. Studying four demanding subjects simultaneously also had physical consequences. Karthik describes experiencing “cyber sickness” after prolonged periods of watching lectures, sometimes even feeling nauseous when he increased the playback speed. To combat this, he adopted a holistic approach, incorporating yoga, meditation, long walks, and adequate hydration. These practices helped him maintain focus and overcome the physical strain.
Beyond academic and professional gains, NPTEL brought about a significant personal transformation. Karthik describes it as bringing “the student in me” back to life. After years in the professional world, NPTEL rekindled his passion for structured learning and active listening. He humorously notes that the discipline of listening to two-hour lectures without interruption has even improved his ability to listen patiently to family members at home, enhancing his personal life.
For Karthik, the certificates and recognitions are merely the “cherry on top of the ice cream.” The real reward has been the confidence, knowledge and renewed enthusiasm for structured learning. He has become an inspiration to his friends, colleagues, and family, demonstrating that continuous learning is a rewarding endeavor.
~written by Elsa Prasad