Two years ago Friends of Max Volunteer Subir Ranjan Sen wrote of good tidings
Madam Re: Good News
I am writing to you in great joy and happiness that my daughter Sangita has again done extremely well. She has topped the admission list for Integrated PhD course in Chemistry at IISc Bangalore as well at Indian Association for Cultivation of Science in collaboration with S N Bose Institute Calcutta both these Premier Institutions are considered best among the best research institutions in the country.
God has given me the opportunity to feel this great moment thank to you, Novartis, and Max Foundation’s extended family.
Indeed we “who are not about to die salute you”. We the gladiator’s shall triumph over CML in spirit as well as in body. With the flag of Max Foundation we shall go forward and hope to be able to covey many a good tidings in future.
A month or so ago I received yet another bit of good news when Subir wrote
To
Viji Amma
I am bringing a tidings of joy. Sangita was been awarded the prestigious “Shyma Prasad Mukherjee Fellowship Award” from CSIR. This is the very pinnacle of achievement. Students of Post Masters in Science and Technology of all Indian Universities and Institutes competed for this award. Only three students from chemical sciences got the fellowship. She will be felicitated tomorrow by the Director of her Institute.
I am extremely grateful to the Almighty for allowing me to participate in this joyous occasion.
I am unable to express my feelings within the perimeter of written language. You, Novartis and all the team are to me Gods Instruments that has allowed so many to participate in such joyous happenings.
Yours gratefully
Subir Ranjan Sen
Those of you know who know Sangita need no introduction to the charming, modest and intelligent daughter of Subir and Sushmita Sen.
Along with her younger brother Samiran , Sangita completes the happy family of the Sens in Kolkata and all four are regular and active members of the Kolkata chapter of the Friends of Max .
Academic kudos and achievements aside , Sangita is a loving daughter and caring sister ( well, Samiran is welcome to dispute this claim !!!) and an ever eager and tireless volunteer .
I asked her to explain to us what this very prestigious meant so that we could share it everyone . We are all as proud of her and her achievements as her parents are .
Sangita says,
The CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research) conducts an entrance test for PhD fellowship and College Lectureship called National Entrance Test (NET) twice every year. On the basis of this ranking research institutes admit candidates for a PhD. CSIR pays them a fellowship. Lower ranks get PhD from UGC (University Grants Commission). About one lakh persons appear for the exam every year in Chemistry of whom eight hundred in total are awarded the NET fellowship. The top twenty candidates from each exam in the same year are further called for an interview for a special award called the Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Fellowship (SPM Fellowship). This year a total of thirty eight candidates from the June and December exams of 2009 were called for an interview to Lucknow. After the first round of interviews eight were short listed for a second interview from whom then three were awarded the fellowship. I was lucky to be among the top three. This award means that I get a higher fellowship than the normal CSIR NET fellowship and a larger contingency grant for research equipment, travel to conferences, etc.
When I asked Sangita if we could share all this with the Friends of Max family via the website she ver sweetly had this to say :
“Amma , I have no problems at all. It makes me really glad to see everyone excited on my account. It is a great gift to see you have made people smile and happy”
Congratulations Sangita – we hope and pray you continue to win more and more laurels and make your parents and all of us even more proud of you !!!
Thank you for all your support. It would not have been possible without you all.