Polash Mukerjee from the HS09 batch is currently the Programme Lead (Air Pollution and Climate Resilience) at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) India Programme. Sadhana Nadathur Jayakumar and Devika Dinesh talk to him about his experiences within the department and life after insti.
Can you brief us on what you’ve done after graduating?
I was in insti from 2009–14. I sat for both department placements—which, back then, was not much to speak of—and institute placements, through which I got placed in an organization called Educational Initiatives. They work in education policy and monitoring and evaluation. I worked on designing and implementing large-scale assessments for public schools. One of our projects was to assess the quality of primary school education in government-run schools in Bihar and recommend improvements. So, that was my first job and I was there for about a year.
I have been interested in transport policy since college. I was looking for opportunities in that field when I came across an opening at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). CSE is one of the most established non-profits in the environmental space in the country, and I was there for about four years, until a year ago. I was with their air pollution unit, working out of Delhi, which is the right place for studying air pollution. Finally, for the last year or so I have been working with a US-based non-profit called the Natural Resources Defense Council. I head their Air Pollution and Climate Resilience vertical, working out of Delhi.
What does working in policy involve?
Essentially, what I do is gather information, figure out what works and what does not, and drive strategy based on that. For instance, traffic is something every urban resident complains about. I break it down—what are the factors that influence traffic? How does traffic influence daily life? What can be done to prevent congestion in the long and short runs? Policy-making lies in answering these questions. In this case, one of the answers would be public transport, which reduces the number of cars on the road, reduces total fuel consumption, and clears up parking spaces. As I said, working in policy involves figuring out what works and what does not, and then helping the government shape policy around that.
What was your process of figuring out where you wanted to be?
One thing I knew was that I wanted to work in policy. Even during placements, I did not apply for Operations, Marketing, R&D or Sales positions. Although I started in the field of education, I soon realized that it wasn’t where I wanted to be. As I mentioned, I had a keen interest in transport policy during my department years. I was always quite interested in vehicles, and insti—being a top-tier school of technology—gave me the opportunity to explore that. Our course allows for a lot of cross-departmental interdisciplinary work. I went looking for such opportunities and ended up doing courses in the Civil Engineering Department. These I did purely out of interest; I wasn’t even sure if I’d be able to complete them. Conversations with some seniors and professors also gave me clarity on what I was interested in. Through transport policy, I reached air pollution. I was looking for opportunities in this field early on and it happened to work out.
What were your favourite courses in the department?
Urbanization and Development by Solly, and Decentralization and Governance by Kalpana Ma’am. Also, Perspectives in Social Sciences, not so much for the content but for the way it was taught. For this course, we had to do a situational study, where you put yourself in a situation and think about who the different stakeholders are, what the power equations are and so on. My friends and I picked a local Tasmac for our study. For a week, we sat around the Tasmac for a couple of hours. We tried to see the place through the eyes of embedded stakeholders rather than blindly applying theory to it.
Also, my minors in Social Entrepreneurship. And of course, the courses in civil engineering, especially one by Ashwin Mahalingam which taught me a new approach to transport planning. Then, Tabraz’s Constitution. He went beyond what our Constitution says to talk about the thought process behind its principles. I also enjoyed courses such as Development Planning and Project Appraisal by Chella, who was also my MA Thesis guide.
What gives you an edge as an IIT MA graduate?
The IIT tag is definitely one thing. It opens doors and gives you access to many networks. Again, this depends on how active you are in insti. Because even when formal networks exist, informal networks work best. In these five years, you are surrounded by some very bright people.
Coming to our course, the breadth of the course is key. You are exposed to several disciplines—sociology, languages, psychology, urban studies, gender and so on—and a variety of theoretical and structural frameworks. As I consider myself a generalist, this is something I really appreciate. Of course, the fallout is that you have to gain the depth on your own. But the breadth provides a great platform. My classmates and seniors are doing such vastly different things right now, with some working in public health, some in education, in poverty alleviation and so on. The department equips you with the tools to specialize in a broad range of subjects. It doesn’t make you an expert right away but instead gives you the space to work and grow.
Our course is academic rather than experiential. What can students do to make up?
You will have to do things yourself. Personally, I’m not academically oriented, so my favourite part was seeing how the course fit in with real life. In my opinion, we do a Masters program whose structure is that of an experiential undergrad program. Even when we had the economics stream, an MA Economics graduate from our department was not considered to be at par with one from somewhere like Delhi University. You could top up your MA with another degree in a specific field for that sort of in-depth knowledge. Our course teaches us the sociological, anthropological and developmental policy aspects of economics.
Looking back, what is something you would have done differently in your insti life?
Let me think. So, I had one W and one U. I know I could have avoided that W if I had gone to class. But in the long run, and I want to put this out here, it really didn’t matter.
Other than that, nothing really. I think I lived insti pretty much to the fullest. I would have liked to have picked up Tamil, or even Malayalam. That, perhaps, is my only regret.
What would you say was your most memorable incident at the department?
Hmm, I would say when I met my future wife. I was in my fourth year when I saw her in the corridor. That year I forayed into dramatics and ended up being the lights in-charge for a play. And well, she happened to be acting in that play.
Other than that, there were several memorable incidents, not all of them quite within the rules. Back when I was the DCF in-charge I got the keys to the rooftop. That led to, well, incidents.
What were your favourite hangout places/ food joints when you were in insti?
Bessy for sure. We used to go to Mash (a resto cafe at Bessie) quite a bit. Then, I’m not sure if it’s still around but Hotel Runs in Adyar. We used to go there regularly, like once a week. We would go to Pondy once a month. Among the cheap places (and that is something I miss a lot, by the way), there was a small, hole-in-the-wall dosa kadai behind Gopal Tea Stall. We used to call it Homie Hotel. They served the best, crispiest dosas I have ever had. The amazing bit was their consistency, night after night, every day of the year. And then of course, Mummy Daddy Andhra mess and their all-you-can-eat meals for 50 rupees.
And, just Chennai. I didn’t like the city much in my first year, but it really grew on me. It is a really nice metro to live in. Life is rather slow-paced.
How has life been after insti?
It’s been pretty good for me, so far. It is definitely a challenge to figure out what you want to do and how you want to go about it. Me and you, we live in a highly competitive age. There are tens of thousands exactly like you with similar ambitions. So, it’s important to figure out what you want to do, rather than what will make you successful.
Do you have any advice for juniors?
Make the most of your time at insti; do all that you can. Insti provides so many options. I was on the swimming team and the water polo team. I was also involved in hostel affairs. Also, don’t take things too seriously. I remember being really distraught at that W. I thought it was the end of the world. But it really isn’t.
Any final thoughts?
Make friends with the hostel security guards. That will be very useful. And it’s just nice to know them. Especially for people like me who don’t speak Tamil.
Other than that, I hope they fix the DCF AC at some point.
Edited by Swathi C S
Article 19 