From mentor to family: A lifelong bond that transcends academia | Vijayawada News

Visakhapatnam: At a time when even children sometimes drift away from parental care, Prof Shalivahan honoured his former teacher and research guide, Prof BB Bhattacharya (85), by inviting him to live with his family in Visakhapatnam, where he has been residing for the past four years. Their bond began over three decades ago, when Shalivahan joined the Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, for his MTech in 1993 and went on to pursue PhD under Bhattacharya’s guidance, forging a relationship that would shape both their careers and lives forever.Prof Bimalendu Bhusan Bhattacharya is far from an ordinary academic. He led India’s Antarctic expedition in 1984 and later served as director of IIT (ISM) Dhanbad. Before joining ISM, he held various positions at the National Geophysical Research Institute in Hyderabad and the Geological Survey of India. After his retirement, he spent nearly a decade at the SN Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Kolkata. His distinguished career established him as one of India’s foremost geoscientists.Following his retirement and the loss of his wife in Kolkata, Bhattacharya faced solitude, an isolation that only deepened with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Recognising his mentor’s vulnerability, Shalivahan, now director of the Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy, Visakhapatnam, extended an invitation for Bhattacharya to join his household. “I owe him everything I’ve achieved in life, and he graciously agreed to live with our family,” said the IIPE director.At his new home, the former ISM director says he feels more cared for than ever. He particularly praises Shalivahan’s wife, Manisha, and their daughter for the warmth and attention they provide. Despite busy academic schedules, the family ensures that weekends remain a time for leisurely conversations and shared meals, reinforcing their family dynamic.Remarkably, both mentor and student have been honoured with the national geoscience award from the Union ministry of mines. While Prof Bhattacharya concluded his tenure as director of ISM Dhanbad, Prof Shalivahan progressed from deputy director at ISM to leading IIPE Visakhapatnam — a premier institution established under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act in Visakhapatnam. Their collaborative academic and research work, alongside their personal bond, have spanned various institutions and never faltered, even when their professional paths diverged.Strict yet encouraging, Prof Bhattacharya always motivated Shalivahan to excel. “Even in his busy schedule those days, he kept up all his appointments. Even during my field expeditions in Odisha as part of research, he and his wife (who was serving as a schoolteacher back then in Dhanbad) would travel just to meet me out of personal affection every Sunday. And that has never changed, even after three decades,” recalls the IIPE director.Conversely, the former ISM director admires Shalivahan’s focus and dedication, noting that “seeing him head one of the country’s premier institutions fills me with immense pride as his teacher.” Both mentor and student have published dozens of joint research articles, shaping the country’s research and development in the geophysics sphere.Manisha, wife of Shalivahan, said that doctors explained to them that Prof Bhattacharya’s health improved noticeably after he moved into their family home. “Seeing their bond over all these decades and their lively conversations about science and society as a whole has made our lives more enriching. I am truly enjoying this new journey. It’s a privilege to support someone who has given so much to science and to my husband’s life,” Manisha said.From preparing meals according to health requirements to organising medication schedule and helping him stay active and engaged, the family ensures Prof Bhattacharya receives the best care.