Prof. Phatak is a celebrity inside and outside the campus. He happens to be one of the most influential people around. He also comes across as a very good human being and is very candid by IIT’s standards. He gives this inspirational address every year and next day it is published as a news item in newspapers. He does raise some very good points. I was surprised to see him open the speech by blaming government’s socialistic policies for the poverty.
