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Journalism of Courage
— Harsh Vardhan Singh Bhadauriya
I first appeared for JEE Advanced right after Class 12 and managed a decent rank, but I wanted to improve. I decided to take a drop year and give it one more serious attempt. That decision changed my life — the following year, I secured admission into IIT Mandi.
Preparing for JEE Main and JEE Advanced was not easy. During my drop year, I joined a coaching in Kota and studied nearly six to eight hours a day. I never enjoyed inorganic chemistry, but my biggest challenge wasn’t the syllabus – it was maintaining consistency under pressure. There were moments of burnout and self-doubt, but my parents and teachers encouraged me to push through.
But now, when I look back, I feel it was all worth it. I am doing Bioengineering with a minor in Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Mandi. My hometown is Bhind, Madhya Pradesh. I completed my schooling at a CBSE school. My father is a businessman, and my mother a homemaker — both have been my strongest support system. What I miss most about Bhind is the sense of belonging that only home can bring.
When choosing a branch, I initially leaned toward Aerospace Engineering and Robotics. However, with my background in biology, I found Bioengineering fascinating because it connects biology, computation, and robotics – fields that can truly impact society. In JoSAA counselling, I also considered Aerospace and Electrical Engineering, but the thought of studying in a serene, hilly campus drew me to IIT Mandi.
I joined IIT Mandi in October 2022, just after the Covid-19 pandemic. It was my second time living away from home, after Kota. Those first few weeks were filled with excitement and homesickness – the mountains, the cold weather, the people, even the food felt new. But since rooms are shared and people are friendly, adjusting didn’t take long. The scenic Himalayan backdrop made everything easier. My friends and I bonded over late-night tea and badminton matches, and soon IIT Mandi began to feel like home.
I became deeply involved in the Robotics Club and later served as its overall coordinator. One of my most memorable experiences was representing IIT Mandi at the University Rover Challenge (URC) 2024 in Utah, USA, where we built an autonomous land rover. Working on this project taught me teamwork, leadership, and perseverance. Balancing academics with club activities required discipline, but IIT Mandi’s flexible system made it possible. Over time, I realised that IIT life isn’t just about exams – it’s about growth, collaboration, and learning how to learn.
The professors here are approachable and always supportive. As part of the rover team, I had the privilege to work under Dr Jagadeesh and Dr Narendra Dhar. Dr Jagadeesh mentored us in the rover’s mechanical design, while Dr Dhar guided us in developing the navigation stack. Their mentorship helped us build and test our systems in labs equipped with advanced robots like the Kinowa arm and Husky A300. Those long hours in the lab shaped much of what I’ve learned about research and innovation.
Life at IIT Mandi is vibrant and engaging. My typical day starts with classes and lab work, followed by evenings in the robotics lab or club meetings. I play badminton regularly and enjoy video gaming in my free time. My friends and I often hang out at campus cafés or take long walks around the hills discussing science, careers, and even politics.
Financially, most of my expenses are covered by my family, but managing money is relatively easy here since living costs are low and the campus provides everything one needs. I’ve also received stipends through teaching assistantships and internships.
One of the highlights of my journey was working as an AI/ML intern at Tracker Suite Pvt Ltd, where I developed an AI-powered Business Insight Generator with a FastAPI backend and MySQL integration. This internship helped me understand how academic knowledge can be transformed into real-world solutions.
Being at IIT Mandi has opened countless doors. I’ve conducted research on mobile robot navigation, participated in Tech Meet 13.0 (Ideaforge High-Prep) where our team secured the 12th position among all IITs, and worked on my final-year project at the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR), developing autonomous Husky navigation using Deep Reinforcement Learning.
As the coordinator of Prayas 3.0 – a month-long Robotics, AI, and IoT residential programme at IIT Mandi – I led a 40-member team managing 112 participants nationwide. We even received a Rs 3 lakh grant from IIT Mandi Catalyst for a firefighting drone project. These experiences taught me leadership, collaboration, and the importance of perseverance.
IIT Mandi has transformed me into a more confident, disciplined, and independent person. If there’s one thing I’ve learned here, it’s that discipline and consistency can help you achieve anything.
After completing my BTech, I hope to continue working in space technology and intelligent robotics – whether through industry or academic research. My goal is to contribute meaningfully to robotic systems for space exploration and make a lasting impact.
The climb has been steep, but as I’ve learned over the years, the view from the top is always worth it.
