Message from the Head of the Department, Naveen Garg
I am happy to present our 2025 Newsletter to all of you. It has been an eventful year since our last newsletter went out. With Prof S. Arun-Kumar, Prof Prem Kalra as well as senior staff members like Somdattji and Anilji retiring, it has been a year of generational handover. Speaking of which, we are happy to welcome Adarsh and Piyush, the latest additions to the department’s faculty. This year has seen a lot of outreach activity with a number of summer and winter schools on various topics. Our students and our faculty have distinguished themselves on various fronts yet again. I invite you to join me in congratulating them, and I invite your suggestions and comments on how we can all work together to help CSE @ IITD realise its full potential in the coming year.
Warm regards, and wishing you all the best.
Naveen Garg
New Faculty Members
Prof. Adarsh Barik
Prof. Adarsh Barik has joined as Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Delhi. Prior to that, He was a Research Fellow in the Institute of Data Science at the National University of Singapore (NUS), where he was hosted by Prof. Vincent Y. F. Tan. He obtained his Ph.D. from Department of Computer Science at Purdue University with Prof. Jean Honorio as his advisor and completed his B.Tech and M.Tech (Dual Degree) from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.
Research Interests: Theoretical and computational aspects of Optimization, Machine Learning, High-Dimensional Statistics, and Information Theory.
He is interested in solving optimization problems in both online and offline settings. His main focus revolves around developing provably correct learning algorithms with theoretical guarantees related to convergence, sample complexity and computational complexity for machine learning problems.
Prof. Piyush Kumar Sharma
Prof. Piyush Kumar Sharma has joined as Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Delhi. Prior to this he was a senior research fellow at the University of Michigan with Prof. Roya Ensafi and a Postdoctoral researcher at COSIC, KU Leuven, in Belgium, with Prof. Claudia Diaz. He completed his PhD from IIIT Delhi, India with the thesis titled ‘Building Performant, Privacy-enhancing and Blocking-resistant Communication Systems’. His research broadly encompasses security, systems, and networks. Specifically, develop frameworks, perform large-scale measurements, and build systems for deploying and facilitating the use of privacy-enhancing technologies.
Meet Piyush Kumar Sharma
Department Events
Bay Area Alumni Outreach: Summer 2024
A team of professors from CSE@IIT Delhi including Professor and alumnus Huzur Saran, Prof Subodh Sharma, Prof Sayan Ranu, Prof Chetan Arora and Prof Vireshwar Kumar were in the Bay Area and met a group of 90 alumni for lunch on July 20th. They also felicitated three CSE alums who have been ardent supporters of the department’s research efforts over the last few years: Mohit Aron (BTech 1995), Pankaj Gupta (BTech 1995) and Gagan Hasteer (BTech 1994). Thank you to IIT Delhi Excellence Foundation for helping organise the event, to Dean Agarwal of UCSC for providing the space and to Glean and Arvind Jain for their support in bringing in attendees. Thank you also to the IIT Delhi Endowment.
Meet your Professors: CSE @ IIT Delhi Outreach with Bay Area Alumni, Summer 2024.
DevClub Sessions
Women in Tech initiative (18th Jan):
Our observations at DevClub revealed a significant gender disparity, with women comprising less than 10% of our typical audience. We recognized that this underrepresentation often stems from limited tech communities within women’s hostels and a scarcity of peer groups sharing similar interests.
To address this gap, we launched a dedicated initiative creating an inclusive space where women could learn, collaborate, and draw inspiration from accomplished female tech leaders. The response was remarkable – our first session on cloud technologies and development drew a large audience of women participants who remained actively engaged throughout the three-hour workshop.
Workshop on RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation)
We organized an introductory workshop on RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) for students interested in AI and LLMOps. What we did not expect was a house full of audience. So much so that we had to close the gates. The 2 hours session went through an introduction of LLMs and concepts giving students an understanding of RAGs. This included theory as well as hands-on code walkthrough on colab. Building on this momentum, we’re planning advanced sessions culminating in a hackathon where students will tackle real-world projects.
Farewell to Prof. Arun Kumar
The Department of Computer Science and Engineering bid a heartfelt farewell to Prof. S. Arun-Kumar, who retired at the end of May 2024. A warm farewell party was organized on 22nd May 2024 to celebrate his remarkable journey and invaluable contributions to the department.
Prof. Arun-Kumar completed his B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Kanpur and earned his PhD from TIFR, Bombay. He joined the CSE Department at IIT Delhi on 17th July 1989, and over the past three and a half decades, he has made significant contributions to teaching, research, and academic leadership.
The farewell gathering was filled with fond memories and heartfelt tributes, reflecting the deep respect and admiration of colleagues and students alike. Here are some glimpses from the celebration honoring his distinguished career and lasting legacy in the department.
Farewell of Prof. Prem Kumar Kalra
The Department of Computer Science and Engineering bid a warm farewell to Prof. Prem Kumar Kalra, who retired at the end of July 2024. A heartfelt farewell party was organized on 5th July 2024 to celebrate his outstanding contributions and long association with the department.
Prof. Kalra completed his B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from Dayalbagh Engineering College, Agra, and earned his PhD from EPFL, Switzerland. He joined the CSE Department at IIT Delhi as an Assistant Professor in 1997, and over the years played a key role in advancing research and academics in the department.
The farewell gathering was filled with warm memories and heartfelt tributes from colleagues and students, reflecting the deep appreciation for his decades of dedication and impactful work. The department fondly celebrates his achievements and wishes him the very best for the next chapter of his journey.
Farewell of Shri Somdut Sharma
The Department gave Mr. Somdut Sharma a farewell party for his retirement on 31st August, 2024.
Farewell of Shri Anil Sharma
The Department gave Mr. Anil Sharma a farewell party for his retirement on 30th November, 2023.
Winter school December, 2024
Formal Verification and Program Synthesis Winter School
In December 2024, the Formal Methods Group of CSE, IIT Delhi, organized a Winter School on Formal Verification and Program Synthesis. The school was open for registration to senior undergraduate students, postgraduate students, Ph.D. scholars, and industry professionals. The primary aim of the workshop was to introduce the world of Formal Methods to early-career (and potential) researchers. After an initial shortlisting process, we hosted approximately 45 participants from across India. We were able to arrange accommodation, meals, and other necessary facilities for them without charging any registration fee—thanks to the Mohit Aron Endowment.
The three-day school combined academic rigor and practical insights through:
An inspiring industry session by Ravindra Metta (TCS Research),
A captivating session on the foundations of logic by Silvia Ghilezan (University of Novi Sad), and
Engaging talks by our in-house experts: Subodh Sharma, Kumar Madhukar, and Priyanka Golia.
Theory Residency Program
In December 2024, the CSE Department announced and successfully launched the Theory Residency Program, aimed at nurturing a deeper interest in theoretical computer science among students.
Ten faculty members participated in the program, each mentoring three students. Every student was paired with a faculty mentor who planned a series of interactions, including lectures on fundamental topics in theoretical computer science and brainstorming sessions on open research problems.
Winter School 2024 on Data Systems
The program provided an intensive and collaborative environment, helping students strengthen their understanding of core theoretical concepts while exploring exciting research directions. This initiative has laid the groundwork for cultivating the next generation of researchers in theoretical computer science.
The Winter School 2024 on Data Systems, organized by the Data Systems Group of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Delhi, was held from December 2–6, 2024. Supported by the Mohit Aron Endowment, the school offered an excellent platform for final-year undergraduate students, master’s and PhD students, and industry professionals to enhance their understanding of scalable systems for Big Data, Data Science, and AI.
Participants benefited from engaging lectures and hands-on lab sessions on a variety of data systems topics. The sessions were expertly led by Prof. Kaustubh Beedkar and Prof. Abhilash Jindal, providing attendees with both theoretical insights and practical experience. The winter school successfully created a vibrant learning environment, encouraging deeper exploration of advanced data systems and fostering collaboration among students, researchers, and industry professionals.
Summer School and Workshop on “Computational Challenges in Data Privacy” July 2025
The Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE), IIT Delhi, successfully hosted a four-day Summer School and Workshop on “Computational Challenges in Data Privacy” from 5th to 8th July 2025, supported by the Mohit Aron Endowment.
The program focused on the growing need to protect sensitive personal information while enabling meaningful data analysis, a challenge that is both technical and societal in today’s data-driven world. Its aim was to educate participants on current privacy-preserving techniques and to highlight major open research challenges in the field.
During the first two days, the summer school introduced foundational concepts in Cryptography, Differential Privacy, and Security. The subsequent two-day workshop featured research talks addressing real-world data privacy challenges, including societal and ethical issues, and explored how cryptographic and differential privacy techniques can help address these concerns.
Additionally, the program announced summer internships for workshop participants to work with CSE faculty members during winter 2025 or summer 2026. These internships will be supported with a stipend to cover living and lodging expenses in the IIT hostel. The event brought together students, researchers, and professionals, fostering an active exchange of ideas and strengthening the community working on data privacy and security.
Achievements
Student Awards
Nishant Kumar Memorial Award
The department has established the Nishant Kumar Memorial Award for the Best PhD Thesis in Computer Science and Engineering in the name of alumnus Nishant Kumar (BTech CSE 2016) who was a motivated and creative researcher. The award was endowed by Nishant’s friends and well-wishers at Microsoft Research India.
The award was given for two years together to the following students:
Arindham Bhattacharya, a PhD graduate from the Computer Science and Engineering Department, IIT Delhi, has been awarded the Nishant Kumar Memorial Award for the Best PhD Thesis for the session 2023–24.
His thesis, titled “Scalable Methods for Learning Practical Data-Aware Bloom Filters”, was completed under the guidance of Prof. Amitabha Bagchi and Prof. Srikanta Bedathur.
Abhishek Rose, a PhD graduate from the Computer Science and Engineering Department, IIT Delhi, has been awarded the Nishant Kumar Memorial Award for the Best PhD Thesis for the session 2024–25.
His thesis, titled “Modeling Dynamic Allocations and Deallocations of Local Memory for Translation Validation”, was carried out under the guidance of Prof. Sorav Bansal.
Many Congratulations to the awardees!
Ankit Mondal wins the President’s Gold Medal in the 2025 convocation
The Department of Computer Science and Engineering is proud to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our students at the Convocation 2025 of IIT Delhi. Ankit Mondal (ISC 2021), who was very recently awarded with the President’s Gold Medal at the 56th Convocation of IIT Delhi for securing the highest CGPA in Computer Science and Engineering.
Faculty Awards
Prof. Priyanka Golia wins the ACM India 2024 Doctoral Dissertation Award
We are delighted to share that Prof. Priyanka Golia has received the ACM India 2024 Doctoral Dissertation Award for her outstanding dissertation “Functional Synthesis via Formal Methods and Machine Learning.”
Her doctoral work, carried out at IIT Kanpur under the supervision of Prof. Subhajit Roy (IIT Kanpur) and Prof. Kuldeep Meel (University of Toronto), combines ideas from constraint sampling, machine learning, and formal methods. Based on this, she developed Manthan, an open-source state-of-the-art solver for Boolean functional synthesis.
Manthan employs a data-driven four-stage approach:
- Data generation
2. Learning a machine-learning model
3. Translating the model to Boolean functions
4. Formal verification and repair
Priyanka introduced several key algorithmic and engineering innovations—such as a pre-pass to identify uniquely determined Skolem functions, a multi-class decision tree learner, and lexicographical MaxSAT—to further enhance the tool. She later extended Manthan to learn Boolean functions with explicit dependencies, tackling the well-known challenge of Henkin functions for DQBF instances, and explored real-world applications of these ideas.
The ACM India Doctoral Dissertation Award, established in 2011 and sponsored by Tata Consultancy Services, recognizes the best doctoral dissertation in Computer Science and related disciplines from an Indian institution each academic year. The award carries a prize of ₹2,00,000.
Please join us in congratulating Prof. Priyanka Golia for this remarkable achievement.
▶ Watch her conversation with Prof. Rohit Vaish about her PhD journey and advice for aspiring researchers.
Prof. Sayan wins honorable mention for the ACM Early Career Researcher award!
The ACM India Council is delighted to announce Dr. Sayan Ranu of IIT Delhi as one of the recipients of the ACM India ECR Award for 2024.
The ACM India Early Career Researcher (ECR) Award recognizes individuals in early stages of their careers, who have made fundamental, innovative, and impactful contributions to the computing field while primarily working in India. The ECR award carries a prize of ₹15 lakhs. Financial support for this award is provided by Persistent Foundation.
Dr. Sayan Ranu is being recognized for “pioneering contributions to graph machine learning, advancing large-scale combinatorial optimization on network data with transformative applications in pollution monitoring, equitable gig economy solutions, and scientific discovery.” Ranu’s research exemplifies how rigorous theory can translate to transformative real-world impact, bridging computer science with critical global and India-specific challenges. His work has consistently been published at leading venues in the domain and has also secured prestigious collaborations and funding across diverse sectors, including Google, Mastercard, Flipkart, Qualcomm, Swiggy, and Dominos. The transformative potential of his research makes him widely recognized as a leader in the field.
Ranu holds the joint positions of Nick McKeown Chair Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and the Yardi School of AI at IIT Delhi. He obtained his PhD from the Department of Computer Science, University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) in March 2012.
The ECR award recipient is chosen by a jury comprising eminent personalities in the computing community. The jury follows a rigorous process wherein each nomination is individually reviewed by all the committee members, then collated and deliberated upon in multiple evaluation rounds, and finally decided in the presence of a Steering Committee-appointed observer.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Sayan Ranu as honorable mention of the ACM India ECR for 2024.
IE Features Prof. Aaditeshwar Seth on Tech Empowerment and Innovation
Indian Express has featured an interview with Prof. Aaditeshwar Seth (IIT Delhi, CSE) as part of its ongoing series on technology and innovation. In the conversation, Prof. Seth shares insights on how technology can serve as a tool for empowerment rather than exclusion, highlighting key lessons drawn from collaborative work and research.
The full interview is available here (paywalled).
Prof. Seth expressed his gratitude to all collaborators for helping shape the collective learning journey that informed these views.
Four CSE Faculty Members Got ANRF Early Career Research Grant!
We are delighted to share that four faculty members from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Delhi have been selected for the ANRF Early Career Research Grant, a prestigious recognition that supports young investigators working on cutting-edge challenges in computer science.
Each of the awarded projects addresses a critical challenge in computing—ranging from quantum security and network diagnostics to data privacy and trustworthy AI.
Alumni Initiatives
Chandruka New Faculty Fellowship
Umesh Kumar, Alumnus from the 1999 Batch has donated Rs.24 Lakh to the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Delhi for instituting three New Faculty Fellowships.
Umesh is a principal software engineering manager in Microsoft. Prior to this, he built distributed systems at Airbnb, eBay, Amazon and Goldman Sachs.
Thank you, Umesh!
Heartfelt Thanks to Our Alumnus: Anup Kumar Gangwar
The Department of Computer Science and Engineering sincerely thanks Mr. Anup Kumar Gangwar, one of our esteemed alumni, for his generous contribution of USD 1,500.
This thoughtful donation will support the department’s initiatives and help us continue fostering excellence in teaching, research, and student development. We deeply appreciate his commitment to giving back and strengthening the CSE community.
Thank you, Anup!
The KnowDis Award for Excellence presented to Professor M. Balakrishnan
KnowDis Data Science, an AI company founded by CS&E BTech alumnus Saurabh Singal (Batch 1991), recently honoured Professor M. Balakrishnan with the KnowDis Award for Excellence. The event was held at IIT Delhi, bringing together several distinguished faculty members from the CS&E Department to celebrate this significant occasion. The ceremony commenced with a melodious rendition of Ganesh Vandana by Ishaan, Mr. Singal’s son, setting a respectful and festive tone for the gathering.
Prof M. Balakrishnan with the KnowDis Award for Excellence
Professor M. Balakrishnan has made substantial contributions to the department, earning him a well-deserved reputation as one of its most esteemed faculty members. His vision and dedication have been a source of inspiration for numerous students and colleagues alike. Mr. Saurabh Singal reflected on Professor Balakrishnan’s profound influence on him during his undergraduate years at IIT Delhi.
Professor Naveen Garg, the Head of the CS&E Department, expressed his deep admiration for Professor Balakrishnan’s unique problem-solving approach and unwavering dedication to students and colleagues. Recalling their shared experiences, Professor Garg highlighted how morning walks with Professor Balakrishnan provided fresh perspectives on solving challenges and deepened their appreciation of the IIT Delhi campus. Yogesh Andlay, an honorary professor, spoke of his association with Professor Balakrishnan, despite not formally studying under him. He noted the professor’s humility and extensive contributions to the department, which have inspired many.
Several of Professor Balakrishnan’s former students, including Subodh Kumar, Alok Mittal, Vikas Upadhyay, Tejinder Miglani, Dipinder Sekhon, Professor Reddy and many more, offered heartfelt tributes, recalling the professor’s guidance and the profound influence he had on their careers.
The event concluded with a delightful lunch at Gulmohar, the guesthouse at IIT Delhi. This provided an excellent opportunity for members of the CSE Department and the KnowDis team to engage in fruitful discussions. Attendees exchanged insights on recent research developments and explored potential avenues for collaboration between academia and industry.
Attendees at the award ceremony, including Mr Alok Mittal, Dr Vikas Upadhyay, Ms Manshul Belani, Mr Tejinder Miglani, Mr Anoop G Prabhu, Ashwani Gautam, Prof Chetan Arora, Mr Dipinder Sekhon, Prof S.R.N Reddy, Prof Rohan Paul, Prof Ragesh Jaiswal, Prof Rohit Vaish, Prof Rajendra Kumar, Prof Parag Singla, Prof M. Balakrishnan, Prof Priyanka Golia, Prof Naveen Garg, Prof Sayan Ranu, Prof Sanjeev Arora, Prof Kaustubh Beedkar, Prof Vaishnavi Sundararajan, Prof Sanjiva Prasad, Dr P.V.M Rao, Prof Srikanta Bedathur, Prof Subodh Kumar, Prof Maya Ramanath, Prof Ashish Chiplunkar, Prof Nikhil Balaji, Dr Piyush Chanana, Prof Kumar Madhukar, Mr Saurabh Singal, Ms Neeta Singal, Mr Ishaan Singal, Dr Keshav Kolluru, Dr Kunal Dahiya, Mr Sanchit Verma.
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