From Campus Childhood to Academic Stewardship at IIT Kanpur

Prof. Neeraj Misra entered the campus of IIT Kanpur as a two-year-old, at a time when the institute itself was still taking shape. Buildings were being constructed, yet the atmosphere already resonated with the promise of intellectual acumen and academic excellence.

Having grown up and attended school within the campus, Prof.  Neeraj was deeply influenced by the academic environment that surrounded him. His father, a non-teaching staff member at the institute, quietly nurtured his curiosity and played a significant role in shaping his inclination toward mathematics.

“In my days, life was not driven by intense competition,” he recalls. “We grew up in an environment where learning happened naturally, without the burden of academic pressure.”

It was in this setting that Prof. Neeraj gradually developed a deep affinity for mathematics. What began as curiosity soon evolved into a passion. The subject became his comfort zone and, eventually, his academic calling. After topping his school in mathematics, he was convinced that this was the discipline he was destined to pursue.

He went on to complete his bachelor’s degree in mathematics and Statistics from PPN College in Kanpur and subsequently enrolled in the Master’s programme in Statistics in IIT Kanpur. The two years of rigorous training during his postgraduate studies laid the foundation for his doctoral research and future academic pursuits.

His research focused on ranking and selection problems, particularly on the simultaneous identification of extreme populations—the best and the worst—from among multiple populations. The work was largely theoretical and involved developing optimal decision procedures under different statistical settings. Despite its theoretical orientation, the methodology has meaningful practical applications, especially in areas such as clinical studies, where it can assist in identifying the most and least effective treatments among new drugs for further confirmatory evaluation.

Even before completing his Ph.D., Prof. Neeraj received a job offer from Panjab University in 1990. A few years later, in 1994, he undertook postdoctoral research in  KU Leuven (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven), Belgium, further strengthening his academic exposure and research experience.

In January 1996, Prof. Neeraj joined the Department of Mathematics at IIT Kanpur, marking a deeply meaningful homecoming. In 2004, the department was renamed the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, reflecting the expanding academic scope of the discipline. Over the years, alongside his teaching and research responsibilities, he has taken on several important administrative roles, including serving as Head of the Department, Dean of Academic Affairs, and Senate nominee to the Board of Governors.

His current research interests lie in the application of statistics in the biomedical sciences, particularly in improving the design and efficiency of clinical trials. “Our studies focus on designing experiments optimally with the minimum number of sample trials. The idea is to develop procedures that are scientifically robust and widely acceptable,” he says.

Equally close to his heart is the broader mission of promoting statistics and its applications. Statistics, he says is a highly specialized field that finds relevance across almost every area of science. “The popularity of the subject has grown remarkably,” he notes. “In 1996, we had only five students in the programme. Today, the number has grown to about 55. This reflects the rising interest and importance of the discipline.”

In 2021, the institute introduced a new undergraduate programme in Statistics and Data Science, which has already received an enthusiastic response from students. Plans are also underway to establish a dedicated Department of Statistics and Data Science in the near future.

Beyond equations and statistical models, Prof. Neeraj has always maintained a deep interest in sports and physical fitness. An avid basketball and volleyball player, he has represented the institute in various sports events during inter-IIT meets. Even today, he remains committed to maintaining good health, dedicating at least two hours each day to walking and light exercise.

Looking ahead, he harbors a deeply personal aspiration—to document his journey at IIT Kanpur. “I want to write about my life at IIT Kanpur—from arriving here as a two-year-old to my superannuation in 2028,” he says. “Over the decades I have witnessed so many defining moments—the Emergency period, the student–staff tensions, and other institutional crises. The book will bring alive all these experiences and memories into a single narrative of life at the institute.”

For Prof. Neeraj Misra, IIT Kanpur is not merely a workplace laboratory or an alma mater. It is the landscape of an entire lifetime.