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Dilip D’Souza is a well known writer and has authored two books ‘Branded by Law’ and ‘The Narmada Dammed’, published by Penguin. He has won several awards for his writing, which include The Statesman Rural Reporting Prize, the Wolfson College (Cambridge University) Press Fellowship, and India's best-known nonfiction award, the Outlook/Picador prize. The Sunday Observer, Rediff.com, Outlook and Mid-Day regularly feature his columns and his Death Ends Fun blog is well known in the blogosphere.
Dilip D’Souza has a B.E. (Hons) Electrical and Electronics degree from Birla Institute of Technology and Science – BITS Pilani Rajasthan where he was a student during 1976 – 1981. After getting his M.S. in Computer Science from Brown University, USA, Dilip was a Software Professional and in 1992 returned back to India to take up writing as a mission with passion.
A column by him about two young engineers from Kerala who built a dam in rural Maharashtra and supplied electricity where there was none, provided the inspiration for a key segment of the 2004 Bollywood movie Swades directed by Ashutosh Gowariker starring Shahrukh the King Khan.
Dilip will be remembered for thundering “Gandhi does not need anyone to pronounce him anything. He is who he is; his legacy is what it is” when the usual well known Mumbai abusers of the father of the nation bad mouthed in mid 90s.
Dilip D’Souza’s latest book titled “Roadrunner: An Indian Quest in America” has been published by Harper Collins in December 2009. For the question what do we learn when one great democracy looks at another, Alexis de Tocqueville’s seminal Democracy in America had answered in the 1800s. Today, India is the world’s other great democracy, and maybe the answers are different. Road Runner looks at United States of America through the eyes of an Indian focusing on how Americans see their country, their place in the world and how patriotism and idea of a nation resonate in the two countries.
The book reveals, through stories large and small, America as seen through the eyes of an Indian who is critical but not intolerant, understanding but not starry-eyed. The author goes across the length and breadth of America to find old cultures and new concerns and to search for meaning and nuance in ideas like patriotism and being liberal.
Dilip has been busy traveling all over India to launch his book and chose Friday February 05, 2010 to do it at Pilani. He addressed the students of Conflict Management course taught by Prof Nirupama Prakash Group Leader Humanistic Studies at 12 noon and the students of Media courses taught by Dr Sangeeta Sharma Group Leader Languages at 3PM. In between he had a chat session about the book with Prof Anil Bhat Group Leader Management. Dilip went around the campus and connected himself with the occupant of Room No. 104 in Shankar Bhawan hostel of the Institute where he himself had stayed way back in 70s.
At 5 PM in the elegant Lecture Theatre Complex of the Institute, after the customary welcome by Prof Nirupama Prakash, Dr L K Maheshwari Vice Chancellor and Dilip D’Souza the star for the evening received a colorful bouquet of flowers specially commissioned by Prof Rajiv Gupta Dean Engineering Services Division at BITS Pilani. After a short speech by the Vice Chancellor, Prof BR Natarajan Vice President BITS Alumni Association – BITSAA introduced Proud to be BITSian Dilip D’Souza to the audience.
After releasing the book, Dilip enthralled the audience with excerpts from the book and returned witty thought provoking answers to the volley of questions posed by the audience. Prof I Bhat Librarian at BITS had coordinated excellently with the publishers and the entire consignment of books sent by Harper Collins were sold out at the launch venue itself.
There is no doubt that Road Runner is indeed Passionate and perceptive, wry and empathetic, and that the book is ultimately about what it means to belong - Wherever you are.
About BITS Pilani
The Birla Institute of Technology and Science - BITS Pilani (bits-pilani.ac.in) is a Deemed to be University established vide Sec.3 of the UGC Act, 1956 under notification No. F.12-23/63.U-2 of June 18, 1964. NAAC - National Assessment and Accreditation Council reaccredited BITS with 3.71 CGPA out of 4 and awarded "A" grade "Very Good" status. It is indeed a matter of pride that for the year 2009, BITS Pilani has been ranked among the top ranking universities along with IITs in various Magazine surveys such as India Today, Outlook, LiveMint DataQuest etc. BITS offers degrees in various disciplines presently at Pilani, Dubai, Goa and Hyderabad campuses. BITS Pilani has done pioneering work in industry university collaborations in terms of Practice School and Work Integrated Learning Programmes. Alumni of the Institute who are Proud to be BITSians and ambassadors for Brand BITS Pilani are spread across all continents from Australia to America.
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