30-01-2014

Prof Dr Ali Pinar,

Professor at Boazii University, Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake
Research Inst., Dept. of Earthquake Engineering, Istanbul, Turkey
In reply to your letter dated 23rd January,2014 offering Bo azii University,
Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute (KOERI) research fellowship, I
am applying to your Post Doctoral Research program of Erasmus Mundus Scholarship.
I am very much delighted and heartiest thanks to the concerned authorities and
respectful professors to allowing me to avail this opportunity in support of my future
career after realizing the wider scope and facilities of research on earthquake
monitoring, kindly permit me to draw your kind attention to the emotions especially
enthusiasm that on completion of my secondary and higher secondary school with
majors in mathematics and physics both from I.C.S.E. and I.S.C from Assembly of God
Church School, Kolkata, India in 2002 and 2004 respectively. Immediately after passing
I took up Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering from the West Bengal
University of Technology. I graduated with a Bachelor of Technology degree in 2008.
After completing my Undergraduate

courses successfully, I had few options to

select my future course of action; either to select hardcore research field or to compete
for some job.
During my under graduate course from 2004-2008 as an Engineering Student in
Electronics and Communication Department of Calcutta Institute of Engineering and
Management, college part of West Bengal University of Technology, Kolkata, I become
part of the research bandwagon in the summer of 2006 when the Head of Department
of Electronics and Communication in our college had sent me along with ten other
students to take up the analysis of remote sensing methodologies

in Earthquake

monitoring. We as a group were made to study collectively the disaster warning

mechanism prevalent in India and provide a remedial measure for disaster mitigation. In
connection with that we visited Geological Survey of India, Central Geophysics Division
Head Quartered in Kolkata, India and The Indian Meterological Department, Regional

Monitoring Station Kolkata, West Bengal, India. At first I was motivated to the idea of
taking up challenge in seismic disaster analysis and subsequent mitigation. I first met
Dr Om Prakash Mishra, Senior Geophysicst, Geological Survey of India one of the
greatest stalwarts in India in March,2008 who agreed to be my guide/supervisor and to
fulfill my hunger for research as a PhD Scholar personally met Dr Mrinal Kanti Naskar,
Professor, Electronics and Tele-Communication Engineering, Jadavpur University,
Kolkata in Ocober,2008 who also agreed to guide me and got my name registered as a
research fellow in J.U., Kolkata, India in the year 2009 under the supervision of Dr Om
Prakash Mishra and Dr M.K. Naskar. With full consent from my Dad and Mom and to
live with my zest for hard-core research, I joined Jadavpur University as a research
fellow for taking this project with the research title Earthquake Genesis Mechanism and
Earthquake Warning System Design. I was told initially that the University was not very
well equipped with the facilities to carry out earthquake warning research. Initially in
order to be an eligible candidate for PhD in Engineering, I passed M.Tech in
Engineering with modules and subjects related to neural network, embedded system,
fuzzy expert system and other rule based induction methods under J.U., Kolkata. The
idea was to use and develop Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) Algorithms as one
of the most advanced continuum methods, which can accommodate multiple data
sources and cover various modeling scales for precursors in space and time by
conducting a thorough and detailed study of the past and present earthquake /
seismicity catalogues as the earthquake precursors are found to be valid in a region
which have an anomalous effect prior to and during earthquake.
But over the years I found that the scientists were not trying to identify the source
problem of earthquake genesis to adjudge the suitable precursor that can be diagnostic
for earthquake initiating process. The first thing that always came to my mind is that the
causal behavior of the genesis of earthquake and rupture initiation is a predictably
unpredictable process. Even if seismologists build up huge libraries showing them how
thousands of past earthquakes have happened, any attempt to apply this knowledge to
the "prediction" of a future seismic event is subject to the law of statistics. Statistics of a
single future event are inevitably subject to great uncertainties. A difficult approach,
earthquake forecasting will become simple if shearing strain of the environment and the

bearing stress of the rock locally is known in advance. However the laboratory and real
time seismic inferences shows a different environment to the entire earthquake
exogenetic and endogenetic mechanisms. I have established that various quasi-static
nucleation mechanisms exist which shows that earthquake short term forecasting is
always in contrary to the elastic rebound hypothesis. There is always a triggering
mechanism which works for earthquake nucleation process which is again occurs in a
matter of few days.
I am fortunate to have an exciting opportunity in performing research as a
Research Engineer in SAARC Training program on

Techniques for Earthquake

Resistant Structures for Engineers and Architects at IIT Roorkee in 2012.

Complementing my strong academic performance are my advanced skills in leadership
and communication in IEEE conferences and symposiums during 2012 and 2013. My
task was to represent my study program and to convince other students of the
university's excellence. I came in close contact with Professor Vladimir Utkin, Associate
Member of Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences (UB RAS), Institute of
Geophysics of UB RAS, Yekaterinburg, RUSSIA with whom I still share the best of
relationships like a grandson has with someone most closest to him. My own work over
the past 4 years has shown, that we can derive far better and more meaningful
information about impending earthquake activity from the study of non-seismic
processes that accompany the build-up of high levels of stress in the Earth's crust. The
potential of the research themes outlined above has been recognized by a recent
publication in Journal of Geodetic Sciences and Central European Journal of
Geodynamics, a leading Earth Sciences journal and other mentioned.
The results stemming from this work will be used to support a larger proposal

on

transient deformation processes during earthquakes. Such complex analysis on, my

sight, can help to solve to us our primary goal for the forecast of tectonic earthquake. I
feel the intended research topic will be addressed in full priority by analyzing with fellow
researchers based in Geodynamic Center who are actively involved in Quake analysis
in European Universities. I would like to request the reader to kindly go through my list
of publications and extend their comments/remarks about my analysis.

Given my past history of commitment to excellence, I am confident that I will bring a

high level of energy and enthusiasm to your program. I am sure to exceed your
expectations, because of both my academic and interpersonal skills as well as the
experience gained from my tenure as a Research Scholar with Jadavpur University,
SAARC and Geological Survey of India. I will enrich the program by enabling fellow
students and professors to benefit from my ambitious and open nature. Furthermore,
my international background and interdisciplinary education will add more diversity to
your program. I want to take up the challenge of working as a Research Associate in
your university as in several of the projects during my studies, I was the team leader
responsible for building and leading our project team. I often believe that gaining
knowledge is not important but implementing in situations when it is relevant is the most
important decision. Finally I wish you approve my desire to realize my aim in life.
Awaiting your reply which I will respect and shall liven my spirits further to attain
success in my chosen career under your valuable guidance and stewardship.

Thank you for considering my application and my best regards.

Full Address:Pushan Kumar Dutta
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