I, Aswath Raj Balakrishnan, would like to introduce myself as a sincere, creative, industrious, and ambitious individual, with a strong scientific temperament, along with my majoring in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Panimalar Institute of Technology one of the top ranked institutions under the Anna University, Chennai. Having had a very comprehensive educational experience, I look forward to a graduate degree at the , which I believe will offer me the best blend of technical knowledge, professional guidance, and overall intellectual development
Ever since the time I learnt how to unscrew the lid of my Walkman, I have tinkered with all the electronic appliances such as the television set, video player, audio equipment and computer in my house. This early interest in electronic devices steadily increased throughout my schooling years, as I tried to better understand the working of these devices by assembling my own little gadgets such as alarms, speakers, microphones, etc. from spare parts. This fascination for everything electronic prompted me to take up Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry as my course of study in my higher secondary school and electronics & communication engineering subsequently in my bachelor's degree.
Throughout my school and undergraduate college education I have been highly motivated by the twin challenges of understanding concepts and then applying such understanding to practical outcomes, which explains my consistent top grades in practical examinations. As part of my second year project, I along with my team designed a Land Rover using a microcontroller. It is essentially a radio-controlled car that was designed for monitoring and recording feeds in hostile situations. My team bagged a special prize for this project. I have also worked student project entitled 'Palm Print Recognition Using Modified HAAR Wavelet' during the third years of my undergraduate studies which helped me greatly to gain in-depth knowledge and understanding in subjects like Digital Signal Processing, Microprocessors and Microcontrollers, Very Large Scale Linear Integrated Circuits and interfacing various circuit components on to a project board.
Seeing my ardency to excel in my field of engineering, The Principal and professors of my college motivated me to present a paper on '4th Generation Communication' in front of highly distinguished dignitaries at the IETE inaugural summit held at our college. This event gave me a chance to discuss my ideas with the pioneers in my field. The group discussions and paper presentations representing my college allowed me to understand various engineering concepts in detail and appreciate others views. During these sessions, I took criticism and praise with a positive frame of mind which helped me fine-tune my knowledge and skills. My individual effort in all my endeavors went hand in hand with team work when it came to lab sessions and project work.
During my final semester of undergraduate studies I worked on a project titled "Three Tier Authentication of Electronic Voting System Using Digital Signal Processing", in which I worked to implement a system that was aimed at eliminating all possible malpractices that could occur in the antediluvian election system of my country. This project won many a praise as it was aimed at solving a pertinent problem of the society also abridging what I had studied over the four year period of my undergraduate studies. This is corroborated by maximum G.P.A that I procured in that particular semester.
My curricular and extra-curricular activities have always gone hand in hand I have never let curricular and non-curricular interests overshadow each other. I have consistently secured first class in all my semesters. On the personal side, I am a very amiable, confident person with a broad range of interests. I have very good interpersonal and communication skills. I have organized several national level technical symposia and inter-collegiate activities at my college, and have participated in such extra-curricular activities as short film making and dancing for which I have won prizes in various inter college competitions.
An extremely distinguished faculty, a milieu replete with academic activity, and a graduate program which blends high quality course work are the factors which have motivated me to choose your university for graduate studies. In conclusion, I would like to add that the essence of University education lies in the synergetic relationship between the student and his department. I feel that graduate study at your university will be the most logical extension of my academic pursuits and a major step towards achieving my objectives. I believe the program offered will help me acquire the versatility needed to reach my full potential as an engineer. I would be grateful to you if I were accorded the opportunity to pursue my graduate studies with financial assistance at your institution and am able to justify your faith in me.
