A Jungle Book of Science: IIT Delhi demystifies materials engineering through comic safari brochure | Delhi News

New Delhi: What if materials engineering could be explored not through dense textbooks, but via a jungle safari — complete with a witty guide, curious students and a dash of humour? That is the imaginative leap taken by the department of materials science and engineering (DMSE) at IIT Delhi, which has released a first-of-its-kind comics-style brochure to introduce its world to a wider audience. Titled ‘DMSE – Delivering a Material Safari Experience’, the comic brings to life the often abstract discipline of materials engineering through storytelling and art. At its centre is Prof Padarth, a newly created mascot and the department’s ‘sutradhar’, who leads a curious student through a safari-themed journey across the varied landscapes of materials science — from metals and ceramics to polymers, data science and emerging smart materials. Rendered as a light-hearted guide, Prof Padarth explains complex ideas with wit, using everyday analogies and visual cues to show how materials engineering shapes daily life. The narrative is deliberately playful, but the intent is serious: to demystify science, make it accessible beyond laboratories and show how the discipline connects directly with the world around us. “This comic was conceived to herald an era of bringing the fun aspects of STEM to the fore,” said Prof Jayant Jain, head of the department of materials science and engineering. “Materials engineering is a deeply creative and inspiring field, and we wanted a medium that could engage students and non-technical audiences alike. Through Prof Padarth’s adventures, we hope to spark curiosity and showcase the excitement that lies in understanding the materials that shape our world.” The idea, faculty members say, is to move away from viewing materials science as an intimidating or purely technical subject. Prof R Lakshmi Narayan, who led the initiative, explained that the comic aims to ground discipline in everyday experience. “The idea is to let students — who can either get the brochure in a printed format or get it online — look at materials as something they live with and experience every day so that the work they do does not feel highly technical but completely natural and logical,” she said. Behind the concept is a close collaboration between science and design. A team of four DMSE faculty members worked with Prasenjit Chatterjee, a former IIT Delhi student from the department of design, to shape the characters, visual language and storyline. The brochure is only the beginning. The first edition of the DMSE comic will be followed by a series that will capture the department’s research projects, teaching work and evolving identity through art and storytelling. The initiative is part of DMSE’s broader outreach effort to communicate science in ways that are accessible, culturally resonant and inclusive.