A trickle of sweat might have escaped as you read the title of the article. For, dissertation viva reminds the survivors and the future defensors of clammy hands, anxiety and nerve-wracking minutes. Finishing thesis, per se, is a strenuous climb; the storm that follows, viva, marks the last leg of one's research. But, frankly, defending your research thesis can be made easy with proper, constructive and well-planned preparation, such that nothing comes as a surprise on the da