SOLAR CELLS, IS IT A RIGHT ENERGY CHOICE?

SOLAR CELLS, IS IT A RIGHT ENERGY CHOICE?

[https://www.civicsolar.com/sites/default/files/styles/scale_width_900/public/support_article/images/reflection.jpg?itok=5W8BagLf]

Nuclear power based on Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) technology and Wind Energy are the only two viable sources of energy for meeting demands of today and future. Concentrating and Investing heavily in Solar Power based on Solar cells may prove to be disastrous for the Nation. It is impossible for the solar panels to function efficiently due to:

1. Highly dusty Indian environmental conditions
2. High environmental operating temperatures (greater than 25 °C)
3. Severe shortage of water
4. High maintenance costs
5. Poor maintenance
6. Mainly an imported technology therefore can’t be competitive.

Most panels will only be standing like a statue having no commercial value in a time to come except throwing a very serious challenge of managing the E-waste.

Western World has successfully influenced India not to concentrate on nuclear power where we are very strong in technology but on Solar Power which will prove to be disastrous for the Nation.

It is still time to wake-up and concentrate mainly on FBR technology and Wind power however there is no hindrance in continuing research for finding other alternative sources of energy. Hydel and coal based power plants will have their own problems soon.

Windmills could be installed at all places where forced draft is also available, like Tunnels, Highways, Railway tracks, Skyscrapers etc. Immediate action is required. 

Read More

FALLING ACADEMIC STANDARDS AND DISCONTENTMENT

FALLING ACADEMIC STANDARDS AND DISCONTENTMENT

Academic excellence in any University or Institute becomes the victim when purely academic and research related decisions are taken on the principles of “Gutbandhan Politics” or Unholy Alliance of technically incompetent & insensitive faculty in the system. Merit (academic) will continue to remain on the backburner.

Students have started expressing their dissatisfaction. Most classrooms are devoid of Brainstorming. Mental health of many students is under serious threat. Increased number of depression cases and some isolated cases of suicides in the institutes of higher learning is proof enough of presence of Technically Incompetent & Insensitive Faculty in the system. Such Faculty members knowingly build-up mental and physical pressure on the students in trying to maintain a virtual image of an International Scientist. It is strange that this angle hasn’t been noticed or considered till date. The current situation must be taken as a wake-up call. 

No amount of funding will help. It is time to treat the disease. It can be treated by fixing the accountability of all people in the chain responsible for hiring such Technically Incompetent & Insensitive Faculty.

Strong Faculty hiring and assessment programme can help in hiring faculty with the desired temperament and identifying such Technically Incompetent & Insensitive Faculty. The academic must not be allowed to hire another academic. The steps in faculty assessment programme could be:

					®	Positive	®	Continue
Identify	®	Motivate	®	Reassess
					®	Negative	®	Hire new

Act before Hardcore Manufacturing Education is failed 

Act before it leads to the failure of “Make in India” programme

Act before it is too late

Read More

HIGH TIME TO REVIVE ENGINEERING EDUCATION

HIGH TIME TO REVIVE ENGINEERING EDUCATION

[https://domfreechep.us/education-the-key-to-success.go]

The main cause of dilution or the failure of engineering education is the ‘Engineering Curriculum’ followed after the introduction of 10+2+4 system of engineering by the Government in 1977. Our visionary custodians of engineering education simply took off one year from the then existing five year engineering degree programme. Our selfish Pseudo-Intellectual Faculty responsible for handling engineering courses very comfortably took off at least ten hard core engineering courses rather than taking off some of the courses from the pure sciences stream which got shifted to one extra year that was introduced at the secondary school level. This decision taken in a hurry or unscrupulously was the first nail in the coffin of engineering education in the country.

One of the most unfortunate other causes of failure of Technical Education is also the failure of Selection Committees in hiring or selecting the faculty. The system has failed because the Selection Committees most often end up hiring the EMPLOYEES in place of TEACHERS. Unfortunately we don't understand the meaning of TEACHER but we appoint them in plenty. 

Journal Publication based existing selection procedure of faculty has is also contributing in failing the education 100%. The existing system of assessment just can't deliver since it is completely devoid of any 'Brainstorming'. As a matter of fact this system has been meticulously evolved by unscrupulous teachers who are basically the "Classroom to Classroom” teachers. No ray of hope because the system is in the clutches of the people who themselves got benefited from it.

Teachers help and ensure bright future of the students (youth) and the Universities / Institutions also grow / blossom to become World-class systems while on the other hand Employees only poison the future of the youth. The outcome is in front of us. It is the failed industrial base and un-employability of poisoned youth. 

The 9+2 system of school education was changed to 10+2 in 1977 and the custodians of Technical Education very smartly truncated the 5 year degree programme to 4 year degree programme by eliminating some of the very important engineering subjects instead of cutting down the pure science subjects which by and large is the repetition of what the students cover at +2 level. It means the five year degree programme effectively got reduced to 3 years. Further to add fuel to the fire, there are some Universities / Institutes in the country where Final year students are sent for compulsory Internship in the eighth semester thereby further reducing the effective teaching to 2.5 years only which used to be 5.5 years in the past. The T&P activities also practically eat-away the final year teaching in most institutes. Therefore the  quality of present day engineers is anybody’s guess. The most unfortunate part is that the students themselves don’t know that they are being taken for a ride by the unscrupulous Universities / Institutions.

Anybody having time to look into?

Read More

UNSCRUPULOUS RESEARCHERS ARE LIABILITY ON THE NATION

UNSCRUPULOUS RESEARCHERS ARE LIABILITY ON THE NATION

We as a Nation have lost so much in the name of research that if we start totalling it up, the figure would probably be higher than the sum of all the scams put together. Therefore investments in research are the real drain of resources and precious foreign exchange. I am not against the funding of research or research activities but I am against the unscrupulous researchers who succeed in managing huge funding by confusing or convincing the uneducated but literate Politicians & Managers of R&D schemes. It is also seen that nepotism takes over in the absence of desired knowledge. 

The cobweb of these unscrupulous researchers around the honest & struggling researcher is much stronger than the cobweb of Darwin's bark spider who’s silk is the toughest biological material ever studied, over ten times tougher than a similarly sized piece of Kevlar.

Uninterrupted import of technology, equipment, instrumentation and software is the sufficient proof of what is highlighted above. As a matter of fact the unscrupulous researchers take pride in importing almost everything in the name of research.

This cheating must be stopped and can be done by creating a 'watch dog' agency consisting of scrupulous, honest and innovative researchers who are capable of reading between the lines. 

Accountability must be fixed and necessary action as deemed fit must follow. Else Research will continue to behave like a ‘Black Hole’ which will keep gulping the tax payer’s money without any tangible outcome. 

Intentions of the Government are not doubted but the people who are managing it have doubtful integrity. May God save the Nation? 

Read More

JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS BASED SELECTION PROCEDURE

JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS BASED SELECTION PROCEDURE

Journal Publication based existing selection procedure of faculty has failed the education 100%. The existing system of assessment just can't deliver since it is also completely devoid of any  'Brainstorming'. As a matter of fact this system has been meticulously evolved by unscrupulous teachers who are basically the "Classroom to Classroom” teachers or simply the CLASSROOM teachers.

No ray of hope because the system is in the clutches of the people who themselves got benefited from it.

But how to start and from where to start is the thought of the day. Every student should take a pledge and it has to be followed strictly by all the institutions from KG to degree level. I am sure definitely the change can be brought in the system and it would be a turning point for the improvement in our education system. 

The wayout could be the petition we must start. Try and manage few lakh signatures and submit it to the Prime Minister for immediate action. Continue efforts and have faith in the God, someday we will succeed. Youth has to understand this since they are at the receiving end. They are the losers. May God bless.

Read More

COPYING & MUGGING, WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?

COPYING & MUGGING, WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?

Academic pundits start suggesting measures like:

1. Installing mobile jammers 
2. Increased frequency of ‘Flying Squad’
3. Strict invigilation 
4. Strict disciplinary action etc. etc.

Whenever, students are caught copying or using unfair means during the examination.

No one talks of the reasons / causes which are wholly & solely responsible for pushing students to copy openly and brazenly.

Above four points are just the symptomatic / temporary relief measures but the disease remains. What is this disease? Why that is our academic pundits never talk about it? Is it difficult to diagnose the disease? Are academic pundits really the teachers? The simple answer is big NO otherwise they would have easily identified and treated the disease instead of letting it become a cancer. These are the ones who are responsible for producing ‘paper certificate / degree holding school pass outs / undergraduates / post graduates’.

All those teachers in whose subjects students are able to comfortably copy are not the teachers in real sense. They may be good humans but definitely not the good teachers. The good teacher is one in whose subject students find it almost impossible even to write an ‘Open book test’. Why tempt the students, teachers must be confident of giving ‘Open Book Test’ to them?

Teacher is the one who ensures 'Brainstorming' in the classroom. Whose teaching is need based and realistic. Teacher is the one who knows 'Why & How' of the subject along with the general awareness. 

Action must be taken against the ‘So called teachers’ and not the students. Weed out such ‘So called teachers’ first at the earliest to put education system back on the track.

Read More

HIGHER EDUCATION, UNEMPLOYABILITY AND NON-PRODUCTIVE OUTFLOW OF FOREIGN EXCHANGE

HIGHER EDUCATION, UNEMPLOYABILITY AND NON-PRODUCTIVE OUTFLOW OF FOREIGN EXCHANGE

All Researchers, Scientists and Managers (Research & Planning agencies) complain about “Lack of Resources”. Hope it includes “Lack of wisdom, Intellectual resource, Commitment and Self-esteem” as well? I really wonder as how pumping of money will address these issues which are of more serious nature than Capital goods?

Importing equipment, instrumentation and software for learning to use them and generating data can’t be taken as research. It only helps in converting a Researcher into a good for nothing Technician that is neither fit to work on Shop-floor nor to work as Honest Researcher.

Most unfortunately most research facilities are mostly producing “Technicians who are smartly Termed as Researchers (TTRs)”. This philosophy has become the mainstay of research (PhD) in the country.

The scenario is:

• ITIs are not producing trained Technicians.
• Academic & Research Institutes are not producing grass root level / innovative research.
• Engineering Institutions are mostly producing paper degree holding engineers (PDHE) who are mostly unemployable.
• Later most of these TTRs in the disguise of a Faculty since they hold the degree of PhD, start teaching engineering to the students while they are not even fit to work as Technicians.
• Thrust is on publicity and own career building rather than building an effective education system for sustaining the youth and the Nation.
• Gross misuse of autonomy and unscrupulous dilution of curriculum.

Sustainable manufacturing and product development needs balanced combination of trained & skilled Technicians and Educated Engineers & Researchers. This serious imbalance created due to our apathy & lack of commitment has given opportunities for Multinational Companies (MNCs) to take full advantage for spreading their wings in the country forever. Once established these MNCs won’t let Small Scale and Medium Scale industries to sustain. I hope our policy makers and TTRs are able to judge the impact on the Nation. Indiscriminate purchase of imported equipment, instrumentation and software only make MNCs rich at the expense of the poor people of this country. One must not be allowed to buy or import the equipment only for verifying the published work done elsewhere. MOST IMPORTANT IS NOT TO ALLOW MULTIPLICITY OF EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT AND INSTRUMENTATION IN THE SAME INSTITUTE.
Another unfortunate situation is the most selfish attitude of our faculty & researchers. Most of such resource is purchased only to increase the number of stereotype publications for getting promoted to higher positions or for the reasons best known to them. Most don’t allow fellow faculty & students to use the resource and again most Heads of the institutions don’t take any action despite reporting it to them. 

The apathy and lack of integrity of most people particularly the Heads of the Institutions is fast turning this Nation into the Nation of Followers and Mental Slaves. Chatur Ramalingam the famous character of super hit Hindi movie ‘Three Idiots’ describes this best.

This unscrupulous import of foreign equipment, instrumentation and software for no real positive contribution for the development of the Nation collectively from all the Universities and Institutions becomes probably one of the major sources of outflow of precious foreign exchange.

Are there still some people to take immediate corrective action for the sake of our Nation?

Read More

STEP FORWARD IN SPREADING HARDCORE TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE BY INDIAN WELDING SOCIETY

STEP FORWARD IN SPREADING HARDCORE TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE BY INDIAN WELDING SOCIETY (IWS)

Thank you dear delegates. Your enthusiastic participation has laid the foundation for taking another step in this direction.

The overwhelming response from the enthusiastic Welding Professionals for the two days’ “Workshop on GMAW / MIG Welding and its Variants”, organized by the Indian Welding Society (IWS) at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, 19-20 January, 2018 deserves to be thanked sincerely. Our target was forty delegates but nearly eighty delegates registered. The response was so overwhelming that we had to shift to a bigger room to accommodate all the delegates. This response has strengthened our resolve to PLAN more of such programmes on regular intervals. The intention is:

• To spread the “HARD CORE” knowledge on the subject that has become scarce in the Technical Institutes including Institutions of higher learning. 
• To develop the confidence for spending time on the Shop-Floor productively.
• Be able to discipline the work-force.
• Honestly philanthropic. The fee charged is only to meet the actual expenses. IWS is 100% non-profit organization.

The overall objective is to strengthen the “Make in India” policy of the Government of India by improving the sustainability of the Manufacturing Sector and new Start-ups in the country.

Technical education has been completely messed up to the point of no research by the technical institutions including institutions of higher learning in the recent years. The roaring business through commercialization of technical education by various private coaching institutes is the proof of it. 

I invite everyone including people from academia to suggest hot topics which are immediate need of the Industries and Academic research in various academic institutions.

One can reach me on: profsunilpandey@gmail.com

Read More

PROPOSED NEW ADMISSION PROCEDURE FOR ADMISSION TO M TECH PROGRAMMES

PROPOSED NEW ADMISSION PROCEDURE FOR ADMISSION TO M TECH PROGRAMMES

[http://www.thehindu.com/migration_catalog/article11559629.ece/alternates/FREE_660/2_EPBS_GATE]

The admissions to the present PG programmes on the basis of GATE are the outcome of sincere efforts of many a people involved and the present system is the result of such continuous evolution. However, observing very closely the output of the PG programmes over the period positively suggests some drastic modifications particularly keeping in mind the policy of the Government of India on “Make in India”. It is very clear that some policies followed at the time of admission are seriously jeopardising the success of “Make in India” programme. Since we all are committed to the success of the programme, following modified procedure is suggested for implementation with immediate effect, 

Session 2018-19.

• Admission to All M Tech programmes must be from amongst the candidates who have qualified GATE in that programme or stream only. 
• Admission to students from other streams should be allowed only when seats remain / fall vacant.

1. This proposed procedure for admission to various M Tech programmes may kindly be implemented with immediate effect (Session: 2018-19). Else M Tech programmes will die a natural death.
2. This will also eliminate the presently used complicated, illogical and wasteful procedures.
3. The MHRD may like to ensure uniform implementation throughout the MHRD controlled Institutions in the country.
4. The MHRD may direct all concerned to include these guidelines for improving the quality of M Tech programmes in the GATE notifications for the Session 2018-19. These guidelines once implemented will make the programmes technically effective and easy for the candidates.

Example: M Tech programmes, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IITD

Programme	Seats Assistantship (20)	Seats (Proposed) ·       Self-sponsored or Self-financing, 20. ·       Assistantships as and when becoming available may be offered as per merit.	*Sponsored (Employed) Max 5, Supernumerary
Design	As per merit from amongst the received applications in the Design programme only.	As per merit from amongst the received applications in the Design programme only.	As per merit from amongst the received applications in the Design programme only.
Thermal	As per merit from amongst the received applications in the Thermal programme only.	As per merit from amongst the received applications in the Thermal programme only.	As per merit from amongst the received applications in the Thermal programme only.
Industrial	As per merit from amongst the received applications in the Industrial programme only.	As per merit from amongst the received applications in the Industrial programme only.	As per merit from amongst the received applications in the Industrial programme only.
Production	As per merit from amongst the received applications in the Production programme only.	As per merit from amongst the received applications in the Production programme only.	As per merit from amongst the received applications in the Production programme only.

* Self-financing and Sponsored categories must be well highlighted and given maximum publicity for making it a success.

Note-1:

1. Fill up the seats from the merit list of the particular programme only.
2. No inter-programme admissions allowed.
3. No moderation / rationalization amongst the various programmes.
4. No transfer of seats until falling vacant.
5. No minimum cut-off in any stream. Continue till seats are filled in order of merit.
6. Therefore there may be different cut-offs for different programmes.
7. Do away with the interview immediately. The current practice is JUST not fair for the candidates who have been working hard to clear GATE examination. The introduction of INTERVIEW introduces an element of doubt and results in frustration of the candidates and wastage of resource.
8. Full respect to the GATE Merit List should be the criteria.
9. Candidates must be called only for offering admission.

Note-2:

1. Self-Sponsored category must be introduced for the reason that around 50% or more students leave M Tech programme midway for taking up jobs with the PSUs.
2. All resources engaged in teaching the particular programme at times go below the minimum break-even point in terms of productivity. 
3. The presence of self-sponsored candidates will at least ensure the healthy class room strength to be able to justify the investment in resources.
4. This will also provide one more opportunity to those students who are committed.
5. This will also help in producing more trained manpower with the same investment of resources.

Note-3:

1. Sponsored candidates must be encouraged for improving the quality of employed engineers and it will definitely help in improving the productivity of the “Make in India” programme.

Note-4:

1. All candidates with Assistantship leaving the programme midway must be asked to refund the amount to the respective Institution.
2. Failing the PSU he is joining must be asked to ensure the refund. 
3. This clause must be added to the agreement signed between the MHRD and the PSUs.

Read More

NO DECISION ON ENGINEERING PASSOUTS VIA CORRESPONDENCE MODE

NO DECISION ON ENGINEERING PASSOUTS VIA CORRESPONDENCE MODE

http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2017/dec/29/no-decision-on-engineering-passouts-via-correspondence-mode-hrd-minister-prakash-javadekar-1739879.html

Appeal

Engineering degree programme through correspondence can't even be visualized but this was going on or allowed officially by UGC / AICTE. However, all degrees awarded may kindly be derecognized without wasting any precious time. So much can be written about the unscrupulous way of obtaining engineering degree for taking backdoor entry into responsible positions despite having no idea of real engineering. I am sure concerned officials are able to read between the lines.

The equivalence of Membership Examinations to BE / B Tech degree of various professional institutes dealing with various engineering areas must be done away with immediately. Country has suffered and is suffering on account of such people occupying responsible Government positions. Such programmes are only the backdoor entries for those who fail to get admission into any decent engineering institute. Equivalence of even AMIE examination to graduate engineering programme needs very serious consideration by the Ministry.

Lastly food for thought is “if the engineering degree through correspondence can build any Nation then where is the need to sustain institutes like IITs, NITs, CFTIs, Central Universities, and State Universities at the enormous cost of lakhs of crores of rupees of public money each year?” 

We have seen by and large the failure of engineering education in the country. Let us plug all loopholes. Sycophants are doing the maximum damage. Their sole job is to enjoy the position but not to serve the position. There is always a time for introspection. Let us not continue to damage the Nation further.

Read More