I know I cannot stop bragging about the Language Resource Centre, but do bear with me.

Today, the Commissioner, Directorate of Technical Education , Shri. V.K.Jeyakodi visited the institution and spent a leisurely forenoon visiting the Auditorium, the Digital Library, the Language Resource Centre and the departments.

It was a pleasure to show off the lab to someone who had played a very big role in setting up the facility. After all the moments of tension since the audio played truant before the visit and moments of nail biting wondering whether the other facilities like the LCD Projector and the LCD TV would behave themselves, it was surprisingly and refreshingly simple and informal.

The Commissioner had some kind words for the students who were there taking up a model examination.

The much awaited visit thus passed off happily and cheerfully.

Now, we have to see that the nitty gritty of maintaining the lab with all the little jobs is carried out so that the facility can be offered to students freely and without restrictions. Except, of course, banning pendrives and CDs inside.

I am ofcourse shuddering at the thought of all those smelly feet inside. I wonder if allowing them to wear their footwear might solve the problem.

GECOFEST 2009

Here's the update on GECOFEST 09.

Life must be full of surprises, otherwise the monotony sets in. That is true of GECOFEST. The events are the same, the participants are always students- right down to the invitation design. What is the surprise every year is that the most unexpected talents come to the fore and we see children with new eyes.

This year the celebrations were begun with a talk by a Professor of Tamil from Periyar University... onstage everything was eye catching, attention grabbing and here and there, subtle. The lower levels of the dais partitions had some fabulous paintings of flames done very aesthetically. On the walls were murals of dancers and musicians...wonder how such big artwork was put up. Credit must be given to Nilofer and her team of students who were up in the auditorium till late in the night putting up the deco.

The art competititons as usual brought out some amazing talent....Murugaiyyan and LakshmiNarayanan, the two artists spearheaded the art exhibition in a clourful stall outside the auditorium. Strokes, lines and colours merged in a riotous medley...There were 162 entries for the painting competition...there were so many Gopinaths from almost every year. Our first year boys and girls seemed to have broken free of the shell of the twelfth rigours and given free vent to their artistic talents.

As usual, Mrs.Leema mary and I were there from morning, soaking in the festive and vibrant atmosphere. The music show once again brought out a number of talented guitarists and drummers. The drama show was hilarious as the theme was Yama and ChitraGuptha...and once again, the first years had some fantastic and natural actors. They walked away with the first prize too for drama.

Adaapt Theme never fails to amaze me...where do children get their energy? Mythily of the third year came up with a pleasing and sharp performance to win the first prize. I promise you the girls have so much grace that they tend to take all attention away from the boys. However, Mukhil and his friend J came up with a scintillating host performance. Anitha and her troupe also gave a very graceful dance recital in glowing golden specially tailored dresses. I remembered Saravanan our ex final year dancer who would set the stage on fire with his dances.

Sadly, I missed the second day's performance, as I was on leave. I am sure it must've been a wonderful finale to the celebration.

Did I tell you about the whistles and the guttural whoops? As usual, they added to the gaiety and ambience of the celebrations.

I believe that receiving one's degree at the Graduation ceremony is one of life's happiest moments.

GCE had its Graduation Day on the 5tha and as students, nay, graduates, filed past to receive their certificates, my eyes filled with tears, because I have seen some of them, with their parents, go through some very sad and very happy moments in the course of their studies...four years is a long time and children live in a microcosm these four years.

A.K.Pattabiraman, Head, Accreditation Process, TCS, South India, was the chief guest. And, oh boy, what a rousing appreciation it was that he gave for the institution and the students. Departing from his prepared Graduation Day address, Pattabiraman Krishnaswamy thundered out words of praise for our sstudents for their innovative thoughts and confidence. He narrated an incident when during his accreditation process for TCS with the institution he interacted with students and asked them about the cracks in the walls of the auditorium and two students showed him that they were not really cracks but that they were patterns of the alpha waves of the brain and that they were patterns of new ideas. He admitted that he was amazed by this clarity in thought and optimism in accepting the foibles and pits in life and making them see oppportunities in failures. He was admittedly, floored, (in his own words). He also assured students that the setback to Indian industry was a temporary one and students should be prepared for the boom when it comes.

The funny part of it was that the thundering applause that should've come when so many hands were literally itching to come together to thank this experienced TCS player was that they didn't, because the graduates were asked not to clap during the entire ceremony... how do you like it???

The ceremony by itself was quick, smooth and went off without hitches...thank God for that. Lunch was served in the D1 and D2 halls.

Some of our students, especially Vinoth, was raring to visit the Language Resource Centre. They trooped in, checked out the facilites, played some music on the PA system, tested out the sofware loaded and were left speechless. A few fun filled photos were taken there.

Graduation Day 2009 was good.

I reproduce below the report in The Hindu. http://www.hindu.com/2009/04/06/stories/2009040652970300.htm

‘Indian companies facing crisis with maturity’
Staff Reporter
They are opting for subtle changes in business operations
Photo: P. Goutham Congratulations!: University first rank holder in Metallurgical Engineering Mahendhiran receiving his degree certificate from Salem Government College of Engineering Principal S. R. Damodarasamy (centre) and Accreditation Process (South India) Head, Tata Consultancy Services, A.K. Pattabiraman at the Graduation Day of the college on Sunday. —
SALEM: Indian companies are responding to the challenges of the present economic crisis with remarkable sophistication, maturity, concern, innovativeness and alacrity.
Instead of resorting to retrenchment or lay off on a massive scale, the companies are effective subtle changes in business operations such as fine tuning offshore-onsite ration, increasing employee’s efficiency and economy drive, which are yielding remarkable results, Accreditation Process (South India) Head from Tata Consultancy Services A.K. Pattabiraman has said.
Delivering the Graduation Day address at the Salem Government College of Engineering here on Sunday, he asked the students not to worry about the present situation.
“What is happening now is a temporary and transient phenomenon,” he said.
When a similar situation came up in the year 2000, the Indian companies bounced back and managed it successfully, Mr. Pattabiraman said while assuring the students that their future is safe.
India has the biggest advantage of having huge intellectual capital. “All we have to do is adapt to changes and bring in more innovation,” he said.
The youthful and trained population can do wonders to transform the science, engineering, technology and business in the country, and give them the much needed competitive edge.
“If the Indian talent is harnessed fully, intelligently and innovatively, the younger generation will propel the country to an unprecedented height,” he pointed out.Education
To nurture the talent and sustain the growth, all the people in the country should be provided access to quality education, he stressed.
College Principal S.R. Damodarasamy, presiding, said the percentage of placements in the year 2007-08 was 97.75.
A total of 347 undergraduate and 145 postgraduate students received their certificates during the function.
The university rank holders are: Metallurgical Engineering: Mahendhiran (first rank), Eeswarakrishnan (second rank) and Parandaman (third rank), Civil Engineering: Jasmine, ECE: Shanmugarajan (45th rank). Faculty members and parents were present

Some good news for students waiting for their call letters from TCS. 152 students have been asked to report to Ahmedabad for their training. We are happy that the company is committed to its promise. We are all keeping our fingers crossed for the next batch. Hopefully things should brighten up in the second half of the year.


Preparations are on for the Graduation Day on April 5 in the college. Mr. Pattabiraman of TCS is the Chief Guest.

Today, I saw one of the most improvised motorbikes for a paraplegic gentleman. There it was, by the canteen, a largish, scooter, much like a tempo without the top. Sivalakshmi and I were drawn to it, since it was out of the ordinary. We went close to it to have a better look...and there was a youngish man on his chair with wheels. He seemed delighted by our curiosity and with a very charming smile explained that the scooter was tailor-made for him by one of the boys working at the canteen who was deeply interested in servicing vehicles.

The wide, tempo like bodied scooter had a lever at the side. The gentleman pulled it down and a ramp lowered itself at the back, thus enabling the gentleman on his wheelchair to move up the ramp with his chair and drive the scooter. Truly, it was an ingenuous idea, empowering the challenged young man to have his freedom. When I remarked on this the gentleman nodded his head and smiled very cheerfully. You know, the idea is worth exploring on a commercial basis.

This was one of my best moments today at college for me...it was proof that human wil can design brilliant machines and the same human will can keep one cheerful and enjoying life.

Go...all the way, young man....

Department of English had yet another 'Mission Accomplished'. We conducted a three day Faculty Development Programme on Professional and Personal Efficiency for Facilitators. It was a lesson in student power once more as they took care of the nitty gritty and logistics of the programme. The sense of responsibility is something that one does not easily find nowadays. Dr.Kaushik, Dr. Renuka and Dr.Jahitha Begum offered sessions on various areas of skill development. I shall try to load the course materials for all, provided the Metallurgy department seminar hall computer allows us to copy.

In the meantime, 50 students took up a Pre-test for Univ. of Canbridge in the Mechanical Department. I promise you, the acoustics there is absolutely stunning.

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Evaluation Of Web 2

View more presentations from chitraa.

On Friday, Dept. of CSE had its three day Faculty Development Programme valediction. Ms.Kalpana had asked me to take a session, since one of her resource persons couldn't make it at the last moment. For three days, the net was my companion till 1.30 p.m. as I researched information on Web 2.0 tools.



I presented the PPt on Friday and it was well received by all. I add it to the blog for those interested.



Once again, the web comes up with a lot of information and the trick is in selecting the right information. It is not mere 'Cut and Paste'...a lot of preponderance, contemplation, lip chewing and head scratching goes into the whole process. I did just that.

Ah... as usual, Mechanical guys have had their day...Mekchat 09 was a grand affair this year. Shamianas greeted visitors. A display of their work was on.

There was a junkyard contraption...For the first time, I came to know that a contraption is actually a mechanism that makes a complex job out of a simple one. This one, for example, showed how a balloon can be burst by setting off marbles which rolled all the way setting off mechanical and electrical fittings, to finally burst the balloon. It was quite a fascinating contraption.

There was also a water rocket, which blew right into the trees at trememndous force worked by a foot pressed pedal that increased the pressure and blew the cardboard plane away. It was easy to imagine how the principles of physics have inspired inventions.

There were a few questions for the bibliophiles...that was not me...I couldn't solve even one of those. There was a question...what two 15 letter words have a differnt first letter only. Ans: Rationalisation and nationalisation.

And, there was a graffitti board...filled with hilarious scribbles...Magnificent Mechs and a really funny one : Mechanical engineering is only for bachelors. We had a hearty laugh over it. I thought the graffitti board was a good way to get the thoughts out into a board that seemed to have a million words across it.

Classes are on in full swing...we have everything going on all at the same time...Days are becoming uncomfortably warm. I am sure all the cottons will be coming out soon...

There are so many activities going on in the college, I find it difficult to keep track of everything. ECE has been having a 'Connected Society', a paper presentation session and is preparing for 'Comnet', an annual intra departmental event. CSE has been having its 'Progen-i' and is now preparing for the conference, ' Codeclave'; Mechanical department is having a 2 day annaul conference, 'Mekchat' and is hosting a 3 day FDP on 'Robotics'; Civil department has been having a 6 day programme on ANSYS and is planning a 5 day FDP next month; Metallurgy department is hosting a Service to Community Programme, as is the CSE...Department of Chemistry is hosting a 1 day FDP on...on...can I let you all know tomorrow? And, Department of English is hosting a 3 day FDP on 'Enhancing Professional and Personal Skills for Facilitators'...whew...wasn't that a lot?

Another good news is that all HODs of Engineering departments are being sent to visit universities in different countries in order to understand how they maximise learning in the different engineering departments. It should be a welcome move, since they will all be bringing back some input which might help our students.

Salem is extremely warm...though as usual, the yellow flowers are beginning to carpet the ground. Even yesterday, I saw a young tree decimated to its main trunk near the Planetarium. I feel sad, but, that is the only thing I can do.

What a day it has turned out be! A revelation of sorts. It started off with the second day of examinations for the first year students taking their BULATS paper and the aura of awe that the exam seemed to stir in the external examiners from the engineering streams. All the running around to ensure that the PA systems were working well was by itself a tiring task for us. Once again, it must be acknowledged that TEQIP has helped the department of English the most, because otherwise, there would've been additional responsibilities like hiring, wiring and fixing audio systems from the surrounding villages or Salem and finding that they don't really work when you want them to. The wonderful PA systems in the college were cool, cool and cool.

If that experience wasn't enough for the day, there came the news about the Commissioner's visit to inspect the progress of work on the Digital library and the Language Resource Centre on the 13th.

OMG, there were systems to be brought over from the locker rooms of the ECE department , tiles to be fitted, LAN fixtures and Plasma TV to be put up, motorised projector screen to be fixed, software to be installed and the server to be loaded...

It was here that we discovered angels without wings in the department of CSE. They were ready to help us when they knew of our plight. Boys and girls piled into the ECE block, carried out 60 monitors and 60 CPUs and accessory boxes to the Admin Block.

Willing hands and shoulders moved the heavy boxes to the LRC; students fanned out to the computer platforms as some of them started checking out the device serial number with the number on the box, spread out the accessories on the platforms and started fixing the various plugs and points of the systems. As Brindha remarked, there seem to be as many cables for the CPU as neurons in a human brain. All this was accomplished in two hours.

I would only call it a miracle of genuine interest and dedication to the responsibility of the III year CSE students. It is no wonder that they do well in their professions and are acknowledged for their intelligence and enthusiasm.

What made it all the more enjoyable was the good will shown by the boys as they worked in the dusty and paper strewn, box filled room. And, when the work was over, it was as if there was nothing left to do.

A session of jolly and good natured laughing camera sessions marked the end of the day, but let me admit, there was a warm glow in my heart, though my legs and back ached with the sharp pain of labour that we are not used to.

God bless the children. God bless GCE.

Students are back with a bang...they decidedly look happy to be back.

Today, the seminar halls had to have their PA systems checked for the BULATS test to be taken up by two branches tomorrow.

So, for two days, the department is going to be on its toes.

And, today, while walking the stretch between the Admin block and the Mechanical block, I was shocked to find about 20 strong trees cut down to their main trunk by vandalists. God, I wish a fence was put up around the perimeter to stop these villagers from making a fortune out of the wealth of trees that we have. I was sad, shocked and perturbed by the mindless cutting down of trees.

College is closed indefinitely following government orders. Teachers are attending college. Examinations have been postponed.

A three day training programme on Renewable Resources was organised by the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering from the 27th on. I managed to sit at some of the sessions in between the classes. There were two speakers who were quite interesting. There was Dr.TamilPorai from Anna University, Chennai and incidentally, an old student of the Mech department of GCE.

His slides were interesting, but not extraordinary, but believe me, the teacher in him was there in the last slide, where he had asked the audience to ruminate on a few facts and come to conclusions themselves. One was that the Kyoto Agreement on Greenhouse gases emission did not apply to India since we were nowhere near the threshold levels and did not need to look at alternatives as immediate needs when there were other developmental activities requiring attention. Secondly, the investment in Unconventional sources of energy was huge, huge and far beyond the money being spent on conventional sources.

Well, was he advocating renewable resources or not, asked the participants. For me, answers were not needed...he was stimulating the minds of the young, by telling them don't accept anything at face value or because it is propogated by the Developed World. Think and decide. I found him a different teacher...one who gives facts and lets the learner decide on the lessons to be learnt therein.

The next talk to interest came from Mr.Sivasubramaniam, a TNEB Executive Engineer who showed with statistics and very simple examples how power consumption has increased manifold. From just 234 mw in the 1900s, Tamil today generates ten times that power generation and how by 2100, the need is going to be in hundreds of thousands. He quoted examples from industries which use bad power conservation techniques and how our habit of using second hand electrical appliances causes dmage. He showed how appliances can be used to the optimum by observing some simple, basic techniques. The best part of his talk was not that there was a lot of information for the participants, but that there was credibility in his simplicity. One came away feeling that there was something that each one could do as an individual to bring about the desired change.

This is what the TEQIP is about...qualitative change in the mindset of even a few can change the quality of life for society.

Another surprise about the training was the compereing done by Kirubanidhi and Alwin Subash as they did it casually and yet with the right tone that did not deter one from the seriosuness of the training. Their responses to the sessions, their agenda presentation and the coherence that they imparted to the programme in their humorous (not silly or fatuous) manner spoke well of them. As an English teacher, I realised that they had not overstepped their roles as presenters and yet had the audience loving their interludes and laughing at their good mannered comments. Well done, boys. GCE boys, you prove it time and again...there is a spark in you all waiting to becoming leaping flames brightening all around.

God bless our boys.

On the 20th there was a training programme on Research Trends and Plagiarism offered by the ECE Department. The Principal of TPGIT was the Chief Guest. I did attend the inaugural function and then went away to the two hour class with the III year CSE, hoping to come back for the afternoon session. Sadly, there was a sudden spurt of work in the department and I had to forgo the training. It was a disappointing thing...However, there were a number of young research scholars who were attending and who would've definitely benefitted from the sessions.

In this connection, I am surprised that most students are not aware that paper presentation requires a little original contribution to work already carried out. They identify a topic from the abstracts downloaded from websites and copy and paste all relevant information on that topic from their web searches. This is really sad... I remember my son telling me that when he did his M.S., their assignments were put through a software that detected plagiarism of even the miniscule kind. Students are capable of good work, if only they know the right way and are guided along it. Teachers have a huge responsibility in this regard.

The unofficial confirmation doing the rounds is 'We have got AUTONOMY'.

Celebrate all ye GCEians.

This is great news.

The Yoga raining imparted to 41 trainees, who included members from the teaching, non-teaching faculty and students from the college on completion of their yoga dheekshai are leaving for the Esha Dhyana Centre at Vellingiri foothills tomorrow. Others are also joining them, yours truly being one of them. I am excited and look forward to the trip.

The terrible Oil Strike seems to be hitting us all real deep. The college bus will not ply on the 12th and 13th, this time the non availability of petrol and diesel being the excuse. There was a lively discussion on how one day we might have to commute by bicycle rather like the Parisians during the II World War and how we might have to pack a little food for the onward journey to the college. Will that come about? All these Star Movies which forecast doomsday scenarios are leaving a 'Deep Impact' on me I think!

I hate technology...it fails you when you most need it. It failed us today when the first years were given their third series test in English.

What with these kids giving even series tests like the actual ESOL papers, we have to hold the tests in seminar halls to facilitate the listening test. Today, the system in my hall had a corrupt audio driver, the sound cord was fitted into another system, the copy of the audio CD had faulty recording for some ten questions. And, in the other halls, the CD wouldnt open...or, it played at a low volume...OMG, did we have a hectic three and a half hours from 2 to 5.30 p.m. And, all this for the simple series test which used to be a breeze in the past. Well, every good thing comes at a cost. We were happy that we were all in the same well....

Went to the canteen to cool ourselves at about 5.45 p.m. Aah...there was soft parotta, a spicy kurma that tasted like it was spiced up with chicken stock...there was small, spongy dosa served with hot garam chutney. A compense for the long, frustrating hours in the halls.... There was even kothhu parotta, with eggs and without eggs. Cool draughts of badam kheer chilled us out...

I guess there might be something more for tomorrow...just as we were leaving at six, we heard a rumour that there was a theft in the hostel....

Department of CSE organised its Progen -i, 8.2 today. Shri. P.Vasudevan, Senior Manager, HR, TCS was the chief guest. He was there to award the Best Student Award instituted by TCS last year. This year, Anjana Devi with 88% was chosen to receive the award.

At the inaugural function, the chief guest gave a rousing speech to the students on the need to be industry ready, to have good communication skills and to desire perfection in all tasks.

He highlighted the fact that in today's competitive and recession hit IT industry, the need of the hour was to be ready for the industry, in terms of its requirements and work environment. He said animals survived because they lived for the moment, the moment of kill, the moment of survival. The next day was immaterial. The present trend in industries is to survive and survive they will because they are able to diversify and branch out. He asked students to find out what platforms were being used in projects and to equip themselves with good knowledge of the organisational and client needs.

Next, he stressed the need for good communication skills, not just in English, but now that the IT industry had to look elsewhere than just US for its markets, to also learn atleast one foreign language - Japanese, French, Portuguese, German to name a few. He also pointed out that memorising atleast five new words from the dictionary and using them during the course of the day and reading and watching news channels including business news channels would go a long way in mastering vocabulary and speaking skills. He mentioned his teacher from Loyola who taught him this mantra.

He wondered aloud why three precious months should be spent on training when students should come well equipped to them.

Thirdly, he unequivocally called for a spirit of quest in students.

He narrated the story of how Japanese fishermen on finding that the yield of fish for their sushi was falling due to fish that were brought dead thought of a plan to bring them fresh to the market. They constructed tanks in the boats that kept fish alive and fresh till they were brought to the market. There was still no market as people were dissatisfied with the fish - they claimed that the fish were lethargic and dull. That spoilt the taste.The poser he had was, what do you think the Japanese did to bring active and super fresh fish. The audience didn't have an answer to that. He informed us that the Japanese added a shark to the tank of fish and in that struggle for survival and strategies that the fish had to adopt to keep alive they were active, smart and fresh. The sushi was absolutely divine. He wanted students to be able to keep themselves abreast of the industry's needs and be able to serve their employers well.

He appreciated students of GCE for their hard work, intelligence and commitment and assured students that TCS would surely be recruiting students from GCE just for these fine qualities and had only one request to make - to remember the three guidelines he had just given. I liked the speech for the clarity, organisation and power packed in it. He had the audience listening to him in rapt silence.

There were more surprises - he had already refused the hotel accommodation. He stayed at the college guest house. He just joined the faculty and students in the simple buffet lunch served under the shamiana and spent a leisurely half an hour chatting with the staff and students. I know Indian industry , especially the Tatas is headed in the right direction with the right values. This young man was prime example of this.

There were events like paper presentation, quiz and Mad Ad for the participants along with a host of other technical events like debugging and a few other names that I am not able to recall now.

The first years have started their final series test and soon it will be time for them to give their exams. 2009 is at the doorstep and what an eventful year has 2008 been. 2009 promises to be as chocabloc with activities and plans as 2008, what with autnomy that may come through. God Bless GCE.

I saw the most incredible sight this morning in the campus...two snowy white egrets were walking alongside two of the stray cattle. (I believe that these birds share a symbiotic relationship with cattle picking ticks off them).The moment they flew up, spreading their long wings, they were truly beautiful. I hope, after the butterflies, birds will now find a haven in the campus. It is surprising that birds have not made GCE their home in spite of the many trees here.

Anna University, CBE has now introduced the Examination Management System to administer examinations online. As with any innovation, there are teething problems...hopefully they should disappear soon.

The first years are finally getting ready to face the last two or three weeks of their semester...we've never had classes for this long a time for the first years. And, their Innovative Work which forms a part of their internal assessment is showing us yet another facet of students - they are creative when they go beyond their texts.

Am very excited about the call from Ebek who conducted the BULAT examination for our students last semester.

Two of our students, T.M.Aravindhan and Ajay Paul of the Mechanical Engineering branch have qualified for a competition conducted by Ebek, Anna University, CBE and the University of Cambridge.

If they win the competition against the 68 others, they get to visit London and the University of Cambridge free of all costs.

They were shortlisted on the basis of their marks in the BULAT international certification examination which our first year students take up under Anna University, CBE.

Congratulations to our two boys...they are winners already, since from among the 6000 odd students they have found a place among the top 70.

They have scored an 'O' with 97 marks. The competition is on Sunday and the winners are going to be selected by Cambridge representatives. This is wonderful news for the Department of English. I would also attribute it to the natural talent of the boys in language learning.

It's raining cats and dogs from Cyclone Nisha. There is a steady drizzle that has not let up since yesterday. The University examinations sheduled for yesterday and today are cancelled due to the rains. Yesterday, the college wore a deserted look with only the first years braving the downpour to sit in the dark and damp classrooms...well, atleast for the morning. The district authorities declared a holiday and so students went back to the hostels and homes in the rain.

How beautiful it is to see trees dripping drops of rainwater in silvery thin cascades. The looming Yercaud hills are shrouded in clouds and one cannot even see the Perumal temple on that hillock near Kuruguchavadi.

The canteen sold some delicious sapottas. They were definitely a better sight than the oil-shiny samosas kept on the tray. Why cannot they open up a fruits counter? Children might have healthier snacks that way.

I also wish they sold lemon tea, that refreshing and glittering ,golden yellow nectar that refreshes the mind and body like nothing else. But then, in the midst of coffee and tea lovers that might be asking for too much.

New proposals have been submitted for consideration under TEQIP-Phase II.

Students are seen with their noses buried in books and notes. It really is a pleasure sometimes to see students evince such tangible interest in their books. Teachers, perhaps, are the only ones happy that the books are being put to such good use by their students, though they all know it is but a flash in the pan kinda happiness.

Seriously, the halls are overflowing with students everywhere, in most departments and the poor first years trot from one block to another every other day to find their classroom allotted for the day.

Video conferencing with GCT, Coimbatore was facilitated at our campus. The Principals and the Heads of Departments conferred with one another on the use of video conferencing in teaching our students. It was mututally agreed upon by the departments to fix certain days to deliver lectures and talks to students on appointed days.

For me, personally, this marks the slow but steady pace at which technology is catching up with GCE.

The first year classes are all shifted to the different corners of the campus...one here and another there, in a manner of speaking, due to the higher semester examinations to be held in the various halls. It means long helathy morning walks from the admin block to the farthest corners of the campus, like the Mechanical block. The students are happy, because their walks are cut short by a kilometre or so...

Anand, an old student of the Metallurgy department came to say hi to me...was thrilled to learn that the boy has done his M.E. in IIT, Kharagpur and is taking up research in a Canadian University. The number of boys going abroad seems to be on the increase.

Department of Computer Science is holding training programmes in C and C++ in the evenings for 62 students, including some who have registered from the neighbouring Karuppur village. This is encouraging news because otherwise students go out and spend more than four thousand bucks for such trainings. And, knowing the department of Computer Science, students can be assured of quality training. Such endeavours are of mutual benefit...

Everyone is busy these days preparing documents for many panels and committees from univeristies and TEQIP and college. All this means more and more book-keeping and documentation work. Perhaps, all benefits come at a cost.

The Autonomous Status Committee visited the college today in an effort to assess if the college has the necessary credentials to be granted autonomy. It is yet another step forward for the institution.

The panel interacted with the faculty and elucidated on the advantages and disadvantages of the autonomous status from the faculty's point of view. They sounded the warning bell that while a lot of freedom may come in the academic organisation, it may also entail more work, longer work hours and more effort from teachers...are we ready for the transition.

Well, having been through the long and arduous process of TEQIP, it was felt by all that this was a challenge that teachers could accept, albeit with a little hesitation and reservation.

However, there under TEQIP if the effort was more to improve the infrastructure, here the effort would be to learn to be dynamic leaders, administrators and constantly learning teachers.

Teachers here are the focus of attention, since on their shoulders rests the success of the autonomy status which offers students more flexibility and choice.

I feel that everything has to be given time to be assessed. Will autonomy be good? Or better still, effective? Time alone can be the best judge. In the meantime should I remember Tennyson's 'Ours is not to reason why, But to do and die? '

I keep telling this, but I cannot tell it but once more...the rainwashed campus is one of the most serene sights I have ever seen in Salem...and sometime back, one of the trees in the large open space between the admin block and the computer science block had bloomed and the fragrance of the flower laden tree made me think that there were some trees that were trying to commune through their fragrance. The fragrance on this tree was light, subtle and yet lingering...The road near the Metallurgy department was laid afresh. It looked so neat and clean.

I do believe the canteen fare is sometimes quite bland...this, in spite of the fact that at times, it offers delicious food ...sometimes...I think, the quality is compromised when quantity demands it.

The college is awash with drenched trees and open grounds. The damp smell and wetness is so refreshing, considering the fact that I live in an urban jungle.
The online examination went off with considerable comfort for the third year students. The exams were conducted from 7 to 10 for the lab sessions, owing to the power crunch faced by Salemites.
All practical examinations are going on in all departments. So, the campus is silent for the most part.

This Saturday has been a wonderful experience for me...I listened to one of the distinguished speakers in English - Dr. Noel Irudhyaraj of Bharathidasan University. He is a walking encyclopedia of English Language Theories. He took us through the entire gamut of syntax, pragmatics, competence, skills with respect to the reading skills. It was a revelation as to how knowledge gives a speaker the power to convince people. He knew etymologies like the lines on his palms; he knew the theorists as if they were reared in his home; he knew theories as if they were learnt at his mother's knee. Academics like these are a rarity and should be cherished for their knowledge.

All said and done, at the end of the day, the teacher depends on her/his own strengths and resources considered as best suited for the class he/she handles.

As for the campus, everything is quietening down for the exams. One sees students in droves running arund tying up all the loose ends of class work.

What one does not see this time of the year are the butterflies which used to move in thousands across the vast spaces of the college. What is happening? I hope some naturalist has an answer to this question. I really do miss this sight this year.

It is with sadness that I write this to tell all the readers about a young man Gopi, a student of the ECE department who passed away after a long and cruel battle with leukemia. About a fortnight ago, this student had visited Dr.Wahida Banu, his HOD, to tell her that he was getting admitted in the hospital and would be hospitalised for sometime. He also met Mr.SenthilMurugan, his Advisor and broke out into heart-wrenching sobs because he was scared. Mr. Senthil Murugan had offered him encouraging words and sent him home. Just two days later, the boy passed away.

My prayers for the young man and his family.

I am really sad that many times I do not know if someone needs comfort and if I can brighten up the child's day in some way or the other.

I am sleeping, dreaming, eating and drinking 'quotations', 'proposals' ,'comparative statements', 'assignments', 'record note books', attendance statements, 'Lab based exams', 'online tests', 'patch cords' etc for the past three weeks. Work is proceeding at a feversih pitch for the Language Resource Centre. For all this, maybe, I may not roast in Hell after all.

To top it all, I have been asked to prepare a 'Diagonostic Test' to test the proficiency level of our students in English. Am trying my best to first of all understand the dynamics of the test and the methodology to be followed in the design of such a test. However, with all the background study of it, I see a ray of light and hopefully, the task should be over by mid October.

Once again, students of the third year surprise us with their hard work for the Communication Skills Lab. The long hours of classes, the entire afternoon sometimes, seem to have paid off, as we hear of more students participating in paper presentations and winning prizes. And, their presentations on general topics are amazing...all very interesting and visually enriched. How well they present their ideas! Well, there may be one or two who may not be entirely good, but then, I feel teachers should be tolerant of students and not always expect the best. Sometimes, it is just not their day and everything goes wrong, including at the presentation in the English class. That's O.K. There should not be only X Men in a class... there may be a few slow takers.

Department of ECE celebrated "World Web Day" by inviting school students and teachers to an introduction to the world of Web. I was asked to give a short talk on Blogs (to my delight) and did so willingly. This was followed by talks by students and faculty. I believe that this was a good introduction, but due to internet failure there could be no live demo. That would have made it so interesting.
Exams are drawing close and I am on tenterhooks. How can life be so cruel...I mean, the semester started just now, seems like yesterday, and it is already time for exams! Instructions and more instructions from us must be making students' lives more and more misreable...I am sure we teachers will roast in the flames of Hell for such unkind acts!

Days are flying by in a flurry...the third year students are being groomed for their placement cum communication skills lab by the seniors who are holding mock interviews..believe me when I say they put the fear of God into the hearts of the juniors. The department is glad that the students have taken a lot of effort to give the students their first taste of interviews. They also wanted to give them some input on G.Ds. However, our biggest worry right now is holding the English lab component of the examination which requires LAN connections. Every year this poses a problem, because only now we find that systems have to be loaded with suitable software for the conduct of the exams. I, for one, will really be grateful to the merciful God when the Language Resource Centre (Language Lab) is completed. That might solve some of our misery...

Did I hear somebody say that interviews can be a breezy experience if you are well prepared and are calm? Ha...what an understatement, as I found out yesterday. As part of the Career Advancement scheme, as one moves to another scale or whatever, one faces a panel which decides if the employee is worthy of the upward movement. So, the TRB recruits of 2001 faced the experts' panel and the Commissioner on the 11th and the 12th. Mine was slotted for the 12th morning at GCT, Coimbatore.

The shock of seeing other colleagues emerge from the room is by itself unnerving. I thought I was handling it quite well by indulging in small talk and shop talk with friends. However, Vijay Anbalagan refused to talk or sing as is his wont and preferred to wander about. I was the second last to be called in. The shock hit me hard. There was the Commissioner himself and the ten other panel members to make the room smaller. No walls or windows are visible. The eyes play tricks and only these people fill one's vision. It looks like they are all waiting to ask questions and as one turns around ( the turnable computer chair made it seem like one was on a merry-go-round), the mouth turns dry and the lips seem to stick to one another. The heart is heard thudding...you wonder if the others can hear it...for the first few questions you only hear yourself as if from an echoing room. Then slowly sanity prevails and you begin to notice that everyone is trying their best to put you at ease. It seems easier to answer questions, if one is courteous, open and smiling.

After one has finished the interview, one savours every moment and tries very hard to recall every single moment...hard though it is. To admit, I shall never tell my students that interviews only require good preparation. Having expereinced it all first hand, I now empathise with my students who face these hard nosed campus interviewers in order to nail that job. Hats off to my students. They are brave, soldierly and can be called the courageous knights of the present day. And, if you dont agree with me, face an interview board and you will certainly know that I speak nothing but the truth. It is always easier to be the interviewer than the interviewed.

ECE had a gala valediction of the year long Embedded Design Contest conducted with Frontline, an Indo-Japanese Microcontroller company. There were students from far flung colleges and Mr.Kirowasaki, the Japanese CEO of the company was very happy with the enthusiastic participation from the colleges. Mr.Elwin Chandra Moni, AD, DOTE was also there. The department of ECE keeps involving students in several such projects.

By the way, Shri.Vijay Sharma, CEO, JSW, Salem distributed the JSW-GCE Scholarships to 6 meritorious students at SFAME at the annual inaugural function. As usual, it was a pleasure to listen to Shri Vijay Sharma...he narrated how he had started very humbly in life with the help of a scholarship at one point during his studies. He exhorted students to realise that when they earn in lakhs, they must remember that somewhere students might need financial support and at that time, they must extend a helping hand. It was leading by example...

And ah, the high point of this week for me has been the visit by one of our alumnae. The tall, lanky, stubble cheeked, unkempt and hollow-cheeked youngster who had seemed anxious, worried and undecided had gone. There he was - confident, cheerful and truly humbled by the experiences he had had at college.

"I am glad college taught me a few precious lessons...some very bitter ones. I loved a friend and lost her friendship, because I couldn't accept the fact that I had insulted friendship by imagining that I loved the girl. I was not a very sociable person then...I wanted friends to accept me as I was... and I learnt that one has to also accept the others as they are. I learnt that by judging my friends, I had lost them. The job has given me confidence that I can do something in life, as I was selected at a training session to become a Management trainee...I have decided to learn one good thing from someone around me everyday..." and this outpouring of emotions and pent-up thoughts came like a torrent. I could only gape in open-mouthed awe at this immense transformation...what is life at college not possible of?

Nasence 08, the ELA inauguration got off to a great start with an inaugural function. The present secretary Imtiaz Sheriff must be congratulated for the team that he co-ordinated - for, it wasn't just the Secretary who spearheaded the effort to introduce the first year students to ELA as part of their contribution to the personality development of our freshers. Student power was at its most visible strength today, as they all got together to delegate responsibilities, share work and contribute to the successful fruition of the programme. Five boys showed us what a team could do. For the first time in all these years, the ELA had its own inauguration. That itself was a laudable effort. They also have a number of plans to work with the department and on their own to help students realise their language power. The quiz organised by them for the occasion was quite interesting - neither too difficult, nor too easy. There is a plan afoot to upload the report on to the college website. I believe that these small efforts will go a long way in strengthening the student community's effort to give the institution a persona of its own. After all, a college is what its students are.

Department of ECE is conducting a three day training programme on VLSI for students. Department of English also organised a workshop on 'CV Writing and Interview Techniques' with the British Council of India and TEQIP, sponsoring the programme. The students enjoyed the presentation and responded well to the speaker. Mr.Ralph, the professional trainer and facilitator of the British Council was welcomed by the III Year students for whom the programme was conducted. They say they have picked up a few useful tips. However, they have to begin theri preparations in earnest to make a mark in the next academic year.

Prof.S.R.Damodarasamy was promoted as Principal, GCE, Salem 11 and Prof.Kavimani as Principal, GEC, Bargur on Monday by the Directorate.
A common syllabus for all the Anna Universities has come through this semester. However, there seem to be some bottlenecks, since the English syllabus is different in the university at Chennai and Coimbatore. Everything should be clear in a week, else teachers are going to meander around without clear directions from the University.
However, teachers are always resourceful, so they are sure to find ways and means to handle the challenge.

I am literally bursting with information - the NBA panel comprising senior academicians from IITs, NITs and Universities was at college for the last two days. Two days of strenuous activity, a little stressful too, since the panel had hundreds of questions and also had to be taken around on a whirlwind tour of the college. One could not guess what their reaction was. Well, I can only sigh; I am also keeping my fingers crossed, because as an insider, I know the amount of hard work, sweat and hopes that have gone into the preparation for the past two months. All this, for the sake of our students.

The Alumni can take pride in the fact that they contributed in no small measure to the success of the feedback they gave to the panel, during the interaction that the panel had with the alumni and the industry. There were star guests and alumni who included Dr.Annamalai, Director of SAIL, Salem and first HOD of Metallurgy , and also an alumnae, Shri.Vijai Sharma, CEO, Jindal Steels, GM of Burn Standard, Paul of CTS and Simon of CSC, Noel of ISRO and a number of other notable members of the GCE alumni and Industry. The feedback given by Shri Vijai Sharma was the most appreciated for the comprehensiveness, completeness and effectiveness in terms of the expectations of the Panel about the role of industry. The alumni were also most sincere and appreciative in their assessment of the college. Mr. Pandian, Asst.GM, marketing (Exports) had gone that extra mile to ensure the success of the meet. The Panel wholeheartedly appreciated the feedback given at the meet.

I only wish they give a favourable confirmation and that formal accreditation is given to the college from the AICTE based on their overview.

The first year classes began yesterday. I went to the EEE classes and found that even with my laryngitis, I managed to chat with students via the old and trusted blackboard. Students were so good to me, because I found that they were responding very well to their dumb (!) teacher with deep understanding, spontaneity and sympathy writ large on their faces. In fact, there were more students talking to me than in normal times - perhaps, I speak more then or perhaps, the exhortations that we make to students to speak only ensure silence!When the bell went off (five minutes earlier due to the department clock running five minutes earlier than the rest of the clocks in the college), I was happy to have had a different kind of teaching experience. Makes one appreciate the little voice box. Wonder if classes would be more interesting to students if teachers talked less!!!

The last piece of good news that came just as I was leaving college for the day was that Zinnov, the company run by three of our alumni - Pari, who has written in earlier and is one of the directors of Zinnov, was visiting the college to recruit our students. It was one of the most uplifting news for me. I do believe that the alumni is so deeply involved in the welfare of its juniors that such motivating and inspiring gestures come spontaneously. Good for you Pari and co. God bless you boys. (However, I am sad that I will not be meeting your HRs to extend my personal greetings to you all - am on leave today).

The NBA fever is on. Everybody is in a tizzy preparing files and documents and records. The panel is visiting the college on the 8th,9th and 10th of this month.

Change is the law of nature. How true this is of GCE, Salem, which sees changes every year, with new batches of freshers for the various departments, with new challenging tasks every semester, perhaps, I should also add, new approaches to teaching and learning too. We have the admission process for the first year students and it should be one big fiesta, as always. Fear, anxiety, excitement, pride and joy can all be seen in their gamut tomorrow. What a moment it is for many families...as a beloved son or daughter is sent away from the home environs into a new place of professional studies. I share in the joy of all.

I've discovered the most amazing use of the net...the availability of free course materials for engineering offered by the IITs. I checked the web page and wow...it is something similar to the MIT venture. Our students can immensely benefit from this.

-Good Initiative taken by IIT's & IISc (This is really useful for continuous learners) The IITs have taken up an initiative of starting online teaching and thus have started offering course materials online for every engineering stream.Many professors from all the IITs have provided course materials for each chapter and each subject.One has to register at the link provided below and can access the course material free of cost.Every Chapter has been described with diagrams and charts. Please spread this message to everyone, as many can benefit from this program taken up by the government and IIT.This is just a trial period going on and hence i request everyone to register at the link given.1] Type the following address on internet explorer http://www.nptel.iitm.ac.in/ 2] Click on Courses 3] Sign up as a NEW USER 4] And one can access any course material.Please spread the word, so that this initiative benefits as many students as possible.

I do not know how else I can spread this information...so this is one of my efforts. Shall try other means too.

Principal Ebenezer Jeyakumar retires from service today. However, the farewells were hosted yesterday. It was quite strange actually - there was more a sense of intense pride in having been a part of the Principal's achievements in everyone of us than an acute feeling of sadness that such a fine man was leaving us. It is my fervent hope and prayer that the next principal will carry on with the momentum created by him. In the farewell speech, he highlighted what he hadn't done or was leaving incomplete and attributed the success of the college's performance to his team of professors, teachers and other supporting staff. The placement officer, Mr. Rajkumar offered the best piece of news for the Principal - that Appollo Tyres had taken in 5 of our students and with that the placement figures for the year stands at 98.5%. All GCEians can take pride in this, immense pride!

Professor Damodarsamy assumes charge as Principal-in-charge.

For the first time, I visited the quarters to invite friends and others in the B,C and D type quarters. Was amazed at the size of each of the houses. Spacious, airy and opening on to huge open spaces outside ...birds of various kinds chirping, fluting and cawing...everything was so serene, calm and peaceful. I then heard that all this would be razed down by Periyar University to house its departments and that the housing quarters for GCE would be moved closer to the IOC filling and storage station..to inhale its pure fumes and breathe in its gassy fragrance. How could life be so cruel?

But then, as with everything else, life must go on...

Vacation starts for me from today. However, I must confess it is to be utilised more for my son's wedding preparations than any serious academic pursuit or professional updation. But, nothing shall deter me from enjoying my son's wedding, not the exams, not the valuations , not journal deadlines, not article writing.

I must share the latest whisper doing the rounds in the college...the government seems to have given its NOC for granting autonomy to GCE. It will be a milestone in the annals of the college...the transition from a dependent infant to an independent toddler. Since the actual mechanism of autonomy and what it means for the department of English is still not clear to me, I hope that it will bring about some changes in tune with the needs of the day in technical education.

This set me thinking...it looks like the government has given GCE all it needs by way of infrastructure and is now ready to let it go in its own way... the way a mother lets go off her children once they grow up so that they can fight, lose, survive, win and make their own lives. The law of nature works everywhere.

Even as teachers and students prepare for the vacation and study holidays respectively, one finds hundred and one tasks to be completed before one can really sit back and sigh and say, "Ah, the work for the year is over!' AU, Coimbatore had online examination application forms for the students...and paucity of staff led to students themselves going online at the college, downloading the forms and filling them online...something that one could not have imagined earlier.

The canteen nowadays has more customers from the nearby Periyar University, since theirs is of the stuff shoe leather and reindeer horns are made of - tough on the teeth and bad for digestion. Or so, some of them have confessed. Good to know that the GCE canteen is appreciated. I'm sure all GCEians will be happy to hear this. The vadai is great stuff...the thattapayir kolambu is ...slurppp...the rasam , watery but tasty...the poriyal oniony and coconutty...it is not blameless, but it is not poor either. And oh, the rosemilk and badam kheer...served in tall plastic tumblers, is chill, sweet and satisfying these hot summer days. Chappathis are served on special request too...

I attended a one-day training programme on the Cambridge certificate exam to be taken up by the II semester students in accordance with Anna University's decision on the curriculum for them. E-Bek to whom this has been outsourced arranged for the training. The resource person was Professor Robert Bellarmine, an expert in training trainers.

What a revelation the experience was! At 67 years of age, this professor retains his intuition for teaching and is able to sensitively understand the mood of the class, in this case, an 80 odd group of recalcitrant teachers, including me who has unreservedly accepted the challenge of the BEC module as trainer and examiner, unable to accept the change in the classroom.

I say this, because to most of us used to the regularity in teaching English - traditional, technical and communicative, the challenge to train students for an international certification was difficult. Teachers were apprehensive since they had no idea what exams they were preparing students for and what role they had to play in the present semester; they were in the dark about the certificate and the methodology of training students for the certificate course.

Though the whole training has come in late for all of us, Professor Bellarmine was outstanding as a trainer. His class did not have not one boring moment, as he took us through the various stages of preparing and training our students for BULATS, the certificate examination to be taken up by our second semester students. His impassive face cracks up into a smile when he notices his trainees enjoying the logic and mischief in his games, stories and activities. He is professional yet retains a humorous touch. He is so tuned to the intricacies of the trainees' responses that it was a joy to observe the manner in which he dealt with the questions, answers, ' worries and queries' (as he put it).

Now we can go ahead with our next batch of students with a sense of direction, purpose and particiaption.

As for the students, they love this pattern of examination. I also personally support this move by the University because the certificate examination has global acceptance and validity. It also assesses the level of language competence through well researched question papers in a manner that is much better than the subjective evaluation that is done in valuation camps.

However, several bottlenecks have to be removed to make it a more student friendly credit. If it can be done, nothing more revolutionary than this could come about in making students industry prepared from the communication and language skills perspective. From here, students can move on to other advanced certificates offered by Cambridge University. The opportunities are endless.

Everyone's getting busy with exams, practicals, internal assessments, bullying children into submission of records, revaluations, farewells and studies. It is as if the summer heat is catching up in academic work also. Salem is unbearably hot. I wish there were juice dispensers instead of water in the departments. And, oh, the external examiners for English Communication Skills Lab for the third years were taken aback by the seminar halls in the departments. The swanky furniture and air-conditioned halls really hit them hard. Tee..hee.. A strange silence has already fallen upon the corridors...senior students have taken seriously to their studies...the theory exams begin on May 3rd. Only the first years have their classes and they are a noisy lot..they are.
A student was remarking the other day that farewells give you a hard knock since you realise that your happy and carefree days are drawing to a close. They are well aware that hard and harsh realities of life await them. WIPRO has given the recruits CDs to prepare for the entry examination which has to be cleared by the recruits in order to be absorbed or confirmed. I understand their feelings. The days of pure living-for-oneself and friends will come to a gradual close and they will slowly become used to carving professional careers for themselves. I pray that our children go out into this world armed with intelligence and values.

I feel like jumping vigorously, shaking a leg or two, doing a jig and yipeeing to the open skies...Kamaraj, an old student of the college from the 1970 batch, based in Dubai was in college today and he has short listed 8 students - 1 from Mechanical, 6 from EEE and 1 from Civil.

My extreme reaction stems from the fact that these shortlisted children had been facing pangs of anxiety and dips in their self-esteem level,, cos they hadn't been selected due to some reason or the other by the corporate giants of India and here comes their saviour holding out his hands to his juniors, all becase he has implicit and unshakeable faith in the ability of a GCEian.

As the Principal, Dr. Ebenezer Jeyakumar remarked, ' Intha mathiri veri varanum...namma college paiyyan place aganum enra veri varanum ovoru old studentukkum- PSG placement intha mathiri thaan aguthu' (All old students must have this ferocious desire to see his college students placed in good jobs. PSG placements are largely due to loyalty to the alma mater and wholehearted effort by PSG alumni).

Kamaraj, God bless you and all the GCEian alumni who are taking efforts in their own ways to put GCE on the global map. You do not know how much joy you have put in an old woman's heart, since I have seen these children start their professional studies from really challenged backgrounds and seen them also rise to perfect their technical skills and communication skills. The world is still alright.

Just imagine...the English test for the first years was held in the auditorium to the full strength of 370 students. The superb audio system made it possible to play the CD for the listening task to the entire group. Anyways, am glad the task is over. And, I do think education is getting more sophisticated. The series test for the first years was an OMR based test.

As confessed earlier in one of the blogs, I am an inveterate GECOFEST lover. This year was scintillating too...SaravanaKumar, the dancer who made his mark even in his first year as a performer par excellence was the Arts Secretary and he had gone to great lengths to make it a memorable one. As has become the practice, the final years hosted the events and competitions and gave guest performances.

Our new audio system is awesome...the POPE speakers boom out the music and the speeches are crystal clear. It was a joy to listen to the system. There are now two speakers on the stage to enable speakers and performers on the dais to listen to the audio. (Once again, we can thank TEQIP and the Principal for all this).

The ear-piercing whistles, the guttural screams and mind blowing screeches , I am sure, are an eternal feature and as old as colleges all over the world, and though there were some attempts to silence the boys, I am glad to say, the noise added to the atmosphere. I mean, how can GECOFEST be GECOFEST without all these? And, I've always wondered from where their energy comes? The audience electrify the hall with their sense of participation. The Art Gallery put up some of my favourite paintings and pencil drawings from our artists. There's Gopi, Sowmiya Narayan, Murugan, Sherine and so many others who had so delicately and beautifully drawn and painted their pictures. The pots acquired a beauty of their own with the paintings on them. The Rangolis were a little disappointing.

Some of us teachers were glued to the seats from morning till evening except for the lunch breaks. Our children made us laugh so much that one was glad for the gift of students in a teacher's life.

All together, a very happy two-day affair.

What a month of celebrations and achievements! Tamil Mandram brought out 'Agaram', a Tamil Literary magazine commemorating the Golden Jubilee Year. A Professor of Tamil, from the Periyar University was the Chief Guest. He decided wisely to talk of love as a theme of poems, since that would engage the attention of students. He pointed out how some of the good poems in the magazine related to the theme of love and co-related them with Mu.Mehtha's poems. I was grinning to myself, 'cos there we were, talking to our first years in class about the wisdom of not engaging their attention in matters of the heart till they were about 27 years old and here they were being told that love seemed to be one of the chief areas of interest. More on that later.

Just the other day, a student, who is auditorily and orally challenged, approached me with the father and some friends. He had failed in English and two more papers and the parent wanted to know why he had failed and what could be done. I have observed this student ...he is so cheerful that he makes you give him a happy smile in return, is attentive and even tries to repsond orally when I forgetfully ask him a question or two. I told the parent that he needed his friends ' help in understanding the quantum of work done and work alloted in class and suggested that they request the Principal to allow him to take up a hostel room. Believe me, the Principal once again showed the generous side and not only allotted him a room, but also awarded him the SISCOL scholarship of Rs.20,000/. I was taken aback when I heard about this...understanding the need of a student and responding sympathetically makes a bureaucrat a good leader.

The Hostel Day of the Boys is celebrated as usual with grand preparations and co-ordinated team work from boys. The invitation was tastefully selelcted...the name of the Day even more so..it was "Lion's Den, 2008'. Oh, our boys really do have a way with words.

A scientist and Advisor, Dr.G.J.Samathanam, Dept. of S&T, Government of India, visited the college for a special faculty interaction meet. Dr.G.J.Samathanam elaborated on the funding agencies in India and enlightened the faculty on the various sources available for funds for projects, etc.

In the present scenario, I feel that the visit was timely and necessary. Time has come when government funding will soon dry up, leaving institutions to generate funds for their academic activities. Young teachers should learn to tap sources for research and projects. There are talks about six new technical affiliating universites and everything is in a state of flux in the six government colleges. Young teachers must be ready for every eventuality and be prepared to face academic reforms and challenges. They will have to shoulder the responsibility of identifying funding agencies and partners.

The Principal must be lauded for his foresight and vision in inviting Dr.G.J.Samathanam, even as he is preparing to lay down his mantle as principal this year. His dynamism is good for technical education.

Reproduced below is the report found in The Hindu Online of Dr.Samathanam's visit.

Online edition of India's National NewspaperMonday, Mar 03, 2008ePaper Mobile/PDA Version

Tamil Nadu Come up with cutting edge, competitive research proposals, academics told
Staff Reporter
Union Government keen on encouraging students with exceptional talent
Photo: E. Lakshmi Narayanan Sharing his views: Department of Science and Technology Advisor G.J. Samathanam addressing the faculty members of Government College of Engineering in Salem on Saturday. —
SALEM: Department of Science and Technology (DST) Advisor G.J. Samathanam called upon the academic community to come up with cutting edge and competitive research proposals.
Interacting with the faculty members of Government College of Engineering here on Saturday, Mr. Samathanam expressed serious concern over the lack of high-profile research proposals from the universities and colleges.
The academicians should have the vision to come up with proposals of great scientific importance, which would ensure knowledge addition.
Many academicians, he said, still approached DST just to seek travel grant for attending seminars abroad. We had a number of programmes to support them to carry out research. They should make full use of these programmes, he said.
Mr. Samathanam regretted that a majority of the projects submitted by the PhD and M. Tech students did not carry any significant value.
Faculty members should encourage PhD students with an orientation for research to do good projects and apply for funding to DST or other agencies.
Explaining various funding programmes of DST, Mr. Samathanam said the Union Government was very keen on catching students with exceptional talents at the young age and extending scholarships to them.
This would enable the country to get leaders to implement large research and development projects in the future.
Even PhD holders in chemical engineering from premier institutions too were going for jobs in software engineering. This would give a huge setback to core engineering fields in the near future. The department was hardly receiving research proposals in the field of mathematics.
While other countries were appreciating the mathematical knowledge of Indians, people here seemed to show very little interest in carrying out research in that field, he said.
College Principal A. Ebenezer Jeyakumar highlighted the achievements of the college in academic and research activities.