Engineers of the future need to think differently: Think of DfE

India is celebrating the 50^th Engineers’ Day today, September 15, 2017 to commemorate the birthday of the legendary engineer Bharat Ratna Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya. Considering the theme “Role of Engineers in a developing India” to mark the occasion, Engineers of the future need to think differently, in their approach of planning, designing and executing the projects in the development of the nation. As Sir M Visvesvaraya rightly said "Plan or Perish" is very relevant today. However, an extension to that will be Plan, Design, Execute and sustain based on the principles of sustainable development. To move towards conditions of sustainability, engineers must design and deliver projects that address sustainability holistically (from concept to demolition or reuse).

Traditional Engineering Design Criteria (TEDC) incorporate Function, Cost, and Safety, wherein Sustainable Engineering Design Criteria (SEDC), emphasis about Impact on people (society) and Impact on the planet (environment) in addition to TEDC. Such a design approach to reduce the overall human health and environmental impact of a product, process or service, where impacts are considered across its life cycle is known as Design for the Environment (DfE).

Engineers need to understand the relationships between population, the quantity and availability of resources and the quality of the environment, and interrelated impacts, of Population on resources and Population on the environment. The intensity of consumption of energy, water, land and material and the emission of pollutants and waste. The diverse categories of environmental impacts needing consideration include resource use, human health, and ecological consequences.

Hence, the Sustainable Engineering involves steps such as plan and manage effectively, give sustainability the benefit of the doubt, if polluters are polluting, they must pay, adopt a cradle to grave approach, do things right, having decided the right thing to do. Beware of cost cutting that masquerades as value engineering, practice what you preach.

Sustainable engineering approach derive the benefits like increased material efficiency: reducing raw material inputs and waste outputs, removing hazardous materials for a more acceptable alternative, designing service systems to minimize environmental impacts.

We always keep in mind the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Two Principles of Sustainable Development, listed as follows:

Principle 1- Do the Right Project. A proposed project's economic, environmental and social effects on each of the communities served and affected must be assessed and understood by all stakeholders before there is a decision to proceed with a project. Consider non-structural as well as structural (built) solutions to the needs being addressed and 

Principle 2 - Do the Project Right. The engineer shall actively engage stakeholders and secure public understanding and acceptance of a projects economic, environmental and social costs and benefits.

Qualitative Higher Education: Mantra for New India

Qualitative Higher Education: Mantra for New India

Dear Readers, I have a simple question; however seems very complex to answer, 

What is the Focal Point of today's education: Getting Educated or Graduated?

Education must provide “life-building, human-making and character making” assimilation of ideas to develop an integrated person.

As Swami Vivekananda says “Education is the manifestation of the perfection already present in man”. 

  Every year 5th September, the birth Anniversary  of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Second President  of India, being celebrated as the Teachers day in  India, we the teaching fraternity introspects  asking questions to ourselves to get most reliable  and practical answers: 

Are we really educating? or 

graduating? 

What is my answer?   Why? 

How I can make effort to change this system?

India has been in need of teachers qualitatively educated, imbibed with morals, and professional ethics in higher education sectors to motivate the students to venture into the field to provide solutions to real life problems.

Teaching with basics to higher level generates the curiosity in the students to further their interest in collecting more relevant literature, about the history, mathematics, and statistics of the domain of study. Consistently pursuing this, knowledge gets processed as skills.

The practical’s and field visits aid the students in learning to Apply, to Analyze, to evaluate and to create in real world. There are few teachers silently working in this arena; however, their number is very small. Hence, India require many more such TEACHERS, self-motivated, genuine, determined, polite, unbiased, down to earth, believing one’s own ability, motivator, who can churn out millions of students, those can contribute immensely in building a positive world.

Quality Education: derivative of contact hours of teachers with the students. The qualitative contact hours between students and the teachers tremendously improves learning capabilities of the students. Teachers must invest more time in teaching, counseling first. It is imperative for the teachers to engage the classes qualitatively and the highly qualified teachers of the institute should provide quality time to the students in the class, laboratory and on field visits, during the academic year, imparting them with the knowledge to refine the skills to face challenges ahead.

Quality education to students can be delivered, if students, teachers, governance machinery work in synergy, like three legs of a tripod. If any one of the leg cripples, tripod cannot stand. Parents and local industries / Govt. organizations / NGOs voluntarily joining this movement brings in the transformation changes.

We the Teachers must take to our heart and soul “Teaching-Learning” as a Mission and make all the efforts to realize this mission. This can happen only, if we the teachers rise to the occasion to provide qualitative education which enables the students to learn, unlearn and relearn to acquire more and more Knowledge of the domain and rest in general to face the challenges impeccably.

Let us count on #GNH instead of #GDP

Let us count on #GNH instead of #GDP

Why? How? and for What?

The goal of any nation must be contentment of the people, and the development should enable human beings to unfold their potential to become better human beings socially, economically and morally. The progressive development of the country must follow the holistic, inclusive, equitable and sustainable approach.

1. TRUST:

     'Trust' is the most beautiful building block for lasting relationships including friendship

2. PATRIOTISM:

    “Patriotism is supporting your country all the time and your government when it deserves it.” - Mark Twain
     “Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.” -  
       Adlai Stevenson

3. SELF DISCIPLINE: 

       "If we don't discipline ourselves, the world will do it for us."- William Feather
      "Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power"-Lao Tzu

4. RIGHT INTENT:

Right intention is the intention and resolve to give up the causes of suffering, to give up ill-will and to adopt harmlessness.

“The deeds of the light are goodness, righteousness and faithfulness” - Lailah Gifty Akita

5. POSITIVE ATTITUDE:

An attitude, as defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary website, "is a mental position with regard to a fact or state; a feeling or emotion toward a fact or state." The dictionary goes on to state that the word "positive" can be used as "having a good effect; favorable; marked by optimism." When you demonstrate a positive attitude, therefore, you are optimistic and expect favorable outcomes.

Your life is your garden,
Your thoughts are the seeds.
If your life isn't awesome,
You've been watering the weeds.
~Author Unknown

6. STRONG WILL:

A strong-willed person is determined. Your will is your desire or drive to do something, so a strong-willed person is someone with a powerful will.  

“Never give up.

Never give up on your hopes.

Never give up on your dreams.

Never give up on your visions.- Lailah Gifty Akita

We, the Citizens wholeheartedly INCULCATE and IMBIBE the aforesaid six attributes, it provides IMPETUS in developing the HAPPY, QUALITY CONSCIOUS AND HARMONIOUS NATION

Wherein, we can overcome the threats of climate change, environmental pollution, cultural disintegration, corruption, and political instability in coming years.