A bouquet of ...memories

As I got into my car, about to leave , I heard the roar of students to the tune of liting music. This was the customary celebration post the Annual Day 2015 of BSP Senior Secondary School, Sector-10 (SSS-10), Bhilai, which I just witnessed as a guest for the first time.

A year after I had joined SSS-10, we had coined the title ABHIVYANJAN for the Annual Day function of the school. A Sanskrit term, it means 'a bouquet of maulti-faceted offerings'. Till then, the function was called Annual Prize-Giving Day. We thought we needed to have a proper title for it. So suggestions were invited from students and teachers. After going through many short and sweet titles, we settled for this rather long but all encompassing one, which in a way is a bouquet of a variety of facets and talent - academic and co-curricular achievements and cultural presentations, apart from the exhibition of of scientific models/charts, and a new section on Humanities introduced in 2014.

The highlight for ABHIVYANJANA-2015, for me was that Deepita Keshari, a Humanities student had topped the school known famously for the IIT toppers that it has produced , particularly in the 1980s. This year, Deepita with 95.40% marks created a new high, so to speak.

Just before the start of the programme, which was delayed on account f the Chief Guest's urgent meeting at Raipur, I had a look around. One of teh teachers commented that the soul of the school was missing, hinting at my recent transfer from education department to CSR. To this I quipped that I had come in search of my own soul which resides in this school.

My 14-month stay in the school was arguably the best part of my career. And it will always remain that way all my life. If I had not come from an industry background, perhaps I would have retired from here as Principal. So every I go to SSS-10, goose-bumps strike me. Oh! What a time I had there!

Just a week before my first annual function at SSS-10, it had rained heavily. In a hurry, we had to shift the programme to the Multi-Purpose Hall (M P Hall). With a capacity of not more than 500, the M.P. Hall was choc-a-bloc. Everyone was sweating in the second week fo December, not that it is winter-time in Bhilai even otherwise.

The cherry on the cake was the post-programme celebration with some background music with students on stage, a practice I did get to be part of when I returned to teh Education department in 2013.

But the function I missed the most was the one in 2012, when I had been transferred to Delhi. While one teacher messaged me to fly down to Bhilai for a day, another one called so that I could listen t the Saraswati Vandana at the start of the programme. I had tears in my eyes. The students and teachers had shed tears a day prior to that during the Childrens' Day Function when my message was read out.

What a bouquet of memories!

Season of Awards 2.0

With the last of the Nobels of 2017 having been declared, here's a look back at my post from October 2015:

Every year, for the last three decades, the first fortnight of October has a special place in my yearly calendar. It is the time when the coveted Nobel Prizes are announced. The fortnight ends with the prestigious Man Booker Prize.

As soon as the announcement of prizes begins, I jot down the names of the Nobel Laureates in my latest notepad. It all comes to an end with the Booker. Though it would be difficult for me to collect all my notes, as I haven't kept them carefully, technology can help me get the entire list whenever I want.

There is some sort of thrill and excitement in recording the 'discoveries'. The awards always have a message. For example, this year's Nobel Peace Prize to the Tunisian Quartet is an excellent endorsement of how political systemic change can be brought about with a synergy of efforts from business interests as well as civil society.

After completing this year's jottings, I shall wait for October to arrive next year.

Coming back to the present, as I peep into my latest notebook, which I have been populating since the start of October 2017, what has been of significance? Is it chronobiology or study of biological clocks which was the theme of the Physiology laureates work or is LIGO (Physics) or the 'illusory sense of our connection with the world' (Literature) or the (ir)rationality theories propounded by amongst others Thaler (Economics)? Am I getting better at comprehending the gist of the laureates' work or is it the persistence of trying to understand the subjects for more than three decades now. All said and done, this period is and has always been an enjoyable one

Season of Intolerance

Suddenly there has been a surfeit of acts of intolerance. Rationalists are killed for questioning ideologies, people are butchered over choice of food, ideologues are smeared with black paint for assisting a 'traitor'...and the list goes on. What I am worried is that the younger generation suddenly has 'role models' that no society needs. We have become a nation of 2-minute quick-fixers, who have an answer for everything. 

Concurrrent Engineering

What is Concurrent Engineering?

Concurrent engineering, also known as simultaneous engineering, is a method of designing and developing products, in which the different stages run simultaneously, rather than consecutively. It decreases product development time and also the time to market, leading to improved productivity and reduced costs.

Concurrent Engineering is a long term business strategy, with long term benefits to business. Though initial implementation can be challenging, the competitive advantage means it is beneficial in the long term. It removes the need to have multiple design reworks, by creating an environment for designing a product right the first time round.

Why do companies adopt concurrent engineering methods?

The notable business benefits of concurrent engineering make it a compelling strategy to adopt. Introducing concurrent engineering can lead to:

• Competitive Advantage- reduction in time to market means that businesses gain an edge over their competitors.
• Enhanced Productivity- earlier discoveries of design problems means potential issues can be corrected soon, rather than at a later stage in the development process.
• Decrease Design and Development Time- make products which match their customer’s needs, in less time and at a reduced cost

Source: http://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/what-is-concurrent-engineering/