RECMemories.blogspot.com

The  first  Director  appointed  on contract basis  for five years in NIT Calicut was  unceremoniously  thrown out along with  Directors of all other N.I.Ts. As per  order  from MHRD, charge  was to be handed over to the senior most  professor  in each of the N.I.Ts. The professor who took charge as  Director in NITC was a from Civil Engineering Department. He was a friend of mine and  since 80s we had  jointly worked in several academic projects. As early as 1985, we had  conducted   two summer schools  in Electrical and Civil departments  together, first time  in the college. This was a  grand success and we had mutual  respect and interest on our respective research topics especially on modelling of  systems from input output data. I was a member  of the Doctoral Committees  of  some of his PhD students as he thought I will be able  to contribute something  to the  work being done  by the scholar. After   he took over charge as Director, the term of the   first batch of Deans

Newly   formed   N.I.T.s   were slowly    growing   out of the   infantile   deficiencies   to become strong full-fledged national   institutions   of higher learning   like I.I.Ts. In N.I.T. Calicut, developments   were   initially in the form of repair   of the old buildings.   Funds   for new   buildings   can be   obtained only for starting for new courses. Naturally, starting new courses will take   more time in the   modified academic set up in the N.I.Ts. The only auditorium   available   in REC Calicut was   constructed as a multi-purpose hall. It was used as   a place   for conducting   big meetings and also as   indoor court   for playing shuttle   badminton   in the evening. This   is the   place   due to the   very poor acoustics   Swami   Chinmayanandaji said: “Your hall has   been so engineered so well that if I speak today, you will be able to hear my speech tomorrow due to the reverberations. So, kindly switch   off the   mike.” So, the   first effort was   to im

New   Director   has   taken charge. He was   a professor   from I.I.T.Madras.    Beginning was   glorious. He declared   in the first   staff   meeting itself that nominated posts will all be filled   through gallop poll (through voting) among the   eligible teachers. Every one   welcomed   it, gladly. During   these   days, a notice   from the   Central Vigilance   Commissioner(CVC)   was   circulated   in the departments inviting faculty to volunteer as   Vigilance Officers   in the   institution.   In the   Ministry of Human Resources Development(MHRD), there was a   Central Vigilance Officer (CVO) for Higher Education, the vigilance officer   in the   institute was required   to act as extended   hand   of the CVO   to report any   corruption in N.I.Ts. It was    specifically mentioned that the   candidate    has to be   one who is not associated with any of the day to day administration in the   institution. Since I had   no other administrative   work other than teaching, I

A few    episodes   back, I had   indicated   how   I embarked   on writing   my first   text   book in Control   Systems Engineering. After   returning    from abroad cancelling   part of my leave, I had    nothing to do   other   than routine   teaching. Since   I had    written    two   books and a few   popular science   articles in Malayalam, writing   was   not akin   to me. Since   I was   doing   most   of the writing   using PC in the   office   or at home, editing   was also   not difficult.   I was   doing   most   of my writing myself   as I do not have the patience   to correct   the proof a   typist   gives   me and then   do it over and over   again except   when official letters are   involved. As   I was   giving a course   on ‘Advanced   Control Systems’   for the   final year   B.Tech Electrical students, the   contents of the   book   were chosen as the same. This could fill in the need   of an exclusive   book for the second course   in Control   Systems   off

When   Regional Engineering Colleges   were   converted to   National Institutes of Technology in 2002, certain   changes in the administrative set up   was also introduced. The   head   of the institution    was re-designated as Director   instead of the Principal earlier and positions of a few Deans were also created. Like   in a university, N.I.T.s   were to have their own Senate and other   academic bodies such as Academic   Council, Board   for   UG Studies, Board   for   PG Studies and Research etc. Deans   were nominated from among the   senior professors   for a period of three years by the   Director. In N.I.T.Calicut, five   positions of Deans   were created, viz. Dean (Administration), Dean (Students Affairs), Dean (Faculty Welfare)   Dean Academic (Under graduate Studies - UG) and Dean Academic ( PG Studies and Research -PGSR). Deans were   eligible   for a token honorarium but   more   than this, the   position was   important because these   positions were   crucial