101.So, I have also superannuated
Once my
daughter asked me “ Dad, how could you work in the
same institution for forty
years?”. I told her : “ I am
married to your mother
for the last 42 years, have you not seen
us living happily? That is loyalty. We, who belong to your senior generation believed in mutual respect, faithfulness and above
all loyalty to the
institution where we worked.
Our institution has been part of our
life and it is not easy to cut it away from our life, whatever be the temptations”.
Yes, I joined
Calicut Regional Engineering College
on 1st Sept 1969 and it was
time to retire
or superannuate on 30th
April 2011. For these 42 years, as a
teacher and in a few other roles I have tried my best to serve this institution
according to my ability. I believe, I had been true and sincere to my
profession. I know I have not been
anywhere near being perfect, but
perfection is not for ordinary mortals like me, it is only for gods or those
fully blessed by Him. I know I
have committed mistakes, but I am
happy that I have not
tried to hurt or inflict pain any one deliberately. In my
work, I think I have given highest priority to the interests of the institution than my personal gain or achievements. As a teacher, I know, I
could have done better in many ways. Still, I don’t think my
students will not hate me . I had been strict
and disciplined inside my class
room, but have tried to help the students to the extent possible outside within my limitations. I have never
been partial or biased
in my behaviour. I have
never given preferential treatment to any of my students based on caste, religion, region or any
other.
Probably, many of my students
who have worked with me
on their project work/ theses for B.Tech, M.Tech
or PhD must have felt that I am a task master. I
have seen they were not
happy with me while they are
working with me, many of them have realised later that I
was not a sadist and did not enjoy
troubling them. My intension was only
to make them learn more and do their best, not be satisfied with a mediocre
work or output. Unless we
sincerely work to reach a higher
level of perfection, how can we be
happy from our effort? I was only
trying to tell them, they can do better
and still better, if they try more and more. Many of them working in different
parts of the world are my good friends even now. I have dissuaded many students who have approached me to do their M Tech
projects in doing their thesis with me as my requirements are slightly
higher than many others and if you cannot work hard, better choose another guide.
Problems
were in plenty when it was
REC , and even after becoming NIT
and even today, every day new problems, man-made or otherwise crop up. I have tried my best
to solve some of them within my limited capability. The institution has grown to be one of national
/international level and I am happy that I could also grow
with it. Our children, a girl and
a boy have grown with
nourishment from the campus atmosphere and have grown as mature professional
working abroad.
As a teacher
in a professional college, I
knew that my job is not confined to just teach
alone. Along with my teaching, I have tried my best to promote the extra-academic qualities of our students. I have chosen the way of professional societies for this purpose.
Starting with Systems Society, I was
with IEEE since 1981 only to help
my students and younger colleagues. Of
course, I have also benefited with the
interaction along with that. But my work
was that of an unselfish
volunteer and I have not made any monetary benefit from any of these activities. I have tried to set a good example
for my fellow professionals and student members in such
activities.
Within the institution, I have never hesitated in taking up extra-academic work. I was a warden when Rajan was
taken to custody and tortured to death
in Kakkayam police camp. Chaly
was an inmate of my hostel. I was coordinating
a few projects of government of India for helping the public like National Adult Education
Programme (NAEP) and Computer Literacy and
Studies in Schools (CLASS). In the NAEP , with the help of several senior students, several batches of
school drop outs from nearby areas have
been given training in electrical
wiring, plumbing etc in the college.
Under CLASS project several schools in the area were
helped
to set up their own computer centres and give training to teachers for conducting computer classes in their schools.
I have
taken up the responsibilities of Head of Electrical Engineering, Chief Vigilance
Officer, Dean (Post Graduate Studies
& Research) International Liaison
Officer and Coordinator Academic Quality Management Initiatives. In these different roles, I have tried to do many things, came out successful in a
few, but failed in many. But I believed
in the principle - It
is better to have tried and failed, than not to have tried at all.
Even in the
campus life I have
had good and bad experience,
but there again I have tried
my best as Secretary of the Nursery and Primary School, Staff Club and
Member Executive Committee of Staff association. In all these
activities, I have given the highest consideration for activities of benefit to general public rather than my personal interests.
In my long journey spanning more than four decades,
many of my colleagues and mentors have
led me to the right path holding my
hands. The list of these people among teaching,
non-teaching and administrative staff is
too long and hence I am avoiding
mentioning a few. I have worked
under four principals in REC and four directors in NITC. I
have given them due respects and obedience in doing what is
not against my conscience. I have never taken a single paisa for illegal gratification in any position.
I had to suffer discrimination from some of my bosses but I
believe that was either
my bad luck or because of the
advisors giving wrong advice to these bosses who were harsh with me. As a friend
of mine who had faith in my
academic capabilities appointed me as
Dean, I could do something for post graduate studies and research culture
in the institution.
I am
really proud to state that I have never asked the authorities for any special favour for me
or my children even when my daughter studied
in this institution. But God
has been kind enough to give
me what I deserved, even if a bit late occasionally. Among my colleagues and mentors, I cannot forget my heads of departments Prof.Charlu, Prof Srinivasan, and Dr Thiruvengadam, Dr Bharathan for their brotherly affection and Dr Neelakantan
and Dr Venkataramani for helping me in my career. I can never forget
our college doctors like
Dr P C George and Dr, Nirmala
Menon who have taken extra pains
when I or my family were having serious
health problems.. Among my
mentors, Prof Charlu, Prof Srinivasan
and Dr Neelakantan are no longer with
us. A few drops of tears for their
memory. I take this opportunity to thank all
my colleagues and staff who has
helped us in our campus life.
Having graduated
from T K M College of Engineering
under Kerala University in 1968, I joined CREC as
an Associate lecturer in 1969, promoted as lecturer
in 1971, Assistant professor in 1983 and
Professor in 1987. Did my M Tech
in IIT Madras on loss of pay leave for one year
in 1973 and did my PhD in IIT Delhi
under Quality Improvement Programme with full salary from 1978-81.I
took sabbatical leave for six months for an assignment in Data
Storage Institute Singapore, Singapore
and 18 months extra ordinary leave to work in Cukurova University Adana, Turkey
and European University of Lefke in North Cypris as Visiting professor. Rest of the time
other than for higher studies in two IITs
and visiting assignments abroad, I
was with the institution. While going to meet our children
abroad, we could travel widely and see places
in USA, Europe, England, Scotland and a very short trip to Ireland.
My attempt to transfer my experience in teaching to the next
generations has resulted in the publication of the following books. Modern Control
Engineering , A Guide to Academic Research, (Both Sanguine Technical Publishers
Bangalore) Basics of Electrical Engineering, Introduction to Electrical
Engineering( Both EC Reference Books, Ernakulam) and two books
for State Institute of
Languages in Malayalam. I have published
a few popular science articles in magazines and newspapers. Several books on our life experience and travelogues
have been published as e-books in
Malayalam on Amazon.in. I am planning to
publish these memories also
in Amazon as two volumes.
About my family, our
daughter with her husband are IT
professionals in Boston, USA with two
kids, one a girl and another a boy. My son and his wife are doctors
in Scotland near Glasgow, both
working in National Health Services, UK. They have
two boys, the elder one, our first grandchild entering university
education next year. These are the
balance sheet of my life. With some health
problems, we are now living in a Senior Community Living
Unit near Mulanthuruthy Kochi, run by an old alumnus of REC Calicut called Graceland Foundation(www.gracelandfoundation.com). My present job is to take
care of my ailing wife and
write these memories of my life as blogs in face book
or as e-books in Amazon. I conclude by thanking profusely all my readers (which include large
number of REC/NITC students and a few colleagues) whose positive
comments and ‘likes’ had
been my motivation to continue
these scribblings so far.
Let me stop with a quote
from a letter written to my colleagues
when I superanuated in 2011.
I
have retired, but not yet tired (still)!
Jai Hind
ADDRESS :Prof K P
MOHANADAS,V6, Graceland
Foundation Senior Living, Pangarappilly,MulanthuruthyPO Kochi 682314
email:kp.mohandas62@gmail.com
Mob : 9544363327
(WhatsApp)
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