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The Chief Guest of the
occasion, distinguished Members of IEI Council, Delhi State Centre
Committee, Members of IEI, distinguished guests ladies and gentlemen.
I have the privilege to stand
before you today to take oath of the office of Chairman, Delhi State
Centre. There have been well known and famous engineers who have held this
office in the past. I feel honored and grateful to the members who have
bestowed in me the confidence and selected me to lead the Centre and add to
the glory of this prestigious Centre.
DELHI STATE CENTRE’S COMMITMENT
Some major actions undertaken
in the new millennium include the following:
- The Centre Celebrated
its Platinum Jubilee in the year 2002.
- It has the privilege of being the first
Centre of the IE (I) to acquire ISO 9000: 2001 for Quality
Management Systems. I will now take action to get Integrated
Management System Certification for Quality, Environment and Health
& Safety and make it the first Centre in the IEI system to get
such a certification.
- The Centre has its own website for the
benefit of its members. The web site is an effective tool for outreach
and service to the members and ensuring linkage with them. Many
members have approached asking for regular upgradation
of information on the web site. I will take immediate action to ensure
desired effectiveness of the web site.
- The Centre had developed programme for online and virtual library services
in 2001-02, with the help of the International Centre for Irrigation
and Drainage. I was also involved with at that time. I would have
preferred doing it yesterday, and will pay my utmost attention and
priority.
- The Centre plays a vital role in
planning, coordination and execution of National and International
policies and actions of IE (I). I personally feel that the Centre will
have to be proactive in this direction.
- The Centre also plays host on behalf of
IEI for organizing meetings with the international organizations in
which IEI represents India
like in WFEO,
CEC, FEISCA etc. In the changed economic scenario India
is expected to play a new role in the international economic arena and
IEI will have to find its on niche. I will see as to how the Centre
can promote IEI’s image.
- At national level piloting Draft
Engineering Bill with MHRD to push through parliament soon. To make
this happen the Centre has to be fully and
actively involved, and we have to grasp the seriousness of the
situation and build all professional support for early clearance of
the Bill.
- The Delhi Centre functions with and
amongst professional engineers, academician and researchers and
provides a vast array of technical, professional and supporting
services to government and industry. During the last one to two years
significant development has thrown up new challenges to engineers and
we will have to find ways of keeping with the pace of development.
I will now like to focus on
some other new issues on which we need to initiate action.
INDUSTRIALIZATION IN ASIA/INDIA
- Today India’s growth is
about 8% of its GDP annually. For this growth we need large suitably
trained engineers and technicians, for that to happen the Delhi State
Centre of the Institution of Engineers (India) severs the engineering
community to :-
(a) Dissemination
of engineering and technological knowledge though “Technical
Activities” such seminars, continuing education courses, workshops,
conventions/ conferences etc.
(b) Providing
access to R&D activities and engineering practices though engineering
disciplines.
(c) Focusing on
new development techniques, products, processes and other issues of
interest such environment and climate change, energy security.
(d) Highlighting
engineering and technological scenario through news letters.
(e) Conducting
guidance classes and examinations under IE (I)’s non-formal education
programme to cater to the needs of aspiring professional
engineers.
ACTION PLAN FOR 2008-2010
A.
VIRTUAL LIBRARY
Extending engineering
information and library services through networking of our library and
providing internet and related facilities is our top priority.
For that we will setup a Virtual Library. The title index,
keywords and abstracts of books and technical papers will be electronically
stored. Online accessing and hyperlink to other libraries will be ensured.
This will meet the long felt and identified need of our members and
students
B.
INDIAN ENGINEERS TO GET REGISTERED.
The Engineers Bill has been
drafted with the aim of getting all Indian Graduate Engineers Registered.
This Bill, drafted by IE (I) along with other professional organizations is
under active consideration of MHRD so that the same may be presented in the at the earliest. The Bill when introduced and
approved by the parliament as the Engineers Act will establish a system for
regulation of the engineering profession, and will also support Indian
engineers’ international recognition and their access to global
markets. I will ensure total involvement of the Centre in this activity.
C.
WASHINGTON
ACCORD (WA)/ ENGINEERS MOBILITY FORUM
Let me deal with international
accords directly linked to Indian engineers
international recognition and mobility. Washington Accord is an agreement
among Engineering Education Quality Assurance Organizations of 10 nations,
Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Ireland, New Zealand, UK, the US,
Singapore and South Africa.
- NBA received provisional membership of Washington Accord (WA) in
2007. Full membership will result in recognition by these countries of
our NBA accredited engineering programmes.
Engineers Mobility Forum (EMF)
deals with certification and registration professional engineers who have
on accredited degree in engineering and requisite practical experience in
engineering activity.
- IEI received provisional membership of Engineers Mobility Forum (EMF) in
2003. Full membership assessments are being undertaken. On receiving
full membership IEI will be the agency to register engineers for their
international mobility.
Delhi State Centre will work
vigorously to establish networking for IEI with concerned organizations
such as NBA, AICTE. As India
is a net exporter of technical manpower it is in our interest to get these
memberships. I will also initiate a programme of
assisting local to get their courses accredited by NAB, AICTE.
SOME ISSUES OF INTEREST TO DEVELOPMENT OF CITY OF DELHI
A. Energy
Delhi has the largest number of automotive vehicles
– which are more than the cumulative total of Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. It has the related issues of fossil fuel
consumption and environment pollution, thereby contributing to carbon
emissions. Delhi
still depends largely on other states for electricity supplies and often
falls short of its need. Clean energy is the need of the day.
The Government of Delhi has the
moral obligation to keep the city clean during the forthcoming Commonwealth
Games in 2010. A number of studies are being conducted and actions being
identified. The Centre will work closely with all the local agencies and
assist in their achieving the desired goals of climate security.
I am deeply interested in
cleaner fuels for automobiles. In this context I will like to speak about
the bio fuels.
The domestic consumption of bio
diesel is expected to grow multifold as blending of 20% bio fuel in diesel
would be mandatory form 2017. This is a challenging task as the blending
has not started so far. Advance R&D and field work has already been
launched. Some of the actions are as follows:
- Domestic firms like ‘Natural Bio-energy’ and ‘Emami Group’ are
producing bio-diesel firm non-edible oilseeds and used cooking oil.
- Hyderabad based
‘Natural Bio-energy’ has recently inaugurated
country’s first bio-diesel plant with a capacity of 1,00,000 tonnes in ‘Kakinada’.
- Emami Group
has also setup a bio-diesel plant in ‘Haldia’.
- Another firm ‘Caleancities
Bio-diesel’ has also invested Rs.
200 crores to set up a bio-diesel
facilities.
We will study as to what will
be the impact of bio fuels on vehicular pollution control in Delhi.
B.
Rain Water Harvesting
Water Harvesting is a way to
capture the ‘Rain Water’ when it rains, store that water above
ground or charge the under ground and use it later. This happens naturally
in open rural areas. But in congested over paved metropolitan cities, we
need to capture the rain water through intensive programme.
The local government has a thrust on this programme
in view of water scarcity. Roof top water harvesting is identified as a
great option. However application in different locations needs site
specific engineering solutions.
The Centre will undertake
active programme in assisting and encouraging
individual house owners and RWAs to install roof
top water harvesting
systems in their places.
Delhi State Centre will make
efforts to enhance the participation of members in this activity. Thus
popularize Rain Water Harvesting in Delhi Metropolitan Area and create
awareness for saving water.
C.
e-Governance
The government of India has
launched the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP)
with the intent to support the growth of e-Governance in the country. The
plan envisages creation of right environment to implement various public services.
To ensure interoperability
among e-Governance application, GOI has set up an Institutional mechanism
for formulation of standards through stake holders.
The Delhi State Centre would
enable e-Governance in Delhi Government Departments.
Delhi State Centre would join
hands with a few electronics/ computer centres
and NGOs to enhance e-Governance in Delhi.
Conclusion
During our term of office we
will make this State Centre more vibrant. People do not come here only to
listen to a technical lecture or attend a seminar, Member should find the
Centre attractive enough to come here to sit in a library and collect
information from internet; consult other libraries though our virtual
library network; consult other fellow engineers over a cup of coffee and
spend their time in a useful matter by coming to State Centre. Fortunately
we are so located in Delhi
that all these activities are possible and facilities can be provided in
short a time of two years. I propose to accomplish all this as Chairman of
Delhi State Centre with the active participation and
assistance/co-operation from all Committee and Council Members at Delhi. Our team is
determined to make a sound beginning.
I wish to recognize good work
done by the outgoing committee led by Dr G S Yadava
and Shri R N Rajpoot. I
thank them for their active role.
I am fortunate to have a team
consisting of new and old continuing members in the State Centre Committee.
My discussion with the members gives me confidence that we have a very
balanced combination which will provide ‘continuity with
change’.
I wish to assure all members of
the Centre that all our members will be welcome round the clock. I will
like them to feel at home and treat the Centre as the second home in the
city.
My team will work as the care
takers of the Centre and provide all service.
To be a Chairman of such a
Centre is a matter of pride for me. We will need your good wishes and
support for successful completion of our task – a task that involves
the committee members and all of you the members of the Centre.
Finally I am grateful to all
fellow engineers and guests present in this hall.
Thank you,
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