Essay Competition organised by the IEEE TKMCE Student Chapter for TAGA

Subject:- TKM College of Engineering – Today and Tomorrow in My Vision

First Cash prize of Rs 2000/- won by Mr.Noel Philip, Electronics & Communications, 5th semester.

Second Cash prize of Rs 1000/- won by Mr.Ajit Kumar.N, Computer Science, 5th semester.

The prize distributions were done by Mr.M.J.Andrews (70E), Chief Engineer - Distributions (South), KSEB; in the function conducted on 7th August 2005 at the PTA Hall, TKMCE.

TAGA express gratitude to the college authorities, for providing us the facilities to conduct the essay competition. We are very much thankful to Mr.Muhammed Kasim .S (78E), Asst. Prof., Dept. of Electrical & Electronics, the staff coordinator of the IEEE chapter, who have taken the efforts to conduct the same. Also, we extend our sincere thanks to all the jury members, especially to Mrs.Sheela.M.Daniel (88E), Asst. Engineer, KSEB, Vyttila, Kochi-19.

Stills with the Prize Distribution

Slide Show:- http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2102038949&slideshow=1

Essay placed first, written by Mr.Noel Philip:-

The TKM College of Engineering was founded by Janab.A.Thangal Kunju Musaliar. It was crystallized in form and substance in the year 1956. Janab A.Thngal Kunju Musaliar was not only a great visionary. He believed that education could narrow the difference in between the rich and the poor, the differences based on caste, creed and religion. He foresaw the needs of providing professional training which bore fruits for the realization of the TKM College of Engineering realization of the TKM College of Engineering. The TKMCE started in the year 1958 with about 120 students. The college then supported 6 under graduate courses and master’s. At present the college has a strength of 2640 students; with around 400 teaching and non-teaching staff. The reputation owned by this premier institution in our country is indeed enviable.

With the present situation of our college, its future doesn’t seem to be a bleak one. The need of every professional institute of the day is to create world class professionals. Our college is not at all behind in the creation of professionals. Being the second oldest professional college in the state, is indeed a great matter of appreciation and pride for the college. Further more, the fact that TKMCE was accredited for three years in all its undergraduate courses and graduation courses by the National Accreditation Council, shows the recognition our college has attained not only nationally but a worldwide range.

We live in a world of Science and Technology a world where innovations and inventions has made it a small place to live in. The extent of growth in all spheres of life is taking place at a tremendous rate. It has indeed become a known fact that only the fittest survive in this race for victory. Today’s world is so competitive that none other than the best professionals get employed. Here comes the roll of every professional college.

The TKMCE is not behind any other college in providing the best. Over the years engineers from TKM our priced positions in leading industries and multinational corporations throughout the world. TKMCE has indeed done a lot for providing world class professionals. A few of the developments which show the progress of our college are enlisted below:-

1. Excellent laboratory facilities:- Every technical institution is supposed to provided technical skills to its students and labs come to the rescue. The TKMCE has indeed got well equipped labs for all its department. This is an important matter which is to be taken into account regarding the progress of any college.
2. Library facilities:- With over half a lakh of books including technical and non-technical journals, the TKMCE library is indeed what every college would want to have. The facilities provided encourage each and every student to make books his best friends.
3. Further more every department has got is own library. This is something which has been seen only in a few colleges in the state. This provided access to students, to books of their own specialization which is about a great deal of happiness to students and teachers.
4. The TKMCE maintains a very good teacher to student ratio of around 1:40 to 1:50. This means that every student is reached by the teacher. Individual attention is paid to every student by the teacher in all ways – both technically and non-technically.
5. The beginning of student chapters by IEEE, ISTE, NSS has helped students to improve their psychological and social well being. These organizations have helped students to take up leadership qualities so as to be better leaders of tomorrows world.

With all this and lots more, the TKM College of Engineering seems to be really sufficient institute in creating trained professionals. However, do you think this is just enough for any college to be at its par in technical education? An the TKMCE be compared to the IIT’s, BIT’s Pilani or NIT’s? It is a question we got to think about. To be the question we got to think about. To be the best in today’s world, you got to know something more than the best. Infact the above statement means that you must always try to be the best for someone is always trying to get ahead of you. This is the law that rules the future of the world. Yes, it is also the law that governs the future of our college. In my vision, TKMCE is indeed a more better place than what it is really now. A few things I see of the future TKM College of Engineering are as follows:-

TKM – a symbol of technical excellence – The College is supposed to grow to the level of achieving technical excellence. The College is supposed to be at par with the best institutions – on earth. Well, I do feel the following could be done to realize a symbol of technical excellence :-

1. Improving the library facilities:- The library do indeed provide access to every student. However the time of library operations are to be increased from the present timing. This would allow students to make use of the library, even during late hours of the day, especially when faced with assignments, projects or exams. Furthermore, I see a college library which has got facilities for providing e-library as that provided by the National Institute of Technology, Calicut. This would allow students to access books, even when at home from their own PCs. This would give access to students to technical journals, seminars and projects from prestigious colleges all around the world.

2. Improvement in laboratory facilities:- The laboratory facilities though sufficient with regards to the state, its got to be improved so as to provide greater knowledge to students on technical skills. The labs should be equipped with tools and machinery being used in the present day as they will allow students to be at par with other professionals. The computer facilities also need to be improved. At present we have only got 128KBps for providing internal facilities to students. The requirement of the day is over 2MBps, so as to provide faster internet accessibility. The education of today does not consist just of books and notes as they used to be. Students should be aware of what happens in other institutions.

3. Conferencing:- This is a new method which has been developed for distance education. Students in one college could be taught by professors in other colleges. This is of great importance today as its narrows the gap between teachers and students.

5. Communication development lab: – Communication is one very important means by which any individual can convey his feelings/ideas to some one else. Regarding the TKM College of Engineering, there needs to be a lab of such a kind in which all students must be allowed to take part in so as to improve their communication skills. For a state regarding Kerala, where majority of the students come from poor background, such a center for development is indeed necessary.

6. Encouraging technical symposiums:- The students of TKMCE are brilliant when compared to other students from other institutes of the state, because they have been admitted based on their ranks in the Entrance Examination. Hence they should be encouraged to organize technical symposiums and to participate in such symposiums. The college should also provide financial assistance for such students in this regard.

The TKM College of Engineering has indeed got a very bright future. I indeed look for the day when it becomes a symbol of technical excellence. For this the cooperation of all students and teachers are necessary. These all, further with peace and harmony in the college could make our college – THE TKMCE to be nothing else, but the BEST.

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Essay placed second, written by Mr.Ajit Kumar.N:-

TKMCE is undoubtfully one among prestigious technical educational institutions of Kerala. It has quality education enriched with great teaching tactics. The institution is outstanding in its results and placements for students compared to other ones in the state. It is the ray of knowledge which can enlighten the path of progress of our nation. It has the past jeweled by great engineers who drives the technical growth of the day. The outcome of the institution per annum is a major share to our country’s technical development.

The institution, being opened in 1958 was the result of a man of foresignt – Thangal Kunju Musaliar, who was a business phenomenon of the state. Dr.Rajendra Prasad, our 1^st President laid foundation stone to this college and was inaugurated by Shri.Humayun Kabir, Union Minister in 1958. Now long 47 years passed away after the start of this institution. These 47 years certainly witnessed great achievements. But now, inorder to make future for TKMCE we have to analyze the present. I am proud to be in a ‘better’ TKM. The analytic study of today’s TKM means defining of all dimensions of that betterment.

Today’s TKM – Fulfillment of a dream.

Our College has great experienced teaching staff and mentally and intellectually sound students. But unfortunately we are under the shadow of some general problems of our nation and educational field. This is really displacing the achievements of our college from its summits. The great dream of our founder is a milestone reality of our state’s technical education field. But we are responsible for newer making it eclipsed under any circumstances. Major problems of our college are :-

Ø      Lack of a spirit of information among students

Ø      Strict duration towards the examination system and making knowledge only a key to examination.

Ø      Lack of professional spirit that should be inbuilt in a professional college.

Ø      Unawareness of students about the social responsibilities of a professional rather than money making.

Ø      Lack of entrepreneurships among students.

Ø      Poor communication skills of students that make them distant from great opportunities.

Ø      Poor accessing as updation of knowledge which results in strictly students to ‘syllabus’ only.

The problems above mentioned are general problems, which shadow most of the technical students of our state. Before improving the facilities, we have a to strengthen the minds of students to the user-friendly with those facilities. In order to solve or or overcome these hurdles there should be a collective effort resulted by insight which are among students and teaches. This collective effort should be guided by external groups like alumni associations. Only thus we can change this scenario to a better one, change the dream to a better one.

Tomorrow’s TKM:- A dream born.

Now on to the heart of the topic to the horizon of our hopes – what should be vision of future TKMCE. Vision should be practical & implementable.

1. Authorities & Management:- We have a good management, TKM Trust which is the backbone of this institution. But our management has to be more modernistic in rule and should think in the language of ‘new’. It should be ready to break all conventionalities of yesterday by pivoting the self recognition of students and self discovery of their skills. Aids should be given positively to the progress measures taken by students & teachers. Just do sow the seeds, for a better India.
2. Teaching Staff:- We have a great force but should be upto date with day to day knowledge. They should cross the limits of syllabus forcing students to a more bigger playground of knowledge.
3. Student Community:- They should know who an engineer is – Then try to be a humanistic, socio conceptual, rationalistic engineer.

Our campus should have great skilled and thinking student force. We have to support all intellectual activities including politics. Our state Kerala is known to be far ahead of others in primary education. But what about our graduate & post graduate level - not competing.

A well guided political ideology inside the campus will organize strikes (productive & creative strikes) against this backwardness. We can form group wise forums and conduct seminars, intellectual discussions about our subject, promoting paper presentations and collectively getting ideas for making projects which captivate the field. We should be more interactive with our subjects. Ideas should  be expressed and creations should be done.

There can be technical groups of students which make engineering knowledge skills alive and active in campus. These groups should motivate on students’ thirst on making something new in their fields.

We need society conscious engineers Nation conscious engineers. We can make creative outputs of our subjects which can be helpful for society during study time. For eg:- A computer science student can build softwares which fasten works for many firms. We can provide classes for making IT literate society. Teachers & management should aid this type of productive activities of students. Let them self realize. Students work as groups, ideas collected from a group, activities with group spirit – not a single man can make revolution.

Alumni Association, should shed their blessing, have more interactions with students by active participation in these societies of students activities. They can make students upgraded with new trends of the field. In a nutshell, we have to make that dream come true. An interactive TKMCE which captures attention of technical world which is embedded with socially responsible engineering students is in my dreams. I optimistically hope – this will be tomorrow’s reality.

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