48. National Systems Conference 1997

 

While we were at I.I.T Delhi, one of the senior  professors  in the Department of Electrical Engineering, Prof.P.S.Satsangi   called  a few  of the research scholars  from different states and made us sign a  document  for formation of the Systems Society of India(SSI). This professional society   was formed to promote   interaction between   those working in the area of Systems Engineering and to conduct National Systems Conference once in a year. The founder members were supposed to create opportunities for systems related activities in their own institutions. Systems Engineering is an interdisciplinary branch where engineers and scientists in different fields will be able to work together. Developments in different engineering branches had become too complex and it was becoming difficult for one belonging to a particular branch to know everything about such large systems.

 

After returning from Delhi, I took the initiative to enrol quite a few members to SSI from different departments and we formed the very first chapter of SSI in REC Calicut. As the subscription amount was not too big, many of them joined as life members by a onetime payment. As Systems engineering could include all areas on engineering, many seniors from all departments were enrolled as members. National Systems Conference was being organized in different parts of India. One of the earliest centres was at P.S.G. College of Technology (twice) and later at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre Thiruvananthapuram. Many of us used to attend these conferences and present our research papers therein. We discussed the possibility of conducting the National Systems Conference 1997 in REC Calicut. Principal was happy to give permission. An organizing committee was formed with members from all departments. Since the bulk of the members from the  Department  of Electrical Engineering,  Prof. K.M. Moideenkutty  was  nominated as  the Organizing Secretary,  myself as General Convener, Dr Abraham.T.Mathew  and Dr.Y.Venkataramani as Editors  for  the Conference proceedings.  The theme for the conference was chosen as “Technology Education Environment for Sustainable Growth”.

 

Previously, only one major conference, the Annual convention of Indian Society for Technical Education (I.S.T.E) alone was conducted in REC Calicut. But many of us had been attending   National Systems Conference at several places in India and from what we could see from those places, we were confident that we could make a reasonably good job with cooperation from all.

 

The conference was scheduled from 11^th - 13^th Dec 1997 and preparations were in full swing about 6-8 months prior to that. However, the major problem in organizing such conferences in a place like Kozhikode is the availability of sponsorship. No such conferences can be conducted without liberal financial sponsorship from voluntary organisers and governmental agencies. We approached the government departments such as Department of Science and Technology (DST), Defence Research & Development Organisation(DRDO), Council of Scientific & Industrial Research(CSIR), Kerala State Council for Science Technology & Environment Department(KSCSTE), Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO).  All of them had offered support but in spite of that we were short  of the budget by about 2 lakhs. The registration fee from the delegates could contribute part of it, but we decided to go  personally to the industries in Kerala. 

 

 A team of senior professors from the major departments decided to visit major industries between Kozhikode and Kochi. We started in a car  in the early morning. On the way, we visited Transformers and Electricals Ltd (TELK), Premier Tyres Aluva, Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd (FACT), Popular Automobiles, Eddy Current Controls, Toshiba Lamps. etc. and presented our requirements. By about 5 o’clock, we reached Allied Industries office in Panampallynagar Ernakulam where one of our alumni was eagerly waiting for us. With the help from some of our alumni working in many of these industries we could get offers that added up  to an amount sufficient to  make up the  deficit.    

 

In this conference six major subjects were chosen and a total of 81 papers were presented and discussed during the three days of the conference. Researchers from different parts of India came and presented their papers. Proceedings of the conference was published by Allied Publishers, New Delhi. It was   a volume with  480 pages. The   efforts of  Dr. Venkataramani and   Dr Abraham T Mathew    in compiling and editing  this volume   have  to be appreciated.  Such proceedings will be the only lasting contribution to the researchers in future.  After the conference, we sent copy of the proceedings to all the sponsors and major academic and research institutions in India. From the feedback of the delegates, we could understand that the conference was a major success, in spite  of geographic limitations.