Chairman Emeritus Reconnect 49 “Education & Spirituality”

My dear friends,                 

Once I was captivating introduction of the new batch of MBA at NPTI. The dialouge went as follows:

A Student:          Sir, I am Shrivastava, BE(Elect)

Me:                       I am not interested in your surname and your degree

-These are on our records

Student:             Sir, I am Mahesh Kumar (Imaginatively substituted name)

Me:                      That is your name given by your parents-drop it

Student:             I am a student of NPTI

Me:                      That’s your present occupation-I know it

Student:             Sir, I am a boy

Me:                      I am not interested in your gender

Student:              I am becoming conscious now, who am I?

Another Student: I am feeling intrigued, I am thinking now,

His next:               I am sensitized on my existence today,

Next to next:        My conscience says I am God’s creation,

Yet another:         I am motivated to think, I am divine.

Me:       When you drop all your labels, you come out as “the pure you” :

• Your consciousness (awareness)
• Your conscience (sense of right and wrong)
• Thinking & feeling part of you
• Your sensor/ sensitivity
• Your motivation/ inspiration
• Your divinity

-is your Spirit . Keep it awakened!

We need it all the time for the spiritual paradigms of our MBA education at NPTI, I indicated. I further clarified to them that subjects like “Power Reforms” , “Customer relationship & Entrepreneurship”, “Energy Environment Interface & Sustainable Development” etc. derive their essence from holistic spiritual paradigms of our survival. Besides technicalities, they involve ethics and ethos, human values, customer care, environmental sensitivity, resource renewability, society’s anxieties over clean energy, electricity for all and its availability 24×7 and so on.

Spirituality

Spirituality is a rather mysterious term for the scientific community who keeps experimenting with external and physical world only. There are several inner dimensions of human existence which can not be denied; for example Mind, Intellect (consciousness transforms intellect into wisdom), Innner voice/ Intuition (sixth sense) etc. An encounter with one’s own “inner dimension” is spirituality.

Spirituality is manifested by original qualities of “the spirit or the soul” such as love, compassion, wisdom, bliss, peace, purity, humility, power, forgiveness, sacrifice, contentment, self-responsibility, values, self-esteem, harmony and connectedness to others.

Spiritual literacy is a basic literacy for all that enables the understanding and use of the deeper meaning and connection in all aspects of life. Spirituality teaches us how our lives fit into the greater scheme of things.

Education & Spirituality

 Swami Vivekanand said : “Education is not the amount of information that is put into your brain, undigested all your life. We must have life-building, man-making, character-making assimilation of ideas. If you have assimilated just five (5) ideas and made them your life and character, you have more education than any man who has got by heart a whole library.

A semi-literate man “Anna Hazare” also talked of 5-ideas

1. Pure Thoughts
2. Pure Conduct
3. Unblemished Life
4. Sacrifice and
5. Capacity to withstand humiliation;

which he assimilated, practiced and demonstrated, becoming the most literate man of today, saluted by the Indian Parliament.

Education is not merely Academics

Somehow we have misunderstood academics to be education

– We teach our children to read and memorise history but we don’t teach them to create history

– We teach them geography, but not geographical cultures and respect for them

– We teach them science, but not the science of life

-We teach them external management, but not internal management of Mind

Education is to lead a person to knowledge (know-how & know-why) graduating further to wisdom (discovery of truth by himself) to see life in its totality and to face it in its completeness. It is to set a higher goal of life, inner transformation, vision of oneness and genuine care for others.

Best wishes and Regards,

Dr. B.S.K.Naidu

BE(Hons), M.Tech., Ph.D., CBI-Scholar, D.Engg. (Calif.), FNAE, Hon.D.WRE (USA)
Chairman Emeritus, Great Lakes, Gurgaon, NCR, New Delhi, INDIA
Former Director General (NPTI & CPRI) Govt. of India

No job is small or big, the way in which you do, makes it small or big (c)

Chairman Emeritus Reconnect 45 “Solar Rooftops in India”

My dear friends,

India has been a land of revolutions witnessing the life changing upheavals like the Green Revolution and the White Revolution. Now she is on the verge of next revolution i.e. “Solar Revolution”. The newly set target of 100 GW Solar Energy by 2022 will change the position of India on the map of solar powered nations across the world. With 38 GW, Germany has led the world in Solar PV with a global aggregate of 177 GW. Can India follow suit?

Out of the Indian target, 40 GW is earmarked for Solar Rooftops. Our country has around 337 million houses as per the census 2011. A 1-kW system per house could add up to 337 GW of installed capacity; commercial and industrial rooftop space being additional avenue for generation which signifies that the 40 GW target is a small fraction of the potential. The commencements of “Make in India”, “Start-up India”, “Stand-up India”, “Housing for all by 2022” and “Digital India” missions are other elements which can complement and accelerate the transition.

Today, India’s 1/3^rd population has no access to electricity and lives in darkness. This can only be answered by decentralised sources of energy like solar. Solar Rooftop PV (SRPV) is a decentralised technology, which is being encouraged due to its low land footprint and ability to reduce transmission and distribution (T&D) losses. Weak local distribution infrastructure, lack of economies of scale and poor social outlook has prevented SRPV systems from penetrating the Indian market. Currently India has only 300 MW of rooftop solar projects.

Consumer awareness

A survey was conducted by one of our PGPM (Energy) students to gauge the awareness of consumers towards solar technology and the apprehensions/partial knowledge related to it. It was an on-line survey and more than 50% respondents belonged to the age group of 25-30 yrs. Most of the respondents (98.3%) were aware of solar technology and the cost of the system which signifies that people now know about the solar rooftop PV technology.

Encouraging feedback was that about 84% of the respondents showed their willingness towards installing SRPV system in future. Most of the respondents are not fully aware of the incentives and subsidies provided by the Government. Almost 41% of the respondents knew about the area required for the installation of SRPV. However, only 6% of the total respondents have installed SRPV systems.

Almost 38% of the respondents were not aware of the new target of 100 GW of Solar deployments by 2022. About 59% of the respondents didn’t know about the Net-metering scheme. There were some ‘true-false’ questions which were asked to test the apprehensions in the minds of consumers. The results show that the respondents are still not aware of the basic features of the SRPV system and have certain false assumptions like solar PVs may cause electric shocks; it will not generate electricity during clouds, etc.

The results show that still a lot is to be done at the awareness front to give a boost to the SRPVs in India. An awareness and a promotional program is proposed to remove the apprehensions and for the better penetration of the technology with promotional ads like that of “Clean Water”, “Sanitation”, “Child Education” etc. The Government can also mandate each energy generator whether conventional or non-conventional to put an information board emphasizing the benefits of Solar Rooftop PV.

Possible Elements of Awareness Campaign

1. With about 300 clear sunny days, the solar energy available in a year (5000 trillion kWh) exceeds the possible energy output of all fossil fuel energy reserves in India.
2. India is ranked number one in terms of solar electricity production per watt installed.
3. The electricity generated by Solar PV becomes free in 6-7 years (payback period) and you enjoy free power thereafter.
4. Government provides 15% subsidy on the capital cost of installation of solar rooftop PV.
5. Solar PV works more efficiently in cold climates (see graphs below).
6. On a cloudy day, typical solar panels can produce 10-25% of their rated capacity. The exact amount will vary depending on the density of the clouds, and may also vary by the type of solar panel.
7. The Solar PV doesn’t give electric shocks if touched rather they are required to be cleaned daily to keep them dust-free to increase efficiency.
8. 1-kWp of solar panels typically require 8-12 m² of shade free area to generate 4 kWh per day.
9. Cost of Solar Rooftop PV varies between ₹80,000 to ₹100,000 per kW system.
10. The electricity generated from solar PV costs ₹6/kWh.
11. The solar energy generated can be supplied to the grid if in surplus.

Recently, a team of researchers from Stanford University have devised an ingenious means of boosting the efficiency of solar panels by exploiting a fundamental physics phenomenon. Solar panels lose efficiency as they heat up. Just as the top of our head radiates excess body heat as infrared light, the researchers have developed a translucent overlay comprised of patterned silica that does the same for solar panels. The overlay separates the visible spectrum of light (which generates electricity) from its thermal radiation, effectively “cooling” the incoming light, radiating the heat away from the panel while allowing more photons to be converted into electricity. Thermal overlay cools the panel’s surface by as much as 22^o F and boosts energy production by 1 % (a sizable efficiency jump in the world of solar energy production @ 11-15% panel efficiency).

The fact that the “Solar panels lose efficiency as they heat up” and “that they can suit more the colder and sunny climate” seems to have been ignored in the state-wise target allocation of SRPV out of 40 GW by MNRE in June’2015.

Climate Change and Solar Rooftops

The National Action Plan on Climate Change obligates use of Renewable sources of energy to reduce the carbon footprint. The recent move of the Government in continuation of Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (2010) to install 100 GW of Solar by 2022 is a step forward to Climate change mitigation and connecting the unconnected through distributed source of energy. As the country moves towards the clean energy deployment, it also happens to be a good time for all stakeholders to spread their wings in the new market.

Solar energy revolution seems to be the next big thing after the achievement of Mars mission for India. It is high time for Government to prioritize its further movement towards the building of healthy and sustainable policy & regulatory regime to nourish the sector. A lot of improvement will also be required in the infrastructure to avail the net-metering and feed-in-tariff schemes.

Graph 1 & 2 : Temperature coefficient for crystalline cells

The Government can obligate the banks for financing an allotted target capacity of solar rooftop projects in a way similar to the RPOs for Industries/Utilities. Housing financing scheme should attach Home loan with a loan for Solar Rooftops. T
he “Make in India” program is an attraction to many foreign investors and soon the companies will base their units in the country; the Government can mandate Solar Generation Obligation (SGO) to utilize their rooftop space. An agreement and support from Discom’s would smoothen the trajectory of growth.

 

India’s Latest Initiatives at Global Level

It was our Prime Minister’s dream to associate 100+ Solar rich nations like consortium of Oil rich nations to harness solar energy faster by pooling their resources. This indeed happened in Paris during 2015-United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP 21, during 30th Nov-12th Dec’2015. [ It was the 21st yearly session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 11th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.]

The Paris declaration aiming at containing the earth’s temperature rise to 2o C above pre-industrial level by limiting to 1000 billion tonnes of carbon, encompassed  “International Solar Alliance” of the countries to share the collective ambition to undertake innovative and concerted efforts for reducing the cost of finance and cost of technology for immediate deployment of competitive solar generation, financial instruments to mobilise more than 1000 Billion US $ of investments needed by 2030 for the massive deployment of affordable solar energy and to pave the way for future solar generation, storage and utilization for countries’ individual needs. Soon thereafter International Solar Alliance – the First International and Inter-Governmental Organisation of 121 Countries with United Nations as Strategic Partner was inaugurated by our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, and the President of France Mr François Hollande. They jointly laid the foundation stone of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Headquarters and inaugurated the interim Secretariat of the ISA in National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), MNRE, Gurgaon on 25-Jan-2016.

These are positive steps which may also boost Solar rooftops segment in future.

Satyamev Jayate !!!

Best wishes and Regards,

Dr. B.S.K.Naidu

BE(Hons), M.Tech., Ph.D., CBI-Scholar, D.Engg. (Calif.), FNAE, Hon.D.WRE (USA)
Chairman Emeritus, Great Lakes, Gurgaon, NCR, New Delhi, INDIA
Former Director General (NPTI & CPRI / REL), Ex. Director (REC) / Executive Director (IREDA)

No job is small or big, the way in which you do, makes it small or big (c)

 

Chairman Emeritus Reconnect 44 – “Energy Storage for Intermittent Renewables”

My dear friends,

Our Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has been announcing to the entire world that India has scaled up its plans from Mega Watts to Giga Watts in the arena of Renewable Energy in view of its environmental sustainability. The quantum jump being mentioned is 5,000 MW to 100,000 MW (100 GW) in respect of Solar Energy and 25,000 MW to 60,000 MW (60 GW) in respect of Wind Energy by 2022.

Such an ambition is not realizable without complementary energy storage of intermittent renewables. Both the above stated renewable energies are available only for 6-8 hours/day, not matching with peak load requirements and are further subject to seasonal variations. One of the basics of Power System is that the electricity must be generated at the precise moment it is demanded. It is the ultimate “just in time” system, where long-term inventory of electricity is denied. (Electricity can only notionally be stored in Capacitors and Inductors for a short time.) It cannot be stored in significant quantities but its converted forms like chemical energy in batteries, gravitational hydro potential energy etc, are possible to be stored.

Recent Cabinet Approval on Amendments in Tariff Policy

Recently the Union Cabinet has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Power for amendments in the Tariff Policy. For the first time a holistic view of the power sector has been taken and comprehensive amendments have been made in the Tariff policy 2006. The amendments are also aimed at achieving the objectives of Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY) with the focus on following 4 E’s:

1. Electricity for all
2. Efficiency to ensure affordable tariffs
3. Environment for a sustainable future
4. Ease of doing business to attract investments and ensure financial viability

Unfortunately the 5^th E i.e. Energy Storage for Intermittent Renewables has been missed out. Cost of energy storage should have been built in to the Peaking tariff. This was not expected in the present scenario when we have a common Union Minister for Power and MNRE.

Recent R&D Council Meeting of the National Wind Energy Institute under MNRE

I attended the latest (Twenty-third) meeting of R&D council of the National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) held at Chennai on 30.12.2015 wherein their 10-Year Vision Plan was presented.

I pointed out that the renewables like wind and solar can become 24X7 power suppliers only when the appropriate Energy Storage systems are in place and hence a thrust be given for projects in developing Energy Storage systems, for renewables.

Pumped storage is one of the most promising options for energy storage in the form of hydro potential whose assessment in India is more than 96,000 MW of which not even 6,000 MW has been harnessed so far. Almost all (>99%) of power-grid-scale energy storage in the world today is pumped-hydroelectric.

However, Pumped storage is also undergoing a conceptual transformation. Rivers and dams are no more required. Sea water can be used as pumped storage media in novel approaches and “swinging door algorithm” pumped storage becomes a big battery analog for wind farm energy storage. Even an exhausted mine can be used as lower reservoir, if you can find a small water pond at a higher elevation nearby. There are many such novel systems that would revolutionize the energy storage spectrum and need immediate focus and practical green field pilots.

It was agreed in the Committee that a new group for “Energy Storage” would be created in NIWE, reflecting it as an essential ground-breaking component in the 10-Year R&D Vision Plan.

There is no future for Wind Energy Sector (and so also the SPV) without “Energy Storage”. Its importance is more than the “Solar-PV Hybrid” which can only expand the electricity supply period in a day to an extent, not necessarily matching with the Grid demand. It may however facilitate more land space for PV.

With “Energy Storage” component, the load demand can be met much better, right from cyclic stability to daily demand pattern to even seasonal demands. Without Energy Storage component Wind Energy & SPV can never be accepted as viable options for energy supply due to their intermittent nature. The cost of energy storage system has to reflect in the peaking tariff of energy supply. Higher absorption of renewable energy round the clock on the other hand may reduce its cost of supply.

There are four basic options in Energy Storage:

1. Mechanical→Pumped Storage (Seasonal balance), Compressed Air (Daily stability), Flywheel (cyclic stability)
2. Chemical→Batteries, Hydrogen (Electrolysers), Fuel cells
3. Electrical→Double Layer Capacitor, Superconducting Magnetic Coil
4. Thermal→Heat Storage (Molten Salt), for stability in heating systems or re-conversion in to electricity

The above options may suit different sets of wind farms & SPV stations and their connecting sub-stations to supply 24×7 and more specifically as per grid demand and the environment around.

I hope, all concerned wake up to the urgent need of Energy Storage in our country!

Satyamev Jayate !!!

Best wishes and Regards,

Dr. B.S.K.Naidu

BE(Hons), M.Tech., Ph.D., CBI-Scholar, D.Engg. (Calif.), FNAE, Hon.D.WRE (USA)
Chairman Emeritus, Great Lakes, Gurgaon, NCR, New Delhi, INDIA
Former Director General (NPTI & CPRI / REL), Ex. Director (REC) / Executive Director (IREDA)

No job is small or big, the way in which you do, makes it small or big (c)

Chairman Emeritus Reconnect 43 – “Goal Setting”

My dear friends,

Having explored the purpose of your life, you will have to set your time bound goals. It is desirable to recheck once the purpose of your life. Strong lives are motivated by dynamic purposes” said Kenneth Hildebrand. Goal setting starts with dreaming, envisioning and fixing your mission. “Do not worry if you have built your castles in the air. They are where they should be. Now put the foundation under them” said Henry David Thorean. “He is in possession of his life, who is in possession of his story” said Carl Jung.

Purpose→Dreams→→SWOT→→ Vision & Values →→Mission & Objectives→→Goals/ Targets/ Milestones

“Dream, dream and dream. Dream transforms into thoughts. Thoughts result in actions. Small aim is a crime” said Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. “Think BIG, Think AHEAD and Think FAST” said Dhirubhai Ambani. Goal is a dream with Deadline & Direction.

Bi-focal Vision is necessary. You should see your life with a bifocal spectacle which facilitates you to have a clear long-range vision of the purpose and goal of life and to visualize with equal clarity the short-term action plans and milestones compatible to the roadmap of your life.

Do you write down 4 or 5 personal goals for the year on 1st January each year, or on your birth day? According to a Study at Harvard, only 3% of people have set goals and they achieve what 97% achieve put together. Discovering your Personal Mission Statement from ‘your fire within’ gives your life a defined purpose and direction and empowers you to lead your life instead of spending your life reacting! Family mission statement can in fact be displayed in your Drawing Room. It’s the fire within, the deep-burning “yes” that empowers us to say “no” confidently to the less important things in our lives. Priorities of mission objectives having been set, your goals have to be SMART, the abbreviation standing for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time bound.

Goals are cascaded throughout the organization you work for. Personal and organizational goals can be synchronized for resonance and unbelievable amplitudes of performance. For instance, if you wish to become world’s most renowned expert in IT and your Company is into IT products, there can be a perfect synchronization of the two enhancing each other’s brand value. The Magic of Organizational Physics is in the understanding of the intrinsic natural frequency of individuals and synergizing the same with the induced frequency of the organizational enthusiasm.

“Vision without action is merely a dream; action without vision just passes the time; vision with action attached with passion can change the world.” Passionate people have benchmarks of yesteryears. Nothing is impossible as “impossible” itself sounds “I-m-possible”. Strong will, determination and passion make impossible possible.

The entire process from dreaming to goal setting can be understood through an example. I wish to quote an organizational example of National Power Training Institute (NPTI) with my first-hand experience as CEO for 5-years.

 

Dreams

At NPTI we had spent first 3-months on the “Value-Vision” exercise. “NPTI in the new millennium” containing a 30- point dream tagged on phrases starting from each of the 30-letters of the institution’s name i.e. National Power Training Institute; was displayed at the entrance of each Unit including the Corporate Center. Every letter of the institute’s name was expanded in a phrase to capture the common dreams, values, vision, hopes, aspirations, ethos and commitments. They not only became the “dream in shape” for NPTI family but turned into “Mantras” with vibrations and resonance.

No	Starting Letter of the Mantra	Mantra
1	N	Nurturing Human Resources Development in Power Sector
2	A	Absolute Quality consciousness
3	T	Train and facilitate the growth of every power professional
4	I	Integrating Information Technology with Hi-Tech Training
5	O	Organizational Excellence
6	N	Nonpareil
7	A	Attitudinal Reorientation to Cultivate Values & Ethics
8	L	Leadership in interfacing technology with management
9	P	Proactive Client – Orientation
10	O	Orchestrate values with Business
11	W	Work to evolve as transnational organization of distinction
12	E	Energize people who energize the nation
13	R	Reverberating with Enthusiasm to tap human endowments
14	T	To emerge as Global Leaders in HRD of Power Sector
15	R	Rendering Cutting Edge Technologies
16	A	Attain Self-sustenance
17	I	Institutionalizing Best Practices
18	N	Nourishing boldness and benevolence
19	I	Inputs designed to improve outputs
20	N	Network to pool expertise
21	G	Galvanize Power Professionals

22	I	Innovation at its best
23	N	No end to learning
24	S	Sharing our knowledge – caring for your needs
25	T	Touch of perfection every where
26	I	Internalizing environmental concerns in power technologies
27	T	Together in pursuit of brilliance
28	U	Upgrading skills & knowledge continually
29	T	Temple of wisdom & motivation is our workplace
30	E	Enhance value additions

SWOT Analysis (Environmental Scanning)

SWOT Analysis (identifying Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) of individuals as well as organizations is extremely helpful in goal setting. While analyzing the above, constraints start appearing very clearly and action plan to overcome weakness and to defuse the threats emerges as described by Eliyahu M. Goldratt in his popular book “The Goal”. He outlines the Theory of Constraints (TOC) to save your plant/ industry/ organization. NPTI was on the verge of merger with some larger organization of Power Sector due to its insolvency.

A pocket size booklet on SWOT culminating into a 40-point strategic charter was published and slipped into the pockets of all NPTI staff. It was drawn under the following heads:

1. Multi-dimensional enlargement of Scope
2. Backward Integration of Power Training Experience with Academics
3. Turn-around on Self-sustenance
4. Esteem Building for the institution
5. In-house Capacity Building and Performance orientation

Vision with Values & Convictions

NPTI cherishes a vision of value addition to national and transnational power and energy sectors through Training & HRD, facilitating the growth of every professional, sharing our knowledge and caring for their needs. It endeavors to energize people who energize the nations. Vision is to emerge as global leaders in enhancing human and organizational excellence in Power and Energy Sectors by blending frontier Technologies with Management to facilitate HRD interventions that are instrumental in providing reliable, safe, economic and clean power.

We value our drive and commitment to provide top quality service to our clients. We constantly strive to motivate power professionals to tap their unique human endowments, consciousness, imagination and willpower. Together we make a difference. We believe that no job is small or big, the way in which you do, makes it small or big ! Every job is an important link of the organizational chain of activities. We value ‘understanding’ amongst colleagues and respect each other as team members of a human chain of our larger family i.e. the students, trainees, expert faculty, client organizations etc. We have an unyielding commitment to our targets. We mentally achieve them even before realizing them physically.

Training is a Religion for us. It is the Highest Multiplier of Productivity of individuals as-well-as Organizations. Training is an Investment, not Expenditure. Cost of Training is always less than the cost of non-training. “Power for All’ cannot be ensured without ‘Training for All’.

Mission & Objectives

Vision, values and beliefs should drive us on a mission mode. An empowering vision on the format of a 5-Year destination statement of “Do–or-Die” nature was injected in the DNA of the management team with 3-clear missions:

1. To achieve 100% self-sustenance
2. To become largest training organization in Asia Pacific- reaching a turnover level of 75,000 Trainee-Weeks (ultimate goal to become world’s largest reaching 100,000 Trainee-Weeks)
3. To occupy a unique position on the world map on sectorial specialization

An empowering vision is like setting a high voltage for pushing electricity ensuring flow of electrons in the desired direction. On a mission mode we stop not till the goals are achieved.

Goals/ Targets/ Milestones

1. To achieve performance parameters during 2000-01 highest ever achieved in any of the past 34 years of existence.
2. To beat the achieved benchmark of yesteryear, every year thereafter.
3. A performance jump of 25% in major parameters from the previous year, achieving “Excellent” rating in MoU each year.
4. Start Post Diploma in Thermal Power Plant Engg. In 2000-01 at New Delhi, Nagpur, Neyveli & Durgapur.
5. ISO 9001: 2000 Certification in 2001 by DNV, Norway (accredited by the RvA, The Netherlands).
6. Start B.Tech.(Power Engg.) in 2001-02 at New Delhi.
7. Start B.E.(Power Engg.) in 2001-02 at Nagpur, Maharashtra.
8. Launch “National Training Policy for the Power Sector” approved by Govt.of India by 2002.
9. Start B.E.(Power Engg.) in 2002-03 at Durgapur, West Bengal.
10. Start MBA (Power Management) in 2002-03, at Faridabad, Haryana.
11. ISO 14001:1996 in 2003 by DNV Certification B.V., accredited by the RvA, The Netherlands.
12. Start Post-Graduate Diploma in O&M of Transmission & Distribution in 2004-05 at Nagpur & Bangalore.
13. Deemed University Status by 2005 from UGC.

The above realistic goal setting exercise based on concrete concepts proved to be an historic driver of a paradigm shift in NPTI’s existence and made it a self-sustaining Power Training Institution-largest in the world expanding 4- units into 10 across the country (adding 2 at Guwahati & Nangal, taking over from CEA, PSTI & HLTC at Bangalore, activating CAMPS & Corporate Centre at Faridabad besides 4 existing Regional Units) in a term of just 5-years, achieving all the above mentioned goals. UGC approved in-principle, the Deemed University Status to CAMPS in April’ 2005. Though I have cited an example of an organization, same philosophy is true for personal goal setting.

I hope, the above clues will help you set your goals in life and achieve them.

Satyamev Jayate !!!

Best wishes and Regards,

Dr. B.S.K.Naidu

BE(Hons), M.Tech., Ph.D., CBI-Scholar, D.Engg. (Calif.), FNAE, Hon.D.WRE (USA)
Chairman Emeritus, Great Lakes, Gurgaon, NCR, New Delhi, INDIA
Former Director General (NPTI & CPRI / REL), Ex. Director (REC) / Executive Director (IREDA)

No job is small or big, the way in which you do, makes it small or big (c)

Chairman Emeritus Reconnect 15 – Changing Meaning of Independence

My dear young friends,

I was asked to speak at the 67th Independence Day. Having turned 67 myself, I agreed to speak on changing meaning and spirit of Independence. I recalled how as a primary school student I used to join the procession led by our Head Master Shri Sharmanlal Gautam (President awarded) echoing the small town “Mandla” in Madhya Pradesh by the slogan “Bharat Mata ki Jai ”. After a few days of one such Independence Day I heard that my “Gautam Guruji” was in Jail. I went to meet him without any difficulty since my father was Jailor there. Guruji told me that he volunteered himself under “Jail Bharo Andolan” on some social issue and that I should not request my father to extend any special facilities to him.

Our Gautam Guruji used to check our nails before the morning prayers and then we were supposed to operate Charkha’s (spinning wheels) sitting on the floor. He used to run his Charkha very elegantly and efficiently and used to wear clothes woven by the yarn made by him. Today it is a fashion to grow nails, whether hygienic or not and wear clothes suiting or not to the “decency-decorum-dignity” expected from us-a sign of our growing independence. People debate very often the independence of dressing. In this context, I remember one instance. In a jammed traffic one of the mid vehicle’s driver was blowing his horn recklessly. The driver of the next vehicle went to him, wanting to know what was wrong with him. The reply was “It is my horn and my wish”.

When I started my primary school, copying in an examination and getting caught was such a big sin that one would feel like getting buried in the ground. When I reached 4^th Class and was giving my final examination, I remember, our School Inspector’s daughter was sitting behind me. Suddenly I noticed my Class Teacher behind the standing Black Board hinting me that I should facilitate her copying my answer book. I ignored for a while but then his staring eyes with anger made me allow her copy my answers. Years later, while appearing for our 11^th Board examination our Sanskrit Teacher who was also an invigilator wrote down “Hindi to Sanskrit Translation” on the board for all the students to copy. He thought he was doing his duty utilizing his freedom to help his students.

I recall one different kind of incident from my engineering college 4^th year examination. One of the fresh lecturers of our Mechanical Engineering Department caught one of our classmates copying. He boldly declared he was nephew of HoD (Mechanical). The lecturer said it did not make any difference since he was caught red handed. First time many of us realized what it means to have a backbone. A rare meaning of independence of an invigilator in my memory!

Recently in a local Medical college in Mumbai, a candidate was found copying in the final examination from her mobile phone, which was confiscated. The messages were still pouring in providing the answers of the question paper. It was investigated as to where the messages were coming from. It was found that the source was her own father in whose conviction it was his independence to send messages to his daughter. In 67 years we have turned a full circle. As we have right to information, we seem to have right to copying. In recent past we rejected a Project Report since it was found to be a “copy-paste” from different sources. This “copy-paste” culture will not only make us “copy-cats” but also immoral in the name of freedom.

In our childhood we used to be advised “Learn more-Become a big man” and by a big man our elders meant “a person with authority particularly moral authority” and today we find the advice “Learn more-Earn more”. People talk of package and measure the status by it and that is our choice and freedom.

In independent India people started feeling that “paying” and getting the work done was their freedom, which has increased not only the non-productive middlemen but rampant corruption. How much Kejriwals, Khemkas, Durgas and my Engg. College Lecturer can change this price of independence has to be watched.

Right to Information was considered a sign of freedom but when applied to Political parties became encroachment on their freedom. They immediately utilized their freedom to amend the constitution retrospectively to spare them.

Off late (10-July-13) Hon’ble Supreme Court directed that people under Lock-up can’t stand for elections since they have no right to vote. Also they directed that criminals awarded punishment of 2 years and more imprisonment by any court become debarred from Parliament/ State Assemblies. Most of the political parties joining hands together decided and lodged a review petition. Getting a sensible decision reviewed is their freedom. Otherwise they will exercise their freedom to amend the constitution itself.

With the above kind of independence of law making, it seems to be the most opportune time for the “most wanted” to come back to India. They will be able to contest election from the lock-ups. If our normal politicians have to spend Rs 7-8 Cr. for their election (as recently admitted by a Maharashtra leader) these criminals will have capacity to spend Rs 800 Cr. They will use independence of our voters utilizing their own strong net-work from Film Industry to Match fixing Industry. Once elected they become Hon’ble members of Parliament. They will easily get bail and become free. They will be able to spend another Rs 800 Cr to get the court hearing dates extended till they are alive (as Hon’ble constitution makers).

Crossing “Luxman Rekha” everywhere is perhaps taken as independence today. Where will it lead us to? 

Best wishes and Regards,

Dr. B.S.K.Naidu

M.Tech., Ph.D., CBI Scholar, D.Engg.(Calif), FNAE
Hon.D.WRE (ranked amongst 30-most eminent scientists in the world)
Chairman Emeritus, Great Lakes, Gurgaon, NCR, New Delhi, INDIA
Former Director General (NPTI & CPRI / REL), Ex-Director (REC)/ Executive Director (IREDA)

No job is small or big, the way in which you do, makes it small or big (c)

Rise of the Great Lakers

There cannot be any value associated with the learning that we gather in our life. But, certainly the rewards for the toils of the hardwork that one puts in is always welcome. It is a great news for all of us to know that at Chennai-based Great Lakes, Microsoft has offered Rs 28.5 lakh for an India-based profile.

All IIMs are not in the same ranking when it comes to quality, and for companies, hiring the top 10 percentile of management colleges lower in the order makes more sense than picking up from the bottom percentile of an IIM. Top Indian as well as international companies such as Goldman Sachs, Wipro, Accenture, Cognizant, Infosys, Microsoft, Deloitte, Crisil and RBS seem to subscribe to this thinking, making offers at Great Lakes Institute of Management.

It is important to understand that the purpose and reason for going for a professional course like MBA has not to be only about the monetary growth but a closer look at the professional upliftment brings the truth worth to the time and effort that one spends in one year at a reverend and premier institute.

With the experience that one comes in for a one year MBA at Great Lakes, it is needed to keep ourselves continuously updated with all that is happening around and at the same time, learn to apply what you are good at with the new things that you gain in through the discussions and lectures at campus. There is a great deal of involvement that is expected when inside so that we can make the most of the flying by time. Afterall, it is also going to be almost the last learning destination in our professional journey outside the office environment for most of us.

The beauty of the course is the way it is imparted to the pupils and that is the case-based learning. Pioneered by Harvard Business School, and one of the highlights of the HBS experience, the case method is a profound educational innovation that presents the greatest challenges confronting leading companies, nonprofits, and government organizations—complete with the constraints and incomplete information found in real business issues—and places the student in the role of the decision maker. This same approach is taken up at Great Lakes to empower the students’ business-readiness.

There are no fixed or right solutions to such cases. Therefore, it hones the skills of leadership in the students  in different perspectives countering and defending points, and building on each other’s ideas and becoming adept at analyzing issues, exercising judgment, and making difficult decisions.

With such able guidance and support, we rightfully qualify to lead the change in the dynamic business environments and seek the rewards of a successful career building the pathways for a better and brighter tomorrow.

Final Steps of the MBA journey…..

It is a great time of year. It seems the times passing by have given us more time to learn and know ourselves as much as others.

This year was the closest for many of us to have ever come across a chilling winter morning. An advantage of this time of year is the opportunity to reflect on the year that was and the year that will be.

The next three months will be filled with the final steps in our MBA journey – the campus selection process. I don’t think I would be alone in saying that this whole process has created a unique buzz.

Studying for an MBA means that everyone has some level of drive and enthusiasm to learn. Effectively what you are going to learn hinges on the subjects you select. After all, the subjects on offer, both the quantity and quality, are one of the core elements in choosing a particular MBA.

The life around business models, the need for companies to continually innovate their business model to maintain a competitive advantage and the ability to draw on the knowledge from past work experiences finding it so apt when analyzing real world scenarios, reassured us of the merit of what I have been learning. In general, we learnt about how company’s business models could interact – be interdependent.

Beyond the subjects we took, we have been involved with many of the course module projects within other subjects. It has been fascinating to work our ways around the various aspects of a project or research teaming up and meeting people and trying to come up with the numerous strategic issues and recommendations for the same .

In a sense, this ability to apply the lessons from the classroom to real life is what it is all about. Times are slowly closing in for a journey to end and a journey to begin..

-Nikhil

Class of 2013

 

 

Chairman’s Reconnect 6 – ‘Shaping a better India-What can I do?’

1 December, 2013

My dear young friends,

Management education is all about holistic thinking (360-degree and multi-orbit) directed towards goal setting and preparing roadmap for the targeted goal. Rest is walking the thought.

During your MBA course, you have been engaging in such exercises through home assignments, projects, business plans, award winning presentations etc. all in organizational or sectoral context. Nation is above organizations and sectors.

All of us have national pride. However, events around us keep making us proud at one moment and ashamed at another the same day. I have listed a few facts and figures in respect of both the signals under the following two heads in two separate attachments as below:

1. I am proud to be an Indian

2. I am ashamed to be an Indian

These are only some thought provoking triggers. You will have your own database in your minds. Thinking of this large size country of continental dimensions, several major issues like the ones listed below will come to your mind as you think of reshaping it for better.

•       Crime rate increasing/ Justice delayed

•       Honour killings

•       Urban/ Rural Divide

•       Increasing gap between rich and poor

•       30% Indians below poverty line

•       Begging Problem-real and psychic

•       Corruption becoming a part of life

•       Political System needing revamping with power to recall etc.

•       River Networking for balancing the draughts with the floods

•       and so on…..

You may feel helpless as an individual, a drop in the ocean, to tackle such big issues unless you work in the mainstream of any of the above areas of concern.

We had a brainstorming session on 7-April-12 with the outgoing batch of Great Lakes IEMR thinking as to how to shape India for better, concluding with 5-things that one would like to do for his country as a responsible citizen in his individual capacity. I am giving below a few clues that were used to resolve.

1. Making Life meaningful & purposeful

2. Reinforcing a Value based Society

3. Promoting Professionalism

4. Leveraging the power of Education/ Technology/ Energy

5. Bridging Shining India with Deprived India

May be on this format, it was thought, we can be in touch for many years to share what we have been able to contribute as individuals with a common vision and what could be the net impact of this group growing year by year.

A package of 5-resolutions to create a better India, a better world had emerged as follows:

1.     Self goal setting (annually) synchronizing with Organizational goals and National Aspirations.

2.     Respect elders for the simple reason they have contributed to your comforts- Metro, Roads, Electricity, and all other facilities where Govt. has invested is out of the taxes they paid.

3.     Think beyond the dots and out of the box/ one single act per week beyond your job and family.

4.     Take small steps within your capacity to leverage education/ energy for the benefit of Society.

5.     Contribute 1% of your monthly expenditure to Charity.

{ There are several genuine Charity Organizations, where we can send our modest contributions. For example, I am sending this year’s amount to Narayan Sewa Sansthan, Udaipur, Rajasthan where it would be used to operate and rehabilitate next Polio affected child and they would inform me the name and other particulars of the child rehabilitated.}

You may evolve some alternative resolutions also on the same 5-point format (please inform me if you do so), befitting your propensity and position. But your agenda, your roadmap and your destination should be absolutely clear to you and every year, every month, every week and even every day you should be walking the thought on your own roadmap.

Satyamev Jayate !!!

Best wishes and Regards,

Dr. B.S.K.Naidu

M.Tech., Ph.D., CBI Scholar, D.Engg., FNAE, Hon.D.WRE

Chairman, Great Lakes IEMR, Gurgaon, NCR, Delhi
Co-Chairman, Advisory Council, Great Lakes-Bauer Global Energy Executive MBA program, University of Houston
Former Director General (NPTI & CPRI / REL)

No job is small or big, the way in which you do, makes it small or big (c)