Convocation Day

The 142nd Convocation will start at 4 pm sharp at Students Activity Centre. Live webcast of the ceremony is also arranged. All the student volunteers will meet at 1:45 pm at Taramani Guest House. They will be again briefed about their work. They should be at their designated places in SAC at 2:30 pm.

On request of DR-ACAD I had nominated ten students as members of various committees. Apart from them there are some fifty student volunteers. Each of them is doing a wonderful job thus leaving me almost jobless. So what I have to do is just to hang around there and see if everything is at its place. So simple… isn’t it?

Advance payment

There has been a notice put up in hostels saying all students have to pay in advance the dining charges of Rs 8000 per semester in the beginning of the semester. We are told that this is decided bring administrative convenience and to recur the deficits in accounts arisen due to the delay of around two months for the bill amount collected from students. Considering cost of Rs 2000 per month per student the figure of 8000 is arrived at.

When this was informed during the senate meeting, I had asked the Director and Deans if this change was really necessary. They confirmed its necessity citing reasons mentioned earlier. I also had asked about the possibility of making first payments in installments which was straight way ruled out. Then I expressed my apprehension of the very short notice given to students and told that it is going to be impossible for even myself to pay this amount in lump sum at the end of this month. Then Director answered saying individual cases will be considered certainly. But I could not have any more headway in this matter.

Now this sudden announcement has aroused considerable panic amongst the student body. This is largely due a very short period given to the students for the first payment. This prominently came up in a meeting with students’ secretaries where most of them expressed that the present system of monthly payment should be continued. After this meeting, I met DoS where RAS also had joined me. We again discussed the matter and presented the concern of student body. In reply, DoS has said that he has to discuss this matter with other authorities and he will come back to us soon.

In a separate meeting this afternoon, DoS has stated that he has understood the problem of the bulk payment. Since this matter is so much troublesome to students he is going to discuss it with Director for a way out. Let’s hope for a better situation.

We attend first Senate Meeting

Senate Meeting was attended by RAS and AAS along with me.

• Whereever felt we shared our comments.
• In the reporting of MoMs of Prize Distributin Committee one point was missing. I had suggested constituting some kind of award/prize for MS students as there is no provision at present. It was well received and committee had decided to recommend it to Senate. I brought this omission to Senate's notice. The Director and DoAR replied saying such awards can be thought of. I take it as a verbal commitment.
• There has been increases in various fees in the proposal of a committee constitued for revision of fees. One of them happens to be the advance payment of Rs 8000 per semister as dining charges. This decision falls inline with some other IITs. I have expressed our difficulty in this onetime payment as the notice period for the payment, most likely beginning of new semister, is too small. I have mentioned in my speach that one time payment is going to be a big problem to all of us including myself. Director has assured that individual cases will certainly be given due consideration.
• The same committe has proposed fees hike to Rs 500 from existing Rs 100 for making duplicate ID card. DoS has clarified that as Smart Cards will be introduced this fees has to be increased and the proposed amount is the cost of the card. This is quite reasonable explaination.

Still there remain a few things to be addressed. One of them is the lab contingency fees. It is increased to Rs 2500 per semister. This fee is renamed to the fees for internet and computational facilities.

New Insurance Plan for Students with Less Annual Premium

During the negotiations with the insurance company the following changes in the exsting plan were finalised.

• The annual premium will reduce to Rs 528. Previously it was Rs 541. The excess amount collected through fees of next semister will be adjusted with next semister fees.
• Insurance coverage of Rs 3,00,000 to the student in case of loss of earning parents.
• Provision of special contingency of Rs 30,00,000 in case of illness of student with a limit of Rs 1,25,000.
• Upper limit of Rs 25,000 in case of hospitalization of student in place of Rs 35,000. This decision was taken in the lieu of the statistics of insurance claims submitted last year which shows most cases were below Rs 25,000. If the cost of hospitalization and treatment increases above this limit the special contingency fund mentined earlier will take care of the additional expenses. This single has reduced the annual premium significantly.

The accident coverage under RAK remains unaltered.

Director visits Sarayu and Sharavati

I met DoS in the morning. He explained his proposal for about the Sarayu where he suggests to divide the building in two by mere partitining. Girl will stay in the front portion and the boys will stay in the rear portion. A proper access path will be built for the rear portion. Rest Sarayu boys will be shifted to new block (3 floors will be ready by monthend). This arrangement will exist for one month and then rest of the boys will be shifted to new block where work for rest blocks will be over by that time and Sarayu will become another girls' residence. Director visited Sarayu with DoS, Wardens, Registrar and Chairman Engg Unit. I too was present there. After some inspection he approved DoS's proposal.

During the visit to Sarayu, it was found that the toilets were smelling. The contractor was called and asked about the reason. He has informed that he is not supplied with the cleaning material. This material supply is done by Council of Warden Office. From that I suggested, though lighheartedly, that we should arrange visit of Director to every hostel once in a while. Whithout delay of a second the Director graciously accepted and proposed to have it once in a month to each hostel. I appreciated him and thanked him.

Report Prepared

Ultimately I could get simulation results upto time 3 ms from the fuel injection started. On Thursday, 30th June, I presented the results to my investigator. He asked me to make a report on this by 4th July. As I wanted to go to Mumbai to attend Parag's wedding, I had to finish the report on 1st July itself which I did. It was a 16 page report discussing the excercise undertaken for tuning of model constant and the simulation of actual combustor. I emailed it to my investigator and left the lab. The whole work of analysing results, preparing presentation and the report took some seventy hours with two breaks of three-four hours each. But then I was free to enjoy my Mumbai visit.