Message Board Trial Version under Evaluation

It’s really good feeling that the things related to this are moving at a good pace. Website-ICE I/C has already given his green signal. Arun has started working on students’ ICE. He will champion this work.

Bhushan has searched some alternate email programs which can substitute present SMAIL. He is going to conduct an audit of utility of SMAIL vis-à-vis these professional programs. This will end up either in modifying SMAIL or replacing SMAIL by a better program.

Guru and Bhushan will work on the updating the institute website. In this regard, Makarand and Shashank has volunteered for checking the website for updates and pointing them out to INW I/Cs. They already have sent separate first set suggestions.

Arun has spotted a couple of good message board software programs and he recommends one of them (IPB) for our future use. He has installed IPB’s trial version on his PC. I too have registered there and we both have used this message board for testing purpose. We are happy about its features. We will install this trial version on ICE server on Monday after seeking permission from GS. We will conclude this evaluation trial within a week. After that we will take decision about recommending this software to DoS or DoP.

No Grills on the New Hostel Balconies

There is interesting news for the student community. It is decided not to fit close the balconies of new hostel by fitting steel grills. DoS agreed to this in when I met him on Thursday morning. I had suggested earlier that in place of grill on the balconies, there can be an inwardly projected steel railing pipe fitted. This suggestion is accepted. You may like to visit my earlier posting about the same.

Step towards Getting Rid of Cable TV

Immediately after the meeting with DAAD returnees was over DoS wanted to talk to me. It was regarding the cable connection in the hostel TV rooms. He has suggested that we can install newly introduced Dish TV in the hostels. Presently we have to pay Rs 50 per semester per student for the cable if the hostel has one TV set. If the hostel has two TVs then this amount is Rs 75. This way Kaverie ends up in paying around Rs 5000 per month as cable connection fees.

The same evening I visited the main dealer of Dish TV in a nearby suburb to enquire about the equipment. We will spend around Rs 10000 for buying/commissioning the equipment (two in number) and later we will have to pay around Rs 400 per month per set if we avail all the channel packages. This means we will have breakeven in the 9th week itself. And we will be saving some Rs 4200 per month. This will reduce the burden on the students or the saved money can be used for some other hostel work by the hostel council.

We have decided to go ahead with Kaverie and Krishna for installing Dish TV first. Other hostel will follow this a little later.

Meeting with DAAD returnees finally takes place

Overall it appears to be a good meeting. DoAC and DoS were present. The students appreciated the experience they sought in Germany. All were happy about it. Students have also given feedback about some problems they have faced after they have returned to our institute. It's quite strange that these students have hardly any problem in whole stay of nine months in Germany and they have to face problems one after another as soon as they return back to our institute. For example;

• Nobody in institute knows about their arrival (except me and their other friends). There is no single person in the institute is responsible for keeping contact with these students during their stay.
• There is no arrangement for hostel rooms after they return. They have to make rounds of OoHM, wardens' office and guides' office. One student still has not got any room to stay.
• They are asked to pay fees for the fourth semester even though they have paid fees in Germany.
• Not only that, they are asked fees as a hostelier pays Rs 8000. Reason... they have been staying in the hostel room from last three days. That means they are hosteliers! The AR of Acads comments, "You have brought so much from Germany then what's harm in paying some extra to Institute!!"
• Grade conversion... Who will do it?
• Placement Office never knew that a sizeable group has left for Germany. A very few companies may come for campus recruitment of these students. Note that most of these students have missed their campus placements.

One may feel that all these complaints are petty. But then aren't they are fair demands. I feel that this all can be avoided if there will be a single person from the institute is made a contact point. It is matter of this person informing all the sections to make necessary provision for receiving them well in the institute. I don't think that it a difficult task. The positive aspect of this meeting is DoAC has asked these students to give their problems such as fees payment in writing so that he would study and come back to the students again.
Hopefully for the next batch these "petty" problems will be addressed well in time. Let's hope for the best.

Meeting with DAAD returnees postponed

The meeting with DAAD returnees is postponed to Thursday morning 9 O'clock. It is done on the request of DoS as he will have meeting with Director on Tuesday afternoon. It may be in connection of the visit of the new Chairman of Board of Governors on Wednesday.

Back to Campus

Came back from Bangalore today morning. Could have a nice sleep in the bus but it seems that it was not enough. The journey was very brief, only five and half hours. Reached hostel at 5:15 am and in fifteen minutes again I was fast asleep. Visit my private blog http://myprasad.blogspot.com to read about my Bangalore trip.

Received reply from DoS to have meeting with DAAD returnees at 3 pm tomorrow. I have passed the message to the concerned students.