12/15/2014

Call Us

ArunachalFrontFirstResponsiveWebsitefromArunachalPradesh:Home

Letter to Editor

(index.php)

Region

15-12-2014

Go

Archive

Ntl Lok Adalats clear 351 cases

to ink record

Academicians churn minds in

NERIST international seminar

Encroachments removed to
widen sector road

Book on traditional practices in

North East India released

Ntl Lok Adalats clear 351 cases to ink record

Ntl Lok Adalats clear 351 cases to ink record

'After sales service key to woo

customers'

Top News
Sports: Veteran Cup begins today
Culture: Engineers' perspective to research developmental
Home: Visitors say dil mange more
Home: DDJAC reiterates demand, threatens further stir

http://www.arunachalfront.info/index.php

1/6

12/15/2014

ArunachalFrontFirstResponsiveWebsitefromArunachalPradesh:Home

Culture
Engineers' perspective to research on developmental issues
DEC 14, 2014: Looking afresh sustainability of the planet
By L D Kala
The academic churning at the North Eastern Regional Institute on Science and Technology (NERIST) from Dec 6-8 earlier
this month may have focus on the entire gamut of research mechanical engineers who can contribute to the advancement
of science and technology. But the key issue in the developing world is about improving the lives of the common man.
While retaining the focus at the frontier of research, developing world has a lot to catch up vis--vis daily living of its
ordinary citizens. The focus on subjects with real social impact was very much in recognition here at the International
Symposium on Advances in Mechanical Engineering and Technology for Industry (AMETI-2014).
At the beginning of industrial revolution mechanical engineering ruled the roost. Today it is the entire engineering universe
at work for the welfare of the masses. So much so that it is almost impossible to categorise an innovation as purely one or
the other area of engineering. In fact it is all about involvement of knowledge from a whole cross-section of subjects of
engineering and other sciences under the academic universe.
Mechanisation is possibly the first thing a common man thinks of mechanical engineering. However, it does not rest with
mechanical alone these days. The most recent branch " computer science " also has a lot to do with
mechanisation today apart from the role electrical engineering, electronics, communication, chemical, design and others
have. Farm sector was to have the dose of mechanization long back and western world has greatly benefited from it and
developed a so called highly successful model of agricultural production.
This model, however, is in sharp contradiction to the agriculture this country has followed over the ages. Our agriculture is
close on the heels of sustainability and environmental conservation measures we talk about today. In our agricultural
practices, cattle are integrated part of the system and that adds to the dimensions of organic agriculture, which is valued
highest today but difficult to achieve due to the heavy dependence on chemicals. Mechanisation has made agricultural
utility of cattle redundant and changing the situation back seems to be difficult in the developed west.
Indian traditional agriculture is a well knit arrangement with farm activity and cattle rearing, being integrated together.
Cattle provide organic fertilizer besides milk. Bullocks provide the motive force required for farming activities such as
ploughing etc. It was such a sustainable arrangement that it continued for ages with no imbalance that we see today when
cattle are confined to the milk farms alone. The males have no role in farm, which is taken over by modern power driven
farm gadgets. Unlike the west, consumption of meat does not gel well with the Indian philosophy of living and that
underlines the problems we are heading for. Abattoirs are consequences of the modern agriculture to India.
These aspects apart, mechanical engineering has contributed immensely in making the lives comfortable for the human
civilization. Wheel alone is the engineering marvel that has changed the way human used to live. Automobiles have made
mobility of men and material easy, which was unthinkable a century back.
Engineering solutions must now also be used to address the very issues created by their own selves. Energy consumption
needs to be minimized to whatever level possible. High energy consumption of the modern living is the root cause of all
the problems we know of today. The habits of comforts die hard, hence, develop processes and behavioural patterns that
consume the most little. Remember the advice- there is enough on this earth for everybody(TM)s needs but not
enough for one(TM)s greed.
Focusing back on the subject of contribution of mechanical engineers for development of our society, contributing to the
betterment of the lives of the masses should be the top priority. Addressing the problems of the common man is the fact
that should derive utmost satisfaction. Working for the removal of drudgery of the human being is another area to work
for. Lifting devices, carriage devices, cooking devices, household devices those defy the use of conventional sources of
energy for their energy input needs, are what should be prioritised.
In household matters, engineers can find their interventions in the kitchen too. Innovative ways of grinding of spices and
vegetables thereby reducing one(TM)s time in the kitchen etc. can be attempted for development. We must
understand the traditions, psyche, ease of use while devising new devices, machines and processes and pin point the

12/15/2014

ArunachalFrontFirstResponsiveWebsitefromArunachalPradesh:Home

A farm cycle begins with preparing the farm for sowing. The devices involved are plough and planer. Sowing is followed
by weed removal. The activity next in line involves harvesting of the crop, cleaning of crop produce, shifting to the stores
and taking the crop to market place in bags filled with crop produce. Food processing is the process of value addition to
the crop. It may be the best thing if the farmers themselves can involve themselves into this processing, at least up to
some extent. The processing of raw crop fetches more value for it hence the term value addition. This process is repeated
for the next crop. In hilly states, the traditional agricultural practices usually limits to two crops. It will be simply the
incompetency of an engineer if one is not able to figure out a role for oneself.
Engineers should take cue from the critical analysis of the modern technological systems. That most of these technologies
are urban centric that are aimed at deriving value generation from focusing at the population consuming in the urban
concentrations. In the process, the technologies have been so evolved that the useful parts of a natural produce reach the
urban spheres of usage and the left over or unused waste is retained in the rural interiors of the regions, countries and
continents. The irony now is that these rural interiors are conspicuous by short of access to technologies and funds that
can cope up with these problems. For an urban investor, there may be many more opportunities for investment where
more decent returns can be earned. The result is shifting of the problems towards the villages. These are the typical
characteristic of the development happening in the developing world.
Developed world have reached the scenario of no return and reached the pinnacle of the recipe that is sure to spell
disaster for human civilization.
But then engineers, scientists, thinkers, etc. together should take steps for course correction for sustainability and
longevity of this planet which otherwise is heading fast for ominous future of life on this planet. The answer probably lies
in reverse learning of the modernity and analyzing afresh the age old practices which anyway we have started realizing to
have a certain degree of goodness for all of us on this planet.
(The author based in Delhi is a technologist, science writer and science filmmaker)
0

Likes

VIEW MORE

Arunachal Front 2014 All Rights Resereved.

Home (index.php#index) |

Editorial (index.php#editorial) |

National (index.php#national) |

World (index.php#world) |

Beyond The Horizon (columnist.php?topic=109) |

Local (index.php#local) |

Sports (index.php#sports) |

Culture (index.php#culture) |

Readers Forum (readersforum.php)

Developed by

http://www.arunachalfront.info/index.php

North East (index.php#northeast) |

EnvisageSoft (http://www.envisagesoft.com)

6/6