The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Cluster approach mooted for organising technical conferences

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Monday, Sep 22, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Cluster approach mooted for organising technical conferences

Special Correspondent

— Photo: C.Venkatachalapathy

INAUGURATION: Prof.C. Chellappan, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Anna University, Chennai, lighting the lamp at the Techcon’08 at IFET College of Engineering in Villupuram on Sunday.

VILLUPURAM: If a cluster of colleges organises a technical conference, knowledge flow would be much greater and the benefits far better, said C. Chellappan, Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Anna University, Chennai.

He was delivering the inaugural address at a national conference, Techcon’08, organised by IFET College of Engineering here on Sunday. The college had clubbed together six national conferences at the same time. Mr. Chellappan said that technical conferences of these sorts were the training ground for postgraduate candidates and research scholars. Therefore, it was up to them to utilise the opportunity for their career advancement.

If the colleges join hands to organise technical conferences, there would be intermingling of diverse cultures and the exchange of knowledge would be at a wider lever, Mr. Chellappan said.

At the valedictory function, M.R.Mohan, Professor and Chairman of Department of Electrical Enginering, Anna University, Chennai, said technical conferences helped in staying abreast of developments in any particular field.

He called upon the participants not to depend totally on textbook knowledge but expand their horizon about latest advancements.

Professionals should know about the happenings around.

For instance, Tamil Nadu was now facing power shortage to the extent of 1,000 MW because the demand outstripped supply. As against the requirements of 9,000 MW of electricity, the supply was at the level of 8,000 MW.

The shortfall was on account of the lesser wind energy, ie., of the total installed capacity of 3,000 MW in this sector, the State could get only 2,000 MW. Mr. Mohan further said that ever since 1957, the State had made tremendous strides on the energy front.

In 1957, there were only three lakh consumers but in 2007, the number grew to 185 lakh, and the corresponding figures in other areas for the above mentioned periods were as follows: installed power capacity – 2,000 MW and 10,800 MW, and agricultural pumpsets — 33,000 and 18 lakh. Of these pumpsets, about five lakh were getting free power supply.

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