GIET Director-Quality Assurance: Dr. T V Prasad Interview

Dr. Venkateshwar Prasad Tangirala ( T V Prasad) is the Director-Quality Assurance at Godavari Institute of Engineering and Technology, Rajahmundry, AP. He has over 22 years of experience in central government and academics. He has a deep interest in planning and executing major IT projects, along with research in new areas of computing and bioinformatics. He has received his graduate and master’s degree in Computer Science. He has over 135 papers in various journals and has authored 3 books, edited 4 journal special issues. He is a trained auditor for the implementation of the Information Security Management System (ISMS) as per the ISO/IEC 27001 standard.

What are the key factors that keep you connected with the education sector?

“To work in the area of knowledge transfer between generations and building new citizens of the nation”

It is the passion that brought me to the education sector. I always wanted to be an eminent professor. With that sheer passion, I started my career as a Lecturer. After some time I went to Govt. service where my administrative skills improved. I had attained broad thinking about the nation and its development. That bug or passion of being an educator did not fade but rose manifold, bringing me to academics finally. 

What is your philosophy of leadership?

“To be a leader that works with a humble nature and clear mission”

I strongly believe that people who lead or operate from the helm of affairs must have certain key qualities such as a long vision, a positive attitude, a strong balance of mind, and above all be self-motivated. I have built these qualities in myself during my career.

What can an inbound student gain from studying here in your institute?

“Student-centric strategy that has academic benefits along with skill-based learning”

We, at GIET, are pushing hard to break the legacy methods and bring in newness into the education system by various strategies. Strategies such as increased experiential learning, implementing active learning techniques, training faculty members on better teaching-learning methods, etc. are carried out and monitored. There are several students at GIET coming from various nations. Some are from a non-English native background. Such students undergo semester-long training, after which they appear for global certification. It will be worth noting how they are trained not only in English but in Indian culture and civilization. Based on the requirements, they are trained in Mathematics as well.

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How does the curriculum of GIET ensure the best practice of industry?

“Strong industry connect, training programs, & an Excellence center of Virtusa”

The curriculum is periodically revised based on various parameters. 

• Faculty members are drawn from various walks of life such as govt. sector, PSUs, manufacturing sector.
• 13 Centres of Excellence (CoEs) and Specialized Laboratories are established. 
• Tie-ups with leading industries help learners to interact face-to-face with industry experts. 
• Training programs and certifications are imparted.
• Virtusa, Infosys, and many other leading business houses help shape our students. GIET is the first institution in AP and Telangana to have the Centre of Excellence of Virtusa. 
• It is the first in the southern states to have a Cyber-physical Security Lab established in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications & IT, Govt. of India. 
• It is the first to have an Advanced Robotics Lab in collaboration with Aachen University, Germany. 

Any insights into how your institution welcomes students of different backgrounds?

“A diverse cultural and educational atmosphere is promoted to make students more resilient”

The GIET Campus houses students not only from the native state of Andhra Pradesh but over a dozen states of India including but not limited to Assam, Nagaland, Tripura, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, etc. Students belong to different economic backgrounds too. Foreign students of over a dozen nations earn their degrees here.

The lush green, vast campus, makes it a conducive environment of learning for anyone. For those intending to stay on campus, there are 6 huge hostel blocks (separately for boys, girls, and international students), separate mess facilities catering to North and South Indian cuisines.

What do you think should be the College's top priority over the next 10 years?

“To become a center of excellence in technical education” 

I believe that the Institute has earned a good name in this region and has earned many laurels such as 

• NAAC A+ grade (3.37 points on 4.00 scale), 
• Twice ranked in the overall ranking of top engineering colleges of India by NIRF (ranked in the 151-200 band in the overall category for the year 2018-19 and the 251-300 band for the year 2019-20).
•  The institution is already an Autonomous Institution for some years. 

It has established itself for the last 21 years and it is time for upgrading to a deemed to be university in the coming few years. With the Govt. of India pitching for implementation of National Educational Policy – 2019, we look forward to playing a vital role in the higher education sector in the southern states of India.

What has been your vision for the university and how far have you come?

“GIET is the first institution in the state of AP to have earned a NAAC A+ grade”

It has been exactly 4 years since my joining GIET as Director of Computing Sciences. Over these 4 years, I have seen phenomenal changes in the organization. The great increase in branding within and outside AP, increase in students from other nations and other states of India, increase in student-centric services/support. There is also an increase in industry relationships, research activities, and qualified faculty members.

What would you like people to know about your institute they may not know?

“Excellent infrastructure and marvelous living facilities for students to grow and develop in”

• Rajahmundry is considered the cultural center of Andhra Pradesh and has a long cultural heritage with it. GIET too shares the traditions and values, and so also the faculty members and students.
• For those intending to opt for a stay in hostels, GIET has its poultry, dairy farm, fish ponds, and agricultural farms. Food Mess serves a variety of cuisines. International students have a separate Mess facility and additionally, they have attached kitchens in their flats.
• Various other facilities like transportation, huge library, multiple sports facilities, gymnasium, round-the-clock security, internet connectivity, etc. provide the best to students.

Any suggestions you would like to give to the current youth and the aspiring students?

“Students must aim for not only good technical knowledge but a satisfying career with fulfilling life”

The purpose of education is not just to get a degree and then finding a job, but to build character and personality. Without character and personality, there will be no sensitivity towards other human beings and nature and hence there is no use of education. Many people talk of “value”, but I prefer to highlight “character” and “personality”.

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What are some plans that you’re currently (or will be) designing for your students?

“Interdisciplinary Projects and programs that will enhance the social awareness and skills of students”

• Most students understand their courses but find difficulty in reproducing them in speaking or writing. Hence, the first thing will be to suitably enhance their English language skills.
• A semester-long Community Service Oriented Project (CSOP) will provide them sufficient knowledge about Nature as well as service to nearby communities.
• Enhanced experiential learning through minor projects, many of which may be inter-/cross-disciplinary type.
• Focussed FDPs on teaching-learning processes and research activities. These will immensely benefit faculty members directly and students indirectly.