Interview by Kritika Gupta

Dr. Dhirendra Kumar

Dr. Dhirendra Kumar Gupta is the Vice Principal at IES College of Technology, Bhopal. His qualification includes, B.Sc., M.Sc. and PhD. He has more than 15 years of teaching experience.

He has published approximately 20 research papers in various journals. With this, he has also presented his papers in 2 international conferences and 6 national conferences. He has expertise in handling XRD, Nano scope, PL, STM, MFM and advances AAS.

Challenges faced as the VP of IES College of Engineering

Working at this position is not easy; almost every day you come across various challenges.  The primary challenge is to maintain a disciplined environment in and around the college.

New students who enter college life mostly undergo a lifestyle change. They become lenient about their studies and focus on other things that can ruin their careers. Making sure that they do not lose their focus is crucial. So, we at IES College ensure that the discipline is maintained because without it one cannot learn anything.

Uniqueness of curriculum of IES College of Technology

The curriculum for the programs offered at IES college is furnished as per the industry needs. With that, we make sure that the standards of basics are also embedded in the syllabi and teaching methods.

From the 1st year and onwards, the student is prepared according to the industry standard. We make sure that the student’s English aptitude is top notch. Talking in English with each other and the faculty is compulsory. Also, in terms of general knowledge, it is essential for a student to keep themselves updated with the same.

From the 2nd year and onwards, we provide them with practical knowledge in all the engineering disciplines. With this, we invite experts from the industry to hold guest lectures to enlighten students about the real world challenges and what all skill sets are required to deal with them.

Skill sets required for a job

As per my experience, having a disciplined routine and having your fundas clear takes you a long way. The competition is increasing exponentially with each passing year if you lose focus and lack knowledge in what you are doing will not do any good to you.

For a student, it is important to have a basic skill set like:

-    Smart work

-    Communication

-    Leadership

-    Decision making

-    Ability to work under pressure

-    Time management

-    Self-motivation

Apart from these skills, it is important to learn and have expertise in whatever course or subject you are studying.

Apart from these skills, it is important to learn and have expertise in whatever course or subject you are studying on.

Views on an ideal school environment

Without a doubt, every educational institute must have a disciplined culture. From the higher management people to the students, everyone must follow the protocol of the college, government norms and AICTE norms.

Apart from this, teachers must regularly polish their personality and skills. They must keep themselves updated with the syllabus and technology.

On the students’ part, they should not just attend the college for the attendance sake. They must educate themselves with whatever they are taught. And they should also question about concepts that are taught to them.

Top qualities that an engineering aspirant must possess

In India, engineering, doctor, lawyer or a teacher are the most popular professions. So, when we talk about the top skills for an engineering aspirant, he/ she must have:

  • Effective technical skills
  • Should know how to work under pressure
  • Problem solving skills
  • Creativity and innovative
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Commercial/ market awareness
  • Teamworking skills

These are few qualities that one must possess as an aspiring engineer. With this, make sure that you are working proactively in order to achieve your goal before anybody reaches there.

Goals for IES College for the upcoming years

Talking about goals, we initially have to work on two major things. First, to train our teachers to match the industry standards. As the education sector is evolving on a daily basis in terms of technology and methodology, teachers must keep themselves updated with the same.

Secondly, we are trying to introduce practical knowledge in our curriculum at a good percentage. Nowadays, having theoretical knowledge is not enough. In order to score a good job, the recruiters require that the candidate should have good exposure or experience in the field.

In order to achieve this goal, we are trying to conduct seminars, workshops and exchange programs so as to expose our college family to the real world.

Suggestions to the Faculty and Staff Members

As a Vice Principal of IES College of Technology, I would like to suggest my colleagues and other staff that they must follow discipline. Doing so will help the entire college to grow in a positive way. Students will regard you and listen to you in an effective way.

Advice to the youth and aspirants

The most important advice to the student is to be a disciplined citizen. This quality will not only help them to become a better person but will help them to achieve their goals easily!