SEVENTEENTH

INDIAN ENGINEERING CONGRESS

PATNA, INDIA

DECEMBER 19-22 , 2002

organised by

The Institution of Engineers (India)

The Institution of Engineers (India), pursuant to the decision taken at the 529^th Meeting of the Council held on June 9, 1985, has been organising the Indian Engineering Congress since then, in lieu of the Annual Convention held previously. 

This year's Congress -- seventeenth in the series -- will be held concurrently with the 83rd Annual General Meeting of the Institution at Patna during December 19-22, 2002. The Bihar State Centre of the Institution extends a hearty welcome to the Congress Delegates and will endeavour to make their stay at Patna a very pleasant and memorable one.

CONGRESS OBJECTIVE

The Congress is aimed to have enlarged participation of fraternity of engineers – young and seniors from within the country and abroad to provide a forum :

    *    To deliberate around the theme, which will flourish ideas, broaden the imagination of engineers, and scientists from different disciplines to involve newer domains and innovative concepts.

    *    For exchange of information among the engineers for updating their knowledge and also to stimulate a sense of responsibility in their respective professions.

    *    To foster international and national cooperation in the engineering fields.

    *    To inculcate and promote a growing commitment amongst engineers towards social objectives of the profession.

CONGRESS THEME

Infrastructure in India – Retrospect and Prospects

Liberalization of industrial and economic processes initiated in India and pursued vigorously has introduced not only an element of competitiveness never before experienced by the Indian industry, but has also opened up unlimited scope of expansion and diversification of industries. The follow-up action in this respect, that is, the will to accelerate the pace of industrial development has, however, brought  into sharp focus the rather alarming insufficiency of the basic infrastructure requirement like energy, transport, water supply, communication, housing, technical know-how, financing, etc. Lack of infrastructure facilities has today been identified as a key constraint in achieving  rapid economic development. The depleting budgetary support in this respect has made infrastructure strengthening all the more difficult. Deficiencies in these areas have to be removed effectively and quickly if India is to enter the global open market economy and free enterprise in big way and take its rightful place in the industrial world.

Development of infrastructure is not only capital-intensive but also time-consuming. A well thought-out action plan needs to be adopted on a priority basis. This poses the biggest challenge to the engineering fraternity of the country today and the engineers have to take up this challenge in their respective spheres and come up with practical, adaptable and cost-effective measures for rapid build-up of adequate infrastructure facilities.

The quantum of work involved in infrastructure development in terms of money, material, equipment and manpower is so huge that funding it from government resources alone is out of question. It follows logically that the private sector will have to be involved for financing sustainable infrastructure development. A model, therefore, would necessarily include involvement of additional stakeholders and, most specifically, the capital market. In fact, the commercial approach towards the implementation of infrastructure development projects has become an important agenda for all the State Governments.

However, given the limited experience of commercialisation of infrastructure in India, there is a need to provide a platform where the experience of both international and national experts in this area could be shared. India has taken major steps, though hesitatingly and haltingly, to address the issue in different areas and substantial funds have already been invested. However, the results are mixed and need critical constructive examination to retune the multi-pronged future strategies.  Keeping the pressing and urgent need for rapid infrastructure development in view, the Seventeenth Indian Engineering Congress of The Institution of Engineers (India) is devoted to in-depth discussion on “Infrastructure in India – Retrospect and Prospect”, as the central theme of the Congress Seminar to be held on the occasion. The Seminar would provide excellent opportunities for interacting discussion on all aspects of the subject towards the intended goal of  formulating an action plan for rapid infrastructure development through the country. The task is not easy but has an element of urgency that brooks no delay and also needs joint, co-ordinated efforts of all the partners involved in the process. A flawless planning and timely execution of projects are very vital in this respect, since a lackadaisical planning and delay in execution of projects simply and invariably lead to the cost over-runs hampering the growth and development.

Sub-Themes

    *    Infrastructure Development – Retrospect/Lessons Learnt

    *    Technological Options

        Energy

        Communications / Telecommunications

        Water ( Drinking Water / Irrigation )

        Transport / Road ( including Bridges, Fly-overs, etc )

    *    Financing of Project in Developing Countries

    *    Management

                Construction Management

                Contract Management

                Asset Management

    *    Socio-economic and Environmental Concerns

CONGRESS HIGHLIGHTS

INAUGURATION OF CONGRESS

The 17^th Indian Engineering Congress will be inaugurated at 1000 hrs on December 20, 2002 at Ravindra  Bhawan, Patna.

GLIMPSES OF ENGINEERING PERSONALITIES

A unique opportunity is provided in this session to budding engineers to listen to veterans narrating their experiences in tackling various engineering problems of complex nature during their professional career and is a much eagerly sought  event at the Indian Engineering Congress.

MEMORIAL LECTURES

Six Memorial Lectures instituted by the IEI to commemorate Outstanding Engineers form an important part of the Congress :

The 45^th Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya Lecture

The Lecture has been instituted to commemorate the notable achievements of Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya in the field of engineering.

The 24^th Sir R N Mookerjee Memorial Lecture

The Lecture has been instituted in memory of late Sir Rajendra Nath Mookerjee, the second and inaugural President of IEI.

The 11^th Dr Amitabha Bhattacharyya Memorial Lecture

The Lecture has been instituted in the memory of late Dr Amitabha Bhattacharyya, a Past President of the IEI and an eminent personality with outstanding achievements in the field of engineering.

The 28^th Bhaikaka Memorial Lecture

The Lecture has been instituted in the memory of  late Shri Bhailal Bhai Patel for his yeomen service to rural communities.

The 15^th Dr A N Khosla Memorial Lecture

The Lecture has been instituted in the memory of late Dr Ajudhia Nath Khosla, an eminent engineer, administrator and also a Past President of the IEI.

The 37^th Nidhu Bhushan Memorial Lecture

The Lecture has been instituted in the memory of late Shri Nidhu Bhushan, an eminent personality in the fields of Science, Philosophy and Spiritualism.

LADIES’ PROGRAMME

It is expected that a large number of lady Corporate Members, lady delegates as well as spouses of other delegates will attend the Indian Engineering Congress. Special programmes have been planned for them.

POST-CONGRESS TOURS

Post-Congress tours are being planned to provide an opportunity to the delegates to witness the most interesting historical places of legendary wealth and scenic beauty in Bihar such as Rajgir, Bodhgaya, and Nalanda. A tour to Kathmandu (Nepal) is also on the cards. The tours are proposed by tourist cars accommodating four persons each.

SOCIAL AND CULTURAL EVENTS

Cultural programmes will be organised on December 20^th and December 21^st, 2002 and the Congress Dinner on December 20^th, 2002 to facilitate the fostering of fellowship amongst the delegates and also in the fraternity.

ACCOMMODATION AND TRANSPORT ARRANGEMENTS

Accommodation will be reserved as per their choice of place of stay, and on the first-come-first-served basis, on requisition sent along with an advance deposit of one day’s rent. A list of prominent hotels is given hereunder.

F Bihar State Sales Tax @ 7 per cent to be charged extra on the room rent.

Patna is well connected by air to Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Lucknow and Ranchi by Indian Airlines and Sahara Airways . It is also well connected by rail to other places of the country.

Outstation delegates will be received at the Railway Station/Airport and  provide guidance to reach their place of accommodation . Local transport will be provided from place of accommodation to Congress venue and back on the days of the Congress.

PARTICIPATION FEE

The fee payable by each delegate is mentioned hereunder and the amount remitted should be clearly mentioned in the Registration Form  :

Registration Fees

(*Attested Photocopies of Identity Card / **Bonafide / Study Certificate issued by the Head of the Department / Principal of the College must be attached with the Registration Form)

Congress Dinner

The Congress Dinner is of contributory nature, costing Rs. 200/- only per head. 

ABOUT THE PLACES IN AND AROUND PATNA

Patna is the capital city of Bihar. The heritage of Patna, or Pataliputra as it was known, goes back to two millennia. This city was the seat of administration for many rulers and each of them ascended with a new name for their capital, Kusumpura became Pushpapura, Patliputra, Azseemabad and now Patna, Patliputra was the capital of Magadha, a kingdom, which dominated and influenced the politics of India for a long time. Located on the banks where rivers Sone and Ganga merge, this city has witnessed the rules of Chanakya, Chandragupta, Ashoka and the Nanda dynansties.

Sadakat Ashram : Situated on the banks of river Ganga, Sadakat Ashram is a memorial, dedicated to our first President, Dr Rajendra Prasad. He had spent a few years here, after vacating the presidential post. This is also the headquarters of Bihar Vidyapeeth, which was the organisation that started the Independence movement in Bihar.

Takth Harmandir Sahib : The tenth and last Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Govind Singh was born at Patna Sahib. Maharaja Ranjit Singh built beautiful Gurudwara, which is also known as Patna Sahib. It is one of the main pilgrim places for the Sikhs.

Gol Ghar : A very peculiar and interesting structure in the centre of the city. It is said that the structure was built in 1786 by the British to store grains after the famine of 1770. The 45.75 m high building appears semi-spherical and has stairs to reach the top. From the top one can get a panoramic view of Patna.

The Sanjay Gandhi Garden : The zoological garden has numerous birds and animals and also an artificial lake where boating can be enjoyed. A wooden tree house also attracts visitors.

Stone Mosque : This mosque was built in 1621 by Parvez Shah, son Emperor Jahangir. Also known as ‘Sanji Masjid’, the structure is a marvel of architecture.

Patna Museum : Established in 1917 it houses about 57,000 items of archeological importance including a priceless collection of 22,000 old coins. The museum unfolds a long history of the region. The sculpture of a Yakshni is a special attraction for visitors.

Khuda Baksh Library : Known as the ‘world of manuscripts’ in India, the library treasures thousands of Arabic, Persian, Mughal and Rajputana style paintings and manuscripts.

The Planetarium : One of the largest in Asia, the planetarium has regular film shows on subjects related to astronomy. It also holds regular exhibitions.

Kumharar : Six km from the Patna Junction railway station, it was at this place that the remains of Pataliputra, the ancient capital, were found during excavation. The site includes the remains of a Buddhist monastery of the Mauryan period.

Martyrs' Memorial : An impressive sculpture built in memory of seven young Kargil martyrs and situated in front of Old Secretariat building.

Agam Kuan : Believed to be built by king Ashoka, this is a well of historical importance. Once many attempts were made to empty the well using pumps but even after days, the well could not be dried so it was presumed that the well has endless source of water.

Maner : The fabulous Dargah — the Sufi mausoleum, on the road to Varanasi is the prime attraction on the outskirts of Bihar.

Nalanda : Towards the Southeast of Patna is a village called the ‘Bada Gaon’, in the vicinity of which, are the world famous ruins of Nalanda University. The university flourished during the 5th and 12th centuries. This place saw the rise and fall of many empires and emperors, many of whom built monasteries and temples here. King Harshwardhana gifted a 25 m high copper statue of Buddha and Kumargupta endowed a college of fine arts here. The famous Chinese traveller and scholar, Hieun-Tsang stayed here and has given a detailed description of that time.

Kundalpur : Kundalpur is situated just 1.6 kms from the ruins of Nalanda. The Digambar sect of the Jains believe that the 24th and the last Tirthankar, Lord Mahavira was born here. There are many Jain temples in this village.

Rajgir : Situated about 15 kms from Nalanda, and about 100 km from Patna, it is complex of temples and monasteries. Being located in a valley, Rajgir is a very scenic place. It is famous for the Saptaparni cave.

Vaishali : Vaishali derives its name from King Vishal, History accounts that when Pataliputra was the capital of Magadha, Vaishali emerged as a centre of trade, industry and commerce. The world’s first democracy with a duly elected council — Vajji, had its seat of administration here. Lord Buddha is said to have given his last sermon at Vaishali. It is also considered to be the birthplace of Jain Tirthankar, Mahavira, by the Swetambar sect of Jains. The Ashoka Pillar, also known as the ‘Singh Stambh’ or Lion Pillar, which is our national emblem, can be seen at Vaishali.

Sonepur : Situated on the confluence of the river Gandak and Ganges, Sonepur, shaped like a triangle is demarcated by three mighty rivers — the Ganga, Gandak and Ghagra. A small quiet town spanned by Asia’s longest bridge, the Mahatma Gandhi Setu, Sonepur is famous for the unique three-week long cattle fair, that it hosts during October-November every year.

Gaya : Located 100 kms south of Patna, Gaya is of great significance to Hindus. It is an essential transit point to Bodh Gaya. Like Varanasi, and many other riverside towns, Gaya is said to be a ‘Tirtha’ — a crossing across the celestial divide. Vishnupad Temple, Akshayabat, Surya Temple, Brahmayoni Hill or Gayasirsa are prime tourist attraction sites.

Bodhgaya : Holding extreme religious importance to the Buddhists, Bodhgaya lies 13 km south of Gaya, beside the river Phalgu. It was here, that the Lord Buddha sat under the banyan tree and attained enlightenment, and a descendant of that original tree still flourishes there today. The Mahabodhi Temple of Bodhgaya is one of the important places of worship for the Buddhists.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The intending delegates / participants are requested to send the filled-in Registration Form along with the remittance to :

Shri Anoop Singh

Chairman, Organising Committee

17th Indian Engineering Congress

The Institution of Engineers (India)

Bihar State Centre

1942 Kranti Marg

Patna 800 001

Telephone :  +91 - 0612 - 222 639

Telefax : +91 - 0612 - 212 478

e-mail : ieibhrsc@sancharnet.in

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