NOSTALGIC ALUMNI
* The alumni gathered for the inauguration of the celebration included heads of government departments and an MLA who were taken down nostalgic lanes
* Panaji MLA Siddharth Kunkolienkar reminiscenced the days of water shortages and meetings at a local canteen
* PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar quickly chipped in with the fact that there were no more water issues owing to a 2 MLD water supply to the entire campus
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As the Goa College of Engineering (GEC) began its year-long golden jubilee celebrations on Saturday, the general call that echoed through the corridors of the institution to the alumni was for remaining connected with the current students.
Speaking as part of the key note address, Mastek Ltd Founder Ashank Desai urged the institution authorities to create a two-way involvement of the alumni and the students presently studying in the institution.
“Today there are over 12,000 alumni of GEC. There is a need to involve them with the college. It should be a two-way procedure of communication and interaction. We, the alumni should be considered as ambassadors to the hundreds studying now,” said Desai.
His opinion was voiced by Chief Guest of the function, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar as well, as he called for a means of achieving it in the jubilee year. “There are many belonging to the alumni that have brought laurels to the college but these people haven’t been brought into the daily working process of the college. They aren’t part of the legacy of the college. This gap needs to be reduced,” he said.
Parrikar suggested bringing the alumni together in groups during the year of the jubilee celebrations. North Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar, while speaking on the occasion, said that Goa was emerging as an education hub in which the contribution of Goa Engineering college was significant.
“The standard and quality of education is remarkable which take the College to the pinnacles of glory and to be a premier college in the country. GEC reached a mile stone of half a century carving the future of thousands of students in the course of the time,” he said.
Parrikar also called for students from GEC to venture with the Ministry of Defence and take up various defence oriented courses. He also released the publication called “A Legacy of 50 Years” thereafter declaring the beginning of Golden Jubilee year.
PWD Minister Ramkrishna Dhavalikar, while addressing the function said that, GEC had speedily progressed and had expanded in terms of faculties of education, adequate infrastructure, well equipped with facilities and therefore has earned recognition of being one of the premiere college in the country. Siddharth Kuncalienkar , MLA & Chairman of EDC, Virendra Kumar, Secretary Education, Vivek Kamat , Director of Higher Education, Vinayak Shet , Principal GEC, and ST Nadkarni WRD chief engineer and president of the alumni committee also spoke on the occasion.
As part of the celebration, the state government has also earmarked Rs. 2 crore under a specially designed fund aimed at allowing the college to organize seminars and take part in research oriented activities as well as infrastructure and maintenance projects. Higher Education director, Vivek Kumar said the government would add an equal amount every year to the fund that would not lapse.
