JAMALPUR NEWSLETTER
Hemant
Kumar ’73
Hi folks!
Jamalpur is alive
and kicking, and I bring an update of what has been happening since the last
newsletter.
I had already
informed that Amit Saurastri joined the band on sixth of January this year, as
the last (I hope so) person of 1996 batch. He adapted well - much better than
some of his illustrious predecessors who came... who saw... and who cringed
away to oblivion.
IRIMEE Annual Day this year was a mega event,
what with two sitting Members of the Railway Board and one former Member
present. A seminar was organised on “New technologies in the Mechanical
Department of Indian Railways”, with a keynote address by the Member Staff.
Jamalpur Workshop also readied the first 140-T Gottwald Crane for load trials
on the same day (Feb. 13, 1999) to be released by the MM. I believe JMP shops
had built several cranes earlier, but all of them had full component-kits
coming from Gottwald only. This perhaps was the first one for which the
purchasing was done by Indian Railways from global / indigenous vendors (hence
the delay). I am not sure if all the components have been received yet. MM also
inaugurated the C&W model room, and MS inaugurated Diesel (GM) model room
at IRIMEE.
MK Sinha ’88
followed the examples of his juniors (Akhilesh Misra ’91, Yatish Kumar ’93,
Suveer Kumar Sinha and Anjali Sinha nee Varshney - both of ’93 batch). He
decided to chuck bachelorhood for the bliss (?) of married life. His two
seniors at IRIMEE, PM ’80 and PS ’84, however, refused to get enticed, and are
determined to avoid the Venus (flytrap?). Somebody should tell them that it is
“better late than never” and that “it is never too late”.
Director got a
message that an Inter-CTI Cultural and Sports meet is being organised for the
first time at Railway Staff College, open to the faculty and the probationers
attached, and no, they were not allowing the SCAs to participate. Time was
short, but a team consisting of two faculty members and five probationers (all
SAMs) went there. They came back with both the trophies - Sports and Cultural.
Some of the events were entered in spontaneously, with barely five minutes of
preparation. But isn’t that what gymmies have always been trained to be
prepared to do?
Heat came in
early this year, and what a summer it was. April was as hot as the hottest May,
and in May rains came by the 4th week. Annual floods came in the last week of
June. It appears that there is a bug in the Almighty’s computer programme
governing the seasons (or has it been affected by a virus?). Anybody in the fraternity
may send a patch for the bug, or the cure for the virus to Him at His e-mail
address omigod@goodheavens.org with a copy to pearlygates (or is it billgates?)
MR made history
when he visited Jamalpur for a second time. Earlier incumbents could never make
it twice to the place, as they laid office shortly after the first visit. For
the current MR, the jinx applied albeit late - the government was voted out
shortly after his second visit on 30th April. The MR inaugurated the crane,
that was earlier released for load trials, on that day, and he also inaugurated
the survey work on the Munger Ganga road-cum-rail bridge. Know what? The road
from Patna to Munger and beyond across the Ganga has been declared a national
highway - it wasn’t even a state highway earlier. Hopefully, the road journeys
between Kiul and Jamalpur would become bearable in not too distant future.
IRIMEE has
suddenly come on the international map. No, it has not opened a branch in
California, or London for that matter. It hasn’t tied up with Harvard, Oxford,
or Cambridge either. Things have suddenly started looking up for IRIMEE as
regards foreign training. The first one to go was Lecturer Diesel, for 6 weeks,
followed by another Lecturer Diesel for another 6 weeks. Then came the short duration
(2 weeks) lollies for PM ’80 and yours truly. PM ’80 could not make it due to a
last moment glitch (he fell ill), but I could. I would share some of the
experiences in some other article, but what it indicates is that finally IRIMEE
is being noticed and the need to train the trainers is being realised in the
corridors of power.
It has finally
happened! The collaborative arrangement between IRIMEE and Birla Institute of
Technology, Mesra, Ranchi has been approved by the Railway Board in principle.
The Director, IRIMEE, and the Vice-chancellor of the BIT signed the MOU on The
21st of August, in presence of the AMM, and other members of the Advisory
Committee of IRIMEE, at a glittering ceremony. With this arrangement, SCAs
would register themselves as regular students of BIT, but study at IRIMEE. They
would appear for end-semester examinations in Ranchi (at BIT, not at the other
institute Ranchi is famous for). Hear what? MR was expected to come to Jamalpur
a third time - this time on the occasion of signing the MOU between IRIMEE and
BIT, but Gaisal happened first, and he resigned.
1998 batch is the first one to go through
this scheme. They would be free from EC / AMIE, and no exams at IRIMEE other
than those under the BIT scheme. Lucky chaps, aren’t they? With ’94 batch
starting their probationary training, ’96 batch was the only one remaining in
Gymkhana. To say the arrival of ’98 batch was eagerly awaited, would be the
understatement of the millennium. Eight bright boys joined the fraternity to
constitute the ’98 batch. They also had their tales of woes initially (don’t
snigger) but appear to be well settled now. Incidentally, the SCRA examinations
for the 1999 batch have been held on the 22nd of August. We would like them to
join as early as possible so that the dwindling strength increases.
M K Poddar ’84
left for CLW, reducing the strength of ’84 batch at Jamalpur by a third, and I
am sorry I could not fulfil my promise of visiting Poddars at their residence.
Maybe we’ll do it at CLW during some visit.
He should be quite relieved to work in a PU after the straightjacket
working of Eastern Railway (Do I hear any dissenting voice?). R. N. Toppo '81
has occupied his seat and has got promoted in the process. Any takers for the
post fallen vacant? Last seen, Amit Gupta ’86 was making rounds of Jamalpur,
ostensibly for a project. After all, he is due back from his stint at MDI,
Gurgaon shortly. I wonder. (News has come in that Amit Gupta has been
transferred to Central Railway)
Well, that would
be all for the present. Will meet again in the next issue.
Bye!