Role of Ethics in Engineering

Engineers are the strong upholders of the nation. They deal in things that are as important as laying the foundation of a country. An Engineers work/art has a compelling impact on the society, let alone the people, leading them in doing an adept work with utmost commitment to self and to the society. The commitment and adeptness thus demands no carelessness as, many lives depend on their work. To get a clear picture, we can say that a bridge build with low quality raw material, might fall down, endangering thousands of people’s life. This is wherein the deeds of righteousness emerge, the ability to act with lot of diligence and care. Working on ethics is thus an integral part of these deeds and acts. In the words of great Albert Einstein, “I do not believe in immortality, and I consider ethics to be an exclusive human concern with no superhuman authority behind it.” Ethics are based on well-founded standards of right and wrong that prescribe what humans ought to do, usually in terms of rights, obligations, benefits to society, fairness, or specific virtues, where engineers are no less. ‘Engineering ethics’ in this way finds its way up to the ladder of moral consciousness/self-righteousness.

How do the guidelines of Engineering Ethics actually work? We can say that Engineering Ethics are the primary obligation of any engineer to protect the safety, health and the welfare of the people. In a professional scenario, we are placed in a huge threshold of either doing what’s safe for the people or blindly following the orders of the employer. This crossroad situation consequently gives rise to the discussion about 'Engineering Ethics'. According to Martin At El, ‘‘Engineering Ethics relates to the study of the moral issues and decisions confronting individuals and organizations involved in engineering”.  They are underlying in itself the questions about moral conduct, character, policies, relationships and corporations involved in technological activities.

Now, where does need of studying Engineering Ethics originate? Considering that we all are living in an age of highly advanced technology and in this mind boggling and physically tiring race of reaching the vertex of success, we take such decisions that may not only have unintended consequences but are also adversely affecting the society.

Another reason is that while performing our professional duties, there may arise such situations which may lead to conflicts between our Personal and Professional interests. For instance, one is working in a reputed construction company where the material that company uses is of poor quality that could not be used for constructing of dams, then one is in a state of dilemma of ‘what is to be done?’, if the material is overlooked, thousands of lives would be in danger and if voice is raised against it, one may lose his/her job. The example reflects the situation of many people who have conflicts arising between personal and professional interests, and thus answering our question about why do we need to study engineering ethics.

To have much clear perspectives on code of ethics of engineering many Professional societies such as AAES, ABET, NSPE, IEEE, and AICTE have framed certain codes which are extremely handy for them by administering guidelines to be taken care of while executing their professional responsibilities. Some of the Ethics which Engineers have to follow are listed below.

Engineers, in the fulfillment of their professional duties, shall:

1. Hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public.
2. Perform services only in areas of their competence.
3. Issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.
4. Act for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees.
5. Avoid deceptive acts.
6. Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly, ethically, and lawfully so as to enhance the honor, reputation, and usefulness of the profession.

These are the code of ethics which are more or less universally followed.

You as an Engineer!

As an engineer you may also have to make many decisions when you have to be clear about what is right and what is wrong, and it is here that the code of Ethics will guide you, you can also design your own code of ethics and follow it to fulfill your Professional responsibilities.

Shared below are the guidelines which will help you in taking the right decisions:-

Test your decisions in the following manner:

• Is the decision good for all?
• Does it protect the health of the users or the public in general?
• Is it harming the environment?
• Is it energy efficient?
• Is it in the interest of the nation?
• Have you taken into consideration all the stakeholders as well as the people who are directly and indirectly affected by it?
• Is it able to justify prescribed standards and has efficiency?
• Is it affordable by a common man?

Actually, these codes make one feel really responsible and proud to be a professional, thus motivating towards the commitment one should have towards one’s profession. This self-made code of ethics will provide the necessary moral support and guidelines, which will inspire you to work with great commitment and more effectively serve the public. It can also win you greater powers of self-regulation for the profession itself, while lessening the demand for more government regulation.

 

About the Author

Dr. Asha Dave is Assistant Professor in Humanities at JDCOEM. She has a rich experience of about 20 years in the teaching arena. She believes in taking up teaching as a Passion and not Profession. She has completed her Post Graduation from Osmania University, Hyderabad, and her Doctorate from RTMNU. 

Internet of Things (IOT): Need of Future

What is IOT?

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a system of various physical devices which are interrelated, connected with each other through internet and are capable enough to collect and transfer data over a wireless network without human interference.

Source: freeCodeCamp

How IOT works?

IoT devices include sensors, processors and mini-computers which are connected to Internet and execute on the data collected through various wireless sensors with the help of machine learning. Machine learning is a type of Artificial Intelligence (AI) that helps the computer or system to learn, collect data from their environment and provides ability to improve from experience without any prior programming. IOT devices are more susceptible to virus, malware and hacking.       

                                                                                                                           

Architecture of IOT

IoT architecture is the combination of various elements such as sensors, actuators, cloud services, and layers. Internet of Things architecture layers are segregated in order to manage the working analytically. The planning of all constraints is mandatory before IoT architecture working starts. Majorly, IoT architecture consists of:

1. The client side which is comprised of IoT Device Layer

2. Operators on the server side i.e. IoT Gateway Layer

3. A pathway for linking clients and operators i.e. IoT Platform Layer

Main Stages in the IoT Architecture

1. Sensors and actuators

2. Data Acquisition Systems and Internet gateways

3. Edge IT

4. Data centre and cloud.

Stage 1: Wireless sensors and Actuators

Sensors have ability to convert acquired information into data which may be further used for analysis. Wireless sensors include embedded systems such as RFID tags, readers and other sensors which are used to collect and transfer information. Actuators have ability to sense physical reality eg. Switching off of the equipments and sensing of temperature.

 

Stage 2: Data acquisition system & Internet Gateway

Data which is sensed and collected is raw one and also contains unwanted database. Data acquisition is nothing but sampling the physical real time conditions. Data acquisition systems convert analog data into digital values for processing. The Internet gateway receives the data in digitized form and with the help of Wi-Fi, wired LANs, or the Internet systems, transfers it further to process.

 

Stage 3: The appearance of edge IT systems

Edge IT systems perform improved analytics and pre-processing with the help of machine learning and visualization technologies. Even with this further processing may happen prior to the stage of the data centre. Stage 3 is closely correlated to the previous Stages in the building of architecture of IoT. The position of edge IT systems is close to the sensors and actuators, creating an electric wiring.

 

Stage 4: Analysis, Management, and Storage of data

The data centres are talented enough to analyze, handle, and store huge amounts of data. It is also much more secure to store it here.

 

Applications of IoT

1. Smart Home Applications
2. Health Care
3. Smart City
4. Agriculture
5. VANET

About Author:

Prof. Ashutosh Lanjewar is working as Assistant Professor in Department of Electronics & Telecommunications, JDCOEM. He is having more than 12 years of teaching experience. His areas of interest include Internet of Things, Adhoc Wireless Network and Digital Signal Processing.

Engineering College and Alma Mater Connect

The involvement of alumni in supporting and providing contributions voluntarily to the engineering and management colleges is important for maintaining and expanding the development of a college.

JD College of Engineering and Management has started JD Alumni association. It has opened a new avenue for the growth, development and strong bonding with the institution. Hence, this is a potential for all alumni to contribute to the college in different ways and scale.

Role model and inspiration

Alumni are an effective role model and can be easily accepted by students. With the return of the alumni to support Engineering Colleges, they bring with them credibility and justification as part of a successful college. Experiences shared by the alumni with students whether in time management; financial management; development of self-discipline and character, or in career management serve as guidance and inspiration for students.

Career mentor

Competition in entering the workforce is becoming more intensive as a result of a higher number of graduates getting degree from colleges compared with a limited number of job opportunities. In the final year of their studies, students must identify seriously their career prospects. Therefore, alumni can be a reference for the faculty concerned in meeting the needs of students and graduates in obtaining work in selected fields.

Providing expertise

Besides that, the alumni can contribute by providing sharing their expertise in their occupation in developing new study programs at their respective college. Alumni can contribute as a guest lecturer, advisor in committees, industry experts and cooperative partners in projects with the College/university. This will improve the development of their alma mater.                                      

Opportunity to access professional development

When the alumni community is successful and obtains recognition from the corporate world, industry and the wider community. It can potentially create a stronger network as well as trust in the respective college. Also, they will assist younger alumni from the college/university to access opportunities in improving their careers and professionalism.

 

Conclusion

A good combination of the above-mentioned approach based on your institution’s vision will make your alumni feel part of their alma mater and motivate them to stay connected forever.

Alumni engagement should not be just about class reunions conducted once every year. If it has to be a long-lasting association based on trust and affection then the relationship must extend beyond seasonal events.

Simply spending time and money on engaging alumni through events will not serve any good. Colleges should come out with innovative ideas to bring alumni onboard. For achieving this, colleges are creating a culture of building a support system for its alumni network. This support system will then act as a propellant to fuel organic bond between the alumni and the college that will remain alive always.

About Author:

Ms. Vasundhara Malhotra is currently working as Training and Placement Officer at JD College of Engineering and Management, Nagpur. An Electronics Engineering Post Graduate, she has myriad interests encompassing Training, Placement, technology, gadgets, computers, business and entrepreneurship among others.

Learn, Unlearn & Relearn: Lifelong Learning

The Key to Learn is to unlearn stereotypes and relearn innovation.

Psychologically, it is non-viable to withdraw what you've learnt in the past, but in order to learn new things one needs to set the subconscious free and adapt to the new techniques.

In my 30 years of experience, I have seen many people trying to learn something new. But, in due course, they were trying to compare something they knew, to something that's new and failed miserably.

A proficient person is always better than a novice. But, at learning new things, a novice is favoured than the experienced, as learning is all about new start-ups. If you will ask a tennis player to play badminton, he will try to put his own norms rather than substituting his own with the new ones, while a novice will obey.

It's the details which matter the most. People often neglect the details. But, at the end of the day, it is the most important thing and relearning seizes it all. Relearning is the key to success. For rainbow one needs to pass through the dark clouds, same is with relearning. In this case, relearning is the dark cloud which we need to go through to obtain a bright future.

In order to grasp things one needs to learn, but when it comes to remembering things, relearning steps in. If you relearn, you discover something new from what you've learnt.

Today, during the covid crisis, everyone's traumatized due to the great loss of employment, assets and education. But, we need to cope up with the situation and paddle our own canoe. One can only help but it is us who need to practise it.

During the recent pandemic, the education sector has adapted to ‘Online Classes’, which may be sometimes chaotic, sometimes unpractical, yet the only feasible solution available.

Multi learning is introduced. We can learn or practice in more than one field; new articles are introduced regardless of barriers. With ‘Online Education’, we don't have to sit in packed and humid classrooms to learn something new, nor do we have to carry heavy loads daily. Instead, we can learn as per our own convenience that is anywhere, anytime and on any device.

The premium institution, one has been dreaming of, now can actually fly to our homes and in turn, all of this leads to development.

All of this reminds me of a saying that “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.”

Source: Reputation Today

About Author:

Prof. Neetu N. Gyanchandani is having 15 years of experience in academics. She is Head, Department of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering, JDCOEM, Nagpur. She is associated with elearning since last four years. She is working as Quality Check person for NPTEL translation, SPOC for NPTEL local chapter 804, Nodal Coordinator for Virtual Lab centre No.61. She is BOS, Chairman for Electronics Board at JDCOEM.

Foundations of Engineering Education

Technology affects the world in which we live and engineering is needed to create technology. The natural role of engineers consists of solving the real-world problems of society, resolving the basic needs by attempting to produce practical tools through the use of laid down scientific theories and laws. Engineers have the unique role of solving social problems through the use of machines, devices, systems, materials, and processes. The engineers’ urge for a better life forced them to dive into real inventions that have eventually changed our world today. They work on many different and diverse specializations, but they all create solutions for different areas of human life. Their works impact the society.

Source: The Hans India

They use Physics, Chemistry and Maths to perform all processes for purposes of aiding man's life. Computer Engineers deals with design and operations, some Computer Engineers are specialised in the areas like digital system, operating system, computer network, software etc. Chemistry and Physics are the basis of electronic component design. Similarly, all the branches such as Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering, Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering also essentially require knowledge of Basic Science. Knowledge in basic science forms the base of Engineering.

Foundations of Basic Science aim to fulfil this function most efficiently. It supports efficiently the Engineering Department by providing quality training to students. In addition to study of basic subjects like Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry; first year in Engineering involves introducing general engineering students to the Profession including problem solving, software tools, professional practice, communication, team work, ethics, the diversity of fields and majors within engineering. First Year Engineering fundamentally enhances students’ knowledge and critical thinking ability to understand the technology and analyze the things in modern society. Efforts to strengthen the foundation of every student are taken care of to make them ready in solving real life problems. First Year Engineering is the foundation of Engineering Education.

Engineering as a stream of study demands the elementary knowledge of Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and ignoring these streams can never make a perfect engineer.

 

About Author

Dr. Amit N Gupta is HOD, First Year B. Tech. in JD College of Engineering & Management, Nagpur, India. He has published several articles in popular daily newspapers & presented several research papers in International and National journals & conferences. He is associated with various professional bodies in India and abroad.

Future of Computer Science and Engineering

The rise of Google, the rise of Facebook, the rise of WhatsApp, the rise of Apple, I think these are proof, that there is a place for computer science, everywhere in our day to day life.

In our day to day activities, we use technology, Smart Phones, Laptops, Computers, Tablets, USBs, Softwares and Different Applications, so that life becomes easier and more efficient.

When we talk about future of Computer Science and Engineering, we observe, that every business and organization is going digital. As compared to other sectors, today IT sector is on boom and there is a huge demand of Computer Science Engineers and Programmers. They are offered highest paying jobs not only in India but also abroad.

 

Computer Science and Engineering deals with design, implementation and management of both software and hardware.

The fields in Softwares are as follows:

1. System Architecture: Design a system and sell it at a minimum price
2. Development: Develop applications such as  YouTube, WhatsApp etc
3. Testing: Test the product and debug the error

The fields in Hardwares are as follows: 

1. Maintenance: Computer maintenance professionals install, configure and repair computer hardware, software and network systems
2. Research and Development: Research and development engineers, develop new products, redesign existing products, and perform research and testing on product concepts. Most of the software Companies work in R&D segments and if not, then they have a dedicated R&D unit of their own.

As computing is extensively applied to almost every walk of life it created massive jobs for Computer Science Engineering students. Computer Science Engineers have ample of options to work in IT companies in departments such as design, development, assembly, manufacture and maintenance, etc. They can work as programmer, web developer, and E-commerce specialist with telecommunications companies, automotive companies, aerospace companies, etc.

More demand and application kept its research funding alive, attracting many students to opt for higher studies. If someone wants to go for higher education, then they can opt for Masters in Science (M.S.) in AI, Robotics, Embedded System, Data Mining, Distributed Control System, Virtual Computing, and so on.

Technology has been growing exponentially over the past decades, and industries are looking for fresh graduates in new technologies in computer science who can join their team and help them to transform their ideas in a better manner.

If you have an interest in computer science, then you should learn the latest technology in computer science to make a calculated move in your field.

Five latest technologies that are in demand are Artificial Intelligence, Big Data Analytics, Edge Computing, Virtual Reality and Cyber Security. These five technologies in computer science are storming the industry.

In today's life, computer science and engineering plays biggest and important role in our day to day life. So don’t miss it and grasp the opportunity to become a computer engineer.

 

About the Author

Madhuri Pal is working as Head of Department CSE-IT, JDCOEM, Nagpur. She has more than 16 years of teaching experience. Her areas of interest include Image Processing, DBMS, and Cloud Computing. Apart from teaching, she is also interested in Social Work.

Idea: The Foundation Stone of the Entrepreneurial Edifice

The right idea: it is what lays the foundation for a successful venture. What you do later comprises of the edifice built on the foundation of a validated idea.  With an appropriate idea, you proceed to build the organization, develop business strategy and execute the idea.

So how do you select the right idea for your venture?

Your chosen idea must solve a customer problem or be a new way of delivering an existing service or disrupt an existing business.

The process of choosing the right idea, the single most important decision you will make in your entrepreneurial venture, is the choice of your idea, around which you will build your business.

Sometimes, the entrepreneurial opportunity seems so hot and so compelling that people who have never before considered becoming entrepreneurs decide to take the plunge.

Here are some tips to arrive at the right idea:

Adopt a Kaleidoscope approach

You must have been fascinated how a small turn in a Kaleidoscope presents you an entirely new combination of patterns. In the same way, a small change, be it in a product or service or business model can throw open a new entrepreneurial opportunity.   Fairly common examples are ‘Business to Business' models where a new entrant converted the model into 'Business to Customer' one. The car rental business of Uber & Ola can also be considered applications of 'Kaleidoscope' approach.

New Technologies:

Changes create opportunities. Most of the changes are driven by new technologies which make business models possible or create new services. It is important to understand the business- creating power of such technologies. The opportunities are limitless.

Personal Experiences:

A young man found himself stranded at his hostel during Diwali as he could not get tickets for his hometown. This set him thinking, “Why there is no facility of providing information about the travel options and facility to book them from anywhere?". The idea led to multimillion business idea of the Red Bus!

Other Sources:

Other sources of generating concept are prior work experience, family business, friends and education courses.

Before zeroing in on your chosen idea, socialize the idea with your own LinkedIn and Facebook networks. Share it with friends and mentors. Through this journey, the idea becomes more meaningful as more insights and angles are added to it.

Visualize the idea:

Visualize the seed of your idea growing up into a full-grown tree. Deepen your understanding of the idea and strengthen your conviction in it. For the entire gestation period you must live, breathe and dream the idea.

Validation of the idea:

Present your idea to individual investors and venture capitalists and discuss your vision with them. The responses from several investors help to reshape the idea.

Another approach of validation is more structured and formal:   testing the feasibility of the same. This may be through market research, study of focus groups and/or pilot launch.

In the same context, it is also important to look at existing and future competition, which has a nasty way of emerging from unexpected sources and directions.

Additionally, an important validation question for your venture is whether the timing is right given the market conditions. If yours is new product or service, is the market ready for it? Does the required ecosystem /infrastructure exist to support its success?

'Head, Heart and Gut' Test!

When you have put your idea through a validation wringer and looked at it with realistic optimism, it should pass the “head, heart and gut” test.

While the head gives you the rationale, the heart speaks your emotions.

• Is the idea the one which you are enthused about? 
• Will it help you create an organization?
• Will it bring joy and happiness to the team?

Finally, the gut is your instinct or intuition on how the venture will work out in a five years plus time frame. If you find your head, heart and gut aligned, go ahead and press the “Go” button. Odds are you are the winning proposition.

If not, go back to the drawing board and tweak your idea or consult a mentor. Even then, some doubts may remain. Entrepreneurship is all about risk –taking and if you are well geared to tackle the risks, go ahead and take the plunge!

 About Author

Dr. Bhushan Mahajan is Head, Department of Mechanical Engineering and In-Charge, ED Cell, JDCOEM. He has attended FDP at IIM-L.

Digital Learning - A Novel Approach for Education

The traditional teaching has been totally shifted to student centric. With the invention of technology and with its usage at high level, the expectations of delivering the teaching contents have been changed. This paradigm shift is the digital learning, which has emerged as a boon for everyone, especially the environment. It is the internet, which has brought a drastic change in the perspective of human beings and brought about a revolution in everything.  Digital learning is the small aspect of that revolution. 

The digital learning plays a vital role in upgrading the overall aspects of classroom. Nowadays, the students are more techno-savvy and in order to cope up with the expectations of students, one must have the learning skills of digital world. There are so many apps freely available for digital learning, and it is the requirement of time. The days are gone wherein we had traditional teaching pattern, now everything is digitalized and hence the education also. Few months back, there was reluctance in using digital learning methodology for education and now the pandemic has bound us to use it at the fullest. Nobody had predicted that people in education sector will be using different applications for teaching. A digital classroom is a teaching and learning environment where students can study, learn, gain and grow through an online medium. Education technology and Electronic learning have emerged as a boon for education sector and certainly it is going to redefine and reform the face of Indian education system in all aspects with innovative prospect and expertise as whole.

Within a digital learning concept, teachers and students can not only exchange words, but also view and discuss case studies and presentations. This is the only medium of education which allows aspirants to participate virtually and connect with resources in groups. With this intent, so many universities have started the digital learning. Earlier the students were deprived of getting the knowledge if they missed any class, now e-learning has surmounted all these problems.  

This paradigm shift is firmly whispered to be highly productive, prolific and enhancing the eminence of teaching-learning along with breaking the biological obstruction for acquiring the quality education. The e-learning is the most recent and hottest inclination in the education sector. Earlier, when technology was not a part of education system, paper, notebooks, chalks and green boards were only tools for education.

It is not only the universities which provides e-learning but many educational sites have come up with the contents which are highly required for the students.  The main advantage of digital learning is the saving of precious time and is highly environment friendly. As the digital learning does not require any paper and this has stopped the cutting of large chunk of trees. With the innovation of IOT and other technologies, the education becomes more effective and user friendly where one can learn anything on a click of mouse.

About Author

Dr. Shrikant Vijayrao Sonekar is Officiating Principal, JDCOEM. He has 18 years experience in the teaching field. His areas of interest include Database, Ad hoc Wireless Networks, Operating Systems, Network Security. He is a life member of ISTE, CSI, IETE & IE (I). He is member of IEEE and designated as Executive Committee Member of IEEE Nagpur Subsection. He is Chairman Board of Studies, RTMNU for CSE-CE board.