Message from Mr.P.K.Govindaswamy, 1969 Batch, for Re-Union 2023 - opportunities in open cast Mines.

Transcripts -

Hi everybody,

I am Govindaswamy, perhaps, the senior most alumni speaking to you today, a student of the 1969 batch.

thanks to the alumni association, i am happy to address you.

it is customary on such re-union occasion seniors share their career real life experience – dos and don’ts.

Here is mine—I have had a wonderful, satisfying and successful career throughout my 40-plus years of service to the mining sector.

The most important single lesson which i learnt and share with you today is this---never blame external factors / circumstances for your failures and frustrations- success and failure depends on how well you are equipped with the required skills and /or transformed yourself internally to cope with such adverse situations.

In order that young mining engineers benefit from my experience I have, after my retirement, Elaborated the life lessons I learnt in the form of a biopic book titled ‘Memoirs of a Mining Engineer.”

I have donated a couple of the books to apt library. in the book, I have broadly explained the tips to help you become a successful mining professional.

a major turning point in my career and life was the unexpected entry into the construction sector.

like any fresh mining engineer, I too was initially working in core opencast mining ( I had opted for opencast mining for my PDPT- I urge you too to follow the same as it offers more job opportunities and better quality of life than u/g mines). the midway through my career i had to choose a career in a professional construction company –l &t, the largest construction company in India, which offered vast opportunities to apply my so far acquired knowledge of mining engineering and experience in dealing with crisis situations.

There were hardly any mining engineers employed at that time in the construction sector. As of now in L&T alone, a total of 35 mining engineers are working out of which 21 are diploma engineers. (six of them are ex-apt ) rest graduates.

Construction companies have realised and recognised the value and contribution of mining engineers can do to their mega rock excavation work, controlled drilling and blasting for huge foundations for building construction, demolition of old structures and bridges, tunnelling, eco-friendly stone quarry operation, and so on.

More details you can be read in one of the articles my self-authored and published in the mining Engg journal. I understand the article has been reproduced in the technical souvenir being released today to commemorate today's reunion.

Dear juniors, having listened to this brief talk, I am sure you will have several questions in your mind- all these questions and doubts would get clarified by reading the above said article and my biopic. Please read and get inspired to achieve your career dreams.

Before I conclude, I must thank the apt alumni association for reaching out to give me this memorable opportunity to address you, especially my deep thanks to Biswajit Paul who has been in constant touch with me to make this happen.

Thank you all for this honor and wish this function grand success and also wish a bright future for juniors.

Thank you, Jai hind,