Dr. R.V.S. Lakshmi Kumari has been working as the Head of EEE Department at Gayatri Vidya Parishad College of Engineering For Women, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. She has done B.Tech in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from K.S.R.M.College of Engineering - Cuddapah in 1995, M.Tech in Power Systems with High Voltage Engineering in 2004 and PhD Distribution Systems in 2018, both from University College of Engineering of Kakinada.

She has a wonderful 25 years of teaching experience. She started her professional journey in 1996 as an Associate Lecturer with VKR & VNB Polytechnic of Gudivada and later on worked as an Assistant Professor for RVR & JC College of Engineering - Guntur, GVP College of Engineering - Madhurawada of Visakhapatnam. After this, she joined Vignan Institute of Information Technology - Duvvada of Visakhapatnam as an Associate Professor and then worked as a Professor and Department of Head for 3 Visakhapatnam based institutes such as Visakha Institute of Engineering and Technology, Miracle Educational Society of Group of Institution and DADI Institute of Engineering and Technology.

She has also published 11 research papers in collaboration in various reputed national and international journals and attended multiple workshops and conferences throughout her career. She has taught subjects like Power Systems, Power Systems Analysis, Modeling of Power System Components, Computer Methods in Power Systems, Electrical Machines, Utilization of Electrical Energy and High Voltage Engineering to students till date. Also, for her wonderful work in the education sector, she has received “Best Teacher Award” by JNTU Kakinada in 2010 and “Prathibha Award".

Gayatri Vidya Parishad College of Engineering for women

What are the key factors that keep you connected with the education sector?

Teaching has been my passion from the start. And it gives me immense satisfaction and happiness when I get to upgrade my own knowledge and skills while educating students or interacting with them. In other words, I get numerous and easily affordable opportunities for self-improvement while pursuing a full-time career in the field of education and inspiring students to embrace contemporary technologies and expand their own intellectual horizons. Hence, overall I would say, all these factors together act as a driving force behind my long association with the dynamic and challenging world of education.

Being the HOD at GVP Institute of Engineering, what is your philosophy of leadership? 

As a Head of EEE Department and leader of my faculty members and students, I have prioritized creating a suitable working-learning environment to promote collaboration, empower people who work for me and work with me and be visionary in achieving the goals.

In your opinion, which education system is better, the Indian one or the one that is followed by foreign countries?

As we all have observed, in foreign countries, universities and colleges primarily focus on providing as much practical exposure as possible to students instead of solely relying on theory. And when we talk about India, the situation is totally different as both the educational system and parents have pre-conditioned the students mind in such a way that their only focus remains on getting good marks and ranks and not the actual Knowledge.

But things for sure are improving regularly and focus has now shifted on from imparting and gaining theory to practical education, and that too especially in the Engineering stream. But still we have to catch up a lot and some rigorous modifications in educational policies and methodologies are required on an urgent basis.

How does the curriculum of your college ensure the best practices of industry?

The curriculum of our college's courses promote the culture of inclusive teaching and learning, and it is welcoming and supportive of all students, regardless of their background or identity. Apart from this, our teachers rigorously use case studies while delivering lectures and students are involved in group activities and collaborative learning from time to time, so that they can share their unique stories, experiences and perspectives with each other.

Check Gayatri Vidya Parishad College of Engineering for Women Placement

What do you think should be the institute's top priority over the next 5 years?

In my opinion, we should focus on upgrading both our educational policies as well as teaching pedagogies in order to make students industry ready on the earliest basis. And our priority should also be on providing them relevant opportunities, where they can learn new skills and use the existing ones to develop solutions for real world issues. 

What do you see as the greatest strengths of your Engineering institution?

The greatest strengths of our institution lies in its effective and collaborative work environment, initituaces of taking projects that society needs. In addition to this, we do have a state-of-the-art infrastructure and modern facilities to fulfill all kinds of academic and non-academic needs of our students and teachers. 

What kind of events and activities are organized by your college to enhance the skills of students and help them outperform?

Our college provides a unique platform to students to interact with experts of various fields, learn from their experiences, and gain insights into the latest trends and developments of industrial world. We also organize conferences and workshops on a regular basis and a wide range of topics, from science and technology to business and economics, and from literature and arts to social sciences and humanities are covered during these events. And best benefit of these sessions is that they not only provide students with an opportunity to network with professionals, but also allows them to exchange ideas, and explore new avenues of research. 

Then we have group discussions and expert lectures which we conduct in collaboration with eminent personalities from different walks of life, who share their perspectives on various issues and challenges facing society. The discussions are often thought-provoking and inspire students to think critically and engage in meaningful debates. Apart from this, our college hosts a variety of competitions and festivals including literary and cultural festivals, science and technology fairs, business plan competitions, and sports tournaments to provide students a suitable platform to showcase their talents and skills and foster a sense of community and camaraderie among students. 

Any message which you would like to give to the current youth and aspiring students?

I would suggest my dear ambitious students to continuously focus on the tasks and projects that capture their interest and passion. Also, stay dedicated and committed towards your life goals even when faced with challenges or setbacks, if you truly wish to achieve success in future.