Mr. Hoomam Ahmad is the Head of the Department for Mechanical Engineering at Govt Polytechnic Chhabilha Khor Sadar Basti. He has completed his M.Tech. (CAD) from Dr. A.P. J. Abdul Kalam Technical University, Lucknow. He has more than 15 years of teaching experience. After completing his B.Tech. in 2007, he started his career in teaching, where he has supervised more than 15 postgraduate and more than 60 undergraduate students. As an author and co-author, he has published more than 15 research papers.

Govt polytechnic chhabilha khor sadar basti

Being a HOD Of Mechanical Dept., what are your roles and responsibilities towards the students?

The day I became the HOD of the Mechanical Department at Government Polytechnic Chhabilhakhor, I was filled with a sense of great responsibility. Although it was the day of my promotion, I would be lying if I didn't confess that it was a bit overwhelming as I was now required to lead, manage, and develop the department. I was not only responsible for students' discipline but also for staff's discipline and conduct, and for maintaining a professional atmosphere.

I make sure that a student who joins our department feels a sense of achievement, and this is possible only if the department itself works for a prestigious and righteous image. My staff and I try our best to be empathetic towards the students, and we let them know what all they are required to do during their three-year diploma course for the best results and fruition.

How do you tend to establish healthy relations with the students and fellow faculty?

For me, the foundation of every healthy relationship is empathy and respect. I try to inculcate both of these values in my conduct and persona. A student deserves as much respect as a teacher, and a subordinate deserves as much respect as a boss, this is my mantra! By actively working on these aspects, I create an environment of trust, respect, and collaboration, which will ultimately lead to healthier relationships with both students and fellow faculty members.

What are the best practices offered by the department to the students which help them gain necessary skills? 

At our college, we have a workshop where students get hands-on experience with the complexity of the industrial job. Different activities like CNC, welding, metal cutting, and quality testing are conducted in the workshop, which helps students grasp knowledge about production technology and manufacturing processes. Audio-visual aid is also something that we use for students to learn about those aspects of industries that are practically impossible to create on college premises. We also encourage industrial training among students.

How do you strategize the curriculum and how often it gets updated to make it befitting for the students?

As far as strategizing the curriculum is concerned, every semester I sit with my staff and talk about lesson planning and new teaching methods that should be employed. We as a department try to blend the conventional and the prevailing topics together, such as the use of AI in automobile engineering. More importantly, I make sure that our curriculum is student-centric and that the pupils are getting a chance to present themselves as potential technicians.

What are your views on the placements and higher education of the students from your department or How does your department prepare students for higher education?

Our college has a very efficient TPO, and through this, our students are introduced to a plethora of opportunities. The mechanical department has teachers who help students with their personality development so that their hesitation and stage fright don't come across as hurdles during interviews. I, as a mentor, always tell students the importance of higher education and why they should never quit studying and learning, even after getting a job. We tell them about part-time study programs and distance programs so that they don't depart from education due to unavoidable financial and personal reasons.

How do you help your student to cope up with the competition being so high in the outside world?

Undoubtedly, there is cut-throat competition in the industry, but I don't let this take a toll on my students. We talk about competition, but more than that we also discuss the importance of hard work and consistency. Many of the lecturers in my department are quite young and have attained this position after facing competition, so they are the perfect individuals to share their tips and experiences.

Do you have any extracurricular activities/ programs to enhance the skills of the students or expose them to real world challenges?

We have many extracurricular activities at our institute. Not only are there college level activities, but there are also inter-department sports competitions, debates, and project presentations. We encourage our students to sing and dance on events like Independence Day, Republic Day, and Annual Day. There is also an annual prize distribution ceremony to motivate students for the future.

Now, talking about exposing students to real-world challenges, I guess they are already exposed to that since they live in hostels and away from home, and we all know it's not an easy ride. A few things, I believe, we all learn on our own and at our own pace.

What are the challenges you faced/ are facing to uplift the quality of education of your department?

I do face challenges and problems while trying to ameliorate and uplift the quality of education. Some of them are the unavailability of staff due to ignorance of the body responsible for filling vacant positions, lack of proper equipment, and I won't hesitate to mention how, after becoming a government employee, sometimes teachers become lethargic and indifferent. However, I don't think there is ever any improvement without challenges, so I am always prepared to face these adversities and bring up solutions.

When you came to college, what was your vision and how are you trying to achieve the same?

When I came to college, I wanted to become an inspiring and useful person for the students, and I am still in the process of achieving this vision. I am trying to pass on every ounce of my experience and my learning to my students. I want to make sure that they take it and use it as manure to bloom in their own ways.