Dr.R.Punidha is currently working as the Principal at Bharathiyar Institute of Engineering for Women, Tiruvannamalai. With a Ph.D. in Information and Communication Engineering, she has vast experience of over 23 years in teaching. She has presented research papers in conferences at national and international levels and has guided 05 projects as well. She is a well-known education enthusiast serving student welfare and success. 

Bharathiyar Institute of Engineering for Women

How do you try to bring in a practical approach towards subjects?

“Providing students with industrial visits and practical experience”

Getting theoretical knowledge has no value until students can apply it for practical purposes. Theoretical knowledge of skill-based subjects needs to be supported by practice. Subjects like engineering are skill-based and practice-oriented. Practical work includes experiments in laboratories, study tours, projects, assignments, etc. We are arranging Industrial visits that reveal to the students the real working environment, the new and advanced techniques which play a crucial role in the technical world. This visit also assists the students to learn and make them concrete on the current application. We motivate students to implement the current application in Project and Design contests which enhance their practical knowledge. We encourage students to participate in international level industry-oriented design challenges like Smart India Hackathon, Texas Instruments India Innovation design challenge, which enhance their knowledge based upon industrial needs. We also give more practical exposure in the industry-oriented subjects by signing MoU with leading industries and organizing Value-added programs.

How do you tend to establish healthy relations within your institute?

“Encouragement with a positive attitude”

Treating others the way you want to be treated is the golden rule for a reason. Students notice when they’re being talked down to. All relationships are built on mutual respect for one another and this same principle applies in the classroom. So, we can provide moral support for their personal development and motivate them to improve their career. We also have a student counselling club system to help us to know the difficulties faced by the student both personal and educational hurdles which play a major role in the betterment of a student's thoughtful life. This club also shows a path for career counselling to students. The strength of our relationship must make the difference in translating our passion for teaching into their passion for learning.

What are your roles and responsibilities towards the students?

“To ensure the delivery of a comprehensive, high-quality education”

Being the Principal at Bharathiyar Engineering College for Women, my primary aim is to empower women with professional education which improves their multitask personalities. As a team working together, we, the well-experienced and committed faculty, community, strongly promote academic achievement among our students. I focus on the detailed implementation of the designed syllabus; and accordingly, I make all the facilities what they need for their curriculum. I ensure to provide proper care and supervision to the students. Other roles of mine include motivating the students to participate in paper presentations, conferences and encouraging them to submit funding proposals to various research funding agencies.

What is the pivotal role played by women’s education in India? 

“When girls are educated, their countries become stronger and more prosperous”

Education is considered the most important tool for empowering women in society. It is not only developing the personality of an individual, but all play an important role in economic, social, cultural development. Due to the very roles and responsibilities, women play a pivotal role in the development of any society, state, or country. However, women’s empowerment in India is dependent on multiple factors – location (urban/rural), economic and social status, age, and education to name a few. Bridging this gap requires an approach that addresses the diversity of social structures and creates awareness around three major parameters of women empowerment – safety and security, autonomy in decision-making, and mobility. Education is the key to creating a collective social transformation and strengthening the social and economic status of women in India. Empowering women with the knowledge, skills and self-confidence will improve their ability to become financially independent, achieve self-reliance, eliminate violence against women, and provide them with an equitable representation at all levels – social, economic, and political. Education is the key factor for empowerment, prosperity, development and welfare of girls and a nation at large. 

How do you help your student to cope up with the high competition outside?

“Overall development of students in technical and soft skills”

Improving practical-oriented knowledge by encouraging students to participate in more innovation challenges, Hackathons enhance their skills. We are continuously encouraging them to organize more association activities which give them confidence and management skills. Guest lecturers and Skill development courses in recent trends are organized, and students and staff are encouraged to participate in state and national level competitions. We organize job fairs every year in order to ensure that a maximum number of students are placed through campus placements. Encouraging them in project works and motivating them to file the pattern for their innovation is helpful as well. We have Literary Club, Innovation Club, Young Indian Club, Red Ribbon Club and NSS, NCC, YRC, CCC, WDC, and Tamil mandram to enhance the skill set in wider boundaries. 

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What challenges do you face to uplift the quality of education of your Institute?

“Pacing the education structure for students from the rural areas”

The main challenge faced to uplift the quality of education of my Institution is that most of the students are from a rural background, so improving their Communication Skills becomes difficult since they haven’t had the relevant exposure. Communication is important for jobs and other scholarly feats such as Innovative publications in reputed journals and pattern filing. Since our country is filled with people of different economic and financial levels, some of the students have difficulty in making their educational dream a success due to their poverty-stricken backgrounds and unawareness. So, we need to concentrate on those kinds of students by providing a metrics scholarship and making them achieve their goals and dreams. 

What do you see as the college’s greatest strengths?

“Placement, large infrastructure, Laboratories, and Workshops”

The College has been able to build up a large infrastructure, with sufficient space for libraries and laboratories, Workshops, and other facilities for the students so that their personalities can blossom forth in its rich abandonment. And also, Placement is the greatest strength at our college which acts as the topmost reason for students to take admission here. We have a Placement Cell that provides 100% placement assistance. We also provide Practical Training to the students which gives us an extra edge. 

What valuable advice would you give to the students to have a prosperous career?

“Be humble, diligent and persevering in life”

Success comes before work only in the dictionary. In real life, one must be diligent, perseverant and meticulous. These three traits will ensure that you climb the ladder of success. But this success is incomplete without the success in your personal life. And that can only be achieved by being sensitive, inclusive and humble. Work Hard, Play Harder; Avoid Being Paralyzed by Fear; Learn Something New Every Day; Don't Tie Your Sense of Self-Worth to Your Job, and Don’t Beat Yourself Up About Disappointments. 

What approaches do you bring in apart from curriculum to train the students?

“Wide variety of practical activities for skill development”

The transfer of communication skills and soft skills happens only through the learning by doing approach. Activities are incorporated in the lesson plan to facilitate interaction and engagement of students like fishbowl discussions, guided analysis, pro and con grid, Think-Pair-Share, Impromptu presentation, and many more. Our institute develops a methodology to educate students about the topic that includes problem-solving, small group discussions, etc. and then implements the same in the classroom. We encourage them to learn through ICT and NPTEL and arrange frequent alumni talks and orientation sessions by industry experts. Such sessions help students understand what to expect and what skills are necessary for the industry. We also introduce value-added courses from time to time based on industry trends.

How do you prepare your faculty according to the industry standards?

“Constant upgradation with the newer technologies and topics”

Our faculty empowerment initiative is one of the major parts. We conduct regular workshops with industry tie-ups to ensure that both the product, as well as technology, is brought into the department faculty. Faculty undergo regular FDP’s and take up online courses like NPTEL courses. In fact, many of our faculty have scored the Gold and Elite score in these NPTEL courses. Moreover, the senior faculty undertake consultancy projects with industries, and the junior faculty are associated with the implementation of these projects. Thereby the knowledge of the faculty and the students are enhanced while working on these projects. In the field of electronics and communication, since the technologies keep changing very fast, faculty keep up-to-date on the newest technologies and developments. 

What are your views upon the placements and higher education from your institute?

“Provisions for additional programs and classes”

In my point of view, students can learn additional courses that help to upgrade knowledge for higher education. We understand that the conventional courses need some additional skills that can enhance a student’s employability in the job market. That too with no additional enhancement in course fee. Hence, we have a tie-up with a third party who is providing skill development courses such as Office Automation with Excel Specialization, IOT, Digital Marketing, etc. The course fee is either very less or free in some courses. Hence, we not only want our students to excel in their respective fields but also get employed in the corporate sector. Furthermore, for students who are in post-graduation, we organize special classes on UGC-NET Examination preparation.

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What has been your vision for the Institute?

“Consistency and exact implementation of the objectives”

I strive to provide quality education to the students, which should meet the current industrial needs. I aspire to make the course more industry-oriented each term and aim to give hands-on sessions and allow room for practical implementation. Mainly the education industry is directly related to the technology industry and the skillsets are very important. Students must have practical aspects. To translate the institution as one of the best Engineering Colleges is my vision as well. I wish to establish a well-equipped laboratory to undertake the analysis of projects and research in the Institute for better approaches and reach. 

What is the unique role played by BECW compared to other colleges in the region?

“Women empowerment in all aspects of education”

In our institution mainly focusing on women's education, we are creating many women entrepreneurs by providing excellent training and education. In general, women are more emotionally intelligent than men and possess good interpersonal skills which are vital for framing strategies and building support. Women are the pillars of society and when women are empowered, the whole world is empowered. So, we are providing an outline by using different types of schemes or training to help them identify their talent and build their own identity.