Interview with Prof. Dr. (Commodore) Raj Kumar Goswami about his service, training & skill development

 

Prof. Dr. (Commodore) Raj Kumar Goswami, FIE, FIETE, SMIEEE, SMCSI, MIMA, CEH, Principal at Gayatri Vidya Parishad College of Engineering for Women

I am a former Indian Naval Officer with over 30 years of commissioned service, having held the position of Commodore before superannuating on 30th November 2020. Throughout my career, I have been instrumental in building highly motivated teams that deliver high-performance results. During my Naval Career I have been actively involved in streamlining processes, establishing new establishments, and shaping strategic plans with a focus on long-term development and the big picture.

During my tenure as the Director of Modernisation organization, I refined my planning, process improvement and project management skills while overseeing the modernisation process of ships. I was also responsible for conceptualising and implementing various software solutions for dockyard administration, resulting in increased organizational efficiency.

As the head of the Equipment Depot, I gained extensive knowledge in procurement, inventory management, administration, and HR aspects of similar organizations. My career has encompassed diverse appointments dealing with training, strategies, operations, planning, maintenance, and asset building, which has equipped me with good strategic, technical, analytical, and listening skills.

From my early days, I have been attracted to the academics, had a passion for teaching and always dreamt to be a professor. In fact, during my career in Indian Navy, I have taught many officers and prepared them for various interviews. After joining the Gayatri Vidya Parishad College of Engineering for Women (GVPCEW) as a professor, I have been able to live my passion for teaching. My appointment as the Principal of the college has allowed me to gain valuable experience in the functioning and administration of Engineering Institutions. During my short tenure as Principal, college has achieved significant milestones, which are as follows:

•    The programs in the CSE, ECE, and IT departments has been reaccredited by NBA for    a further period of three years.
•    Program in the EEE department have also got accredited by NBA.
•    NAAC has accredited the college with an 'A' grade for a period of five years.
•    AICTE approval was accorded for an increase in intake in the CSE and CSE(AIML)     branches.
•  Affiliation for the college has been smoothly migrated from JNTU Kakinada to Andhra   University. 

About Gayatri Vidya Parishad College of Engineering for Women

The promoting body of the Gayatri Vidya Parishad College of Engineering for Women (GVPCEW) is Gayatri Vidya Parishad, a pioneering Educational Society founded on 28th September 1988 with a view to serve the cause of higher education by an ardent group of erudite academicians, and industrialists. Present president of Gayatri Vidya Parishad is Dr. Ing. PS Rao and the Secretary is Prof P Somaraju. The college came into existence in the year 2008 and the college is a self-financed engineering institution approved by AICTE, New Delhi.

GVPCEW boasts modern infrastructure, cutting-edge laboratories, and advanced equipment, elevating the overall learning experience and contributing significantly to the college's accomplishments. The college has achieved accreditation from both i.e., the NBA accreditation for all eligible programs and the college has also been accredited by NAAC with an 'A' grade, affirming the esteemed position of GVPCEW in the education sector.

 

Maintaining an exceptional academic standard, the students of the college consistently excel in university examinations and competitions, attesting to the high-quality education they receive. Remarkably, the college has achieved a commendable graduation rate and ensured successful placements in prestigious companies, demonstrating its unwavering commitment to preparing students for the industry.

 

Equally significant is the commitment of the college to empower women by providing them equal opportunities, leadership roles, and a nurturing learning environment. The college prioritizes collaboration with industries, research organizations, and startups through numerous MoUs, reinforcing its connection with the industry.

 

The faculty and students actively engage in producing research output, including patents and publications, indicative of the college's dedication to fostering a culture of research and innovation. Notably, the alumni's achievements in their careers and contributions to society serve as a testament to the education and values instilled by the college.

 

GVP College of Engineering for Women's positive impact on society is truly remarkable, as demonstrated by its dedication to social responsibility through community outreach programs, social projects, and technical assistance to local communities. Additionally, the college fosters an entrepreneurial mindset by encouraging and supporting students in launching their ventures and startups.

 

An engaged and dedicated Alumni Network further supports the college's initiatives, fostering a sense of connection and collaboration. The college continuously strives for improvement, ensuring excellence through robust feedback mechanisms, student surveys, and regular faculty development programs.

 

In conclusion, the achievements of GVP College of Engineering for Women encompass multiple aspects that collectively shape a profound impact on women's education and empowerment in the field of engineering.

PhD in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering

I completed my PhD in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering wherein I designed and developed the new Forward Error Correction Scheme in respect of multipath channel, in specific Underwater Channel. To achieve this, various FEC schemes such as Convolutional coding, Trellis coded modulation and Turbo coding were designed and developed with various code rates and states. The performances of the schemes were then evaluated in the underwater channel. It was found that the Turbo coding schemes with convolutional coder as the constituent encoder gives better BER in respect of underwater channel. The underwater channel was modelled as Rician Channel with a spreading factor of 2 along with Additive White Gaussian Noise. The results obtained were then compared with the uncoded schemes as well as the standalone convolutional coding and Trellis Coded Modulation schemes in terms of BER. In my research the BER of 10-6 has been achieved with the new designed Turbo coding schemes.

Prof. Dr. (Commodore) Raj Kumar Goswami academic background

I have always had a thirst for learning and continuously strive to improve my skill set based on the roles I take on. As a testament to this, I have completed my MTech in Radar and Communication from IIT Delhi and earned my Ph.D. from Andhra University, Visakhapatnam. During my MTech at IIT Delhi I worked on the design and development of real time Data Communication system and then entered into the Research and Development field. I also completed my Masters Diploma in Business Administration from SIMS Pune. This was followed by Masters Diploma in Personnel Management and HRD from IIMM Pune. Further, I also completed the PG Diploma in management from JBIMS Mumbai and Masters in Management Studies from Osmania University Hyderabad. I am also Certified Ethical Hacker form EC Council USA. Subsequently, I also pursued MD in Alternative Medicines just to understand the application of non-invasive methods used in medical treatment.

 

After coming to the academic field, I realized the importance of Counselling Psychology and then I pursued the PG Diploma in Counselling Psychology. Subsequently, for holistic development of students the importance of Yoga cannot be underestimated and therefore I completed the PG diploma in Yogic Education. Additionally, I am certified as an ERP Manager and Six Sigma Professional. I am Chartered Engineer, Fellow of Institution of Engineers (India), Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (India) and Institution of Marine Engineers (India). I am Senior Member of Institution of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (USA) and members of Computer Society of India, All India Management Association, Aeronautical Society of India, Indian Institute of Industrial Engineering and Indian Yoga Association. I have published three books on Hindi Literature, one book on ‘Data Communication’ and on book on ‘Data and Information Security’. I have also published more than 80 papers in various National, International Journals and conferences. I have published a patent and have also been granted copyright for my literary work.

Raj Kumar Goswami Indian Navy experience

I was commissioned in the Indian Navy on 01 Jan 1991 in the Electrical Branch and subsequently held many important appointments. I had served onboard ships as Electrical Officer, wherein my role was to maintain all Radars, Gyro Nav-Aids, Electronic Warfare, Computer Aided Action Information Organization systems and Weapon Equipment along with the training of the ships’ personnel on these systems. I was also appointed as Assistant Project Director, wherein I was responsible for undertaking the complete project management. Subsequently, I headed the software development department of Dockyard, wherein my responsibilities included the regular development of Software Applications in addition to the training of IT staff so as to enable the maintenance of hardware and software. After that I was also appointed as the head of Equipment Depot where I was involved in complete administration, which encompassed all aspects such as Human Resources, Procurements, Accounting and Management of inventory.  I have also served as the Director of Modernisation organization wherein I was responsible for overseeing the modernisation of ships. Prior to my superannuation I was Command Electrical and Command IT officer, wherein I was responsible for management of all Electrical, Electronics & Weapon Systems and also all Information Technology related issues in respect of complete Eastern Naval Command.

Mentorship and coaching programs

Ensuring the development and growth of team members' skill sets is essential for the overall success of the team and for ensuring their optimum productivity. My tenure in the Navy has been very helpful in this regard. In order to ensure that the skill set of my team is maintained, I start with identifying the individual developmental needs by conducting regular skill assessments and performance evaluations of each team member. I then understand their strengths, weaknesses, and career aspirations so as to tailor their development plans accordingly. Once the needs have been identified I put emphasis on providing the relevant training sessions, workshops, and seminars to enhance their technical, soft, and leadership skills. I sometimes conduct these in-house but most of the time through external providers.

 

Apart from the training I also implement mentorship and coaching programs where experienced team members guide and support their less-experienced peers towards fostering a culture of learning and knowledge-sharing within the team. I also encourage Job Rotation and Cross-Training because it offers opportunities for team members to rotate roles or participate in cross-training programs in order to expose them to different tasks and responsibilities broadens their skill sets and increases versatility.

 

I also promote a learning culture in my organisation where my team members are encouraged to pursue continuous learning and professional development by providing access to online courses, webinars, and industry resources. I also work with them to set specific development goals aligned with their career aspirations and objectives. I regularly review their progress and provide feedback to keep them on track.

 

I also assign challenging projects and assignments to foster problem-solving skills and boosts their confidence which I feel stretch the capabilities of my team members. I also ensure that I provide them with supportive work environment, where they should feel comfortable seeking guidance and support for their skill development journey. I clearly specify the career pathing opportunities explaining clearly as to how their skill development can lead to career advancement. I also organize skill-sharing sessions within the team where team members can showcase their expertise and share knowledge with others.

 

Last but not the least I always lead by an example and also ensure that their growth and achievements are recognised publicly.