10. WORKSHOP REPORT
Community Development Programme – Presentations
Lunch was followed by the Community Development Program summary wherein the team
managers presented the various community development activities of their team members. From
building storage facilities in the villages to donating books to the poor, the development programme
projects were unique. Scholars dwelled into several spheres of community development and really
broadened everybody’s conscience to back what we have taken. More importantly, the dedication
shown by every scholar is indeed commendable .The session left our never cells ticking. The evening was
free for socializing and networking. The scholars took the most out of this and went out for dinner.
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Day Two – GE Foundation Scholar Honors
(Article contributed by Hemant Saggar, IIT-Roorkee)
The real gruel started on Monday, Day 2 with everyone rubbing their eyes in morning to wake
up before 7 and scramble for precious bathroom space. Eventually all came down to the dining hall
beaming their best smiles, proudly flaunting the GEFS dark blue T-shirt and sat down to enjoy a
delectable breakfast. With the atmosphere charged with excitement and everyone looking forward to
visit the nucleus of innovation and activity, we boarded the bus to JFWTC, of course not before the
customary photo session with Dr. Lavakare.
The JFWTC was one big campus to say
the least. With magnificent buildings and
exquisitely crafted lawns, it looked a different
world altogether. After getting our security
passes we reached the conference room
where were greeted by Vipul and Monica our
campus guides and our Single Point Of
Contacts or SPOC’s( a unique word that we
cheerfully added to our vocabulary).
Everyone was delighted when the Managing Director of
JFWTC, Mr. Sanjay Correa came up to the podium and warmly
welcomed us. He congratulated all the scholars and went on to
underline the power of innovation that drives GE and the panorama
of activities going behind the beautiful veneer we all were seeing.
Through with his cogent talk, which held each of us to our seats,
Sanjay culminated the session by the much awaited prize distribution
ceremony when each one of us had our moment of glory that only
emboldened our resolve to work tirelessly for personal excellence and social benefit. All the scholars
were overwhelmed with receiving the certificates from Dr.Sanjay Correa at N.D.Satyakanth (MP Room-2,
Odyssey A-wing).We were well dressed in GE T-shirts and all set to pose for the group photo. The group
photo was taken at the steps outside Odyssey cafeteria.
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Insight to JFWTC – Site Tour
(article contributed by Garima Rana, IGIT- New Delhi)
One need not be perspicacious to realize the bloom and beauty of the John F Welch Technology
Centre. The charm is so becoming that one can easily mistake the location for sets of a Bollywood movie
or for a weekend picnic spot. But, the 545,000 square foot campus houses something more interesting
and intriguing than the shape and color of the Tabebuia trees spread across the campus – technology!
We, the scholars, were fortunate enough to have an inside look (although, it would be unfair to
call it just a look!) of the GE laboratories.
We were divided into two groups. Our SPOCs then led the way to the laboratories. First, was the
MPE laboratory. We were asked to wear safety glasses inside the labs; all of us enjoyed flaunting the
same, very much. My earliest remembrance of this lab is the Fe-C triple point diagrams which brought in
memories of the courses from year 2 of mechanical engineering. Here in MPE lab, the technocrats are
working towards establishing structure-property correlations that can be used when designing new
materials, while optimizing manufacturing processes and predicting key material behavior such as
fatigue, creep, corrosion and electronic performance for a variety of materials.
It was followed by the healthcare lab, where we were shown the various X-ray and CT scan
ranging from those costing $ 6000 (the cheapest!) to the more sophisticated ones costing around
$60000. During the candid conversation which followed demonstrations experts told us how GE is now
working towards tapping the potential of the market at grassroots and innovating towards more
affordable and economic healthcare solutions.
Next in line was the visit to fuel efficiency lab. The technocrats explained the techniques
involved as they try to optimize the gasification of coal to increase combustion efficiency in GE boilers.
The analysts determine the non-dimensional parameters on a scaled-down model, and then calculate
the exact values with the help of techniques such as model analysis.
Most interesting of all was the Green Lab, a research house for new and renewable technology.
The entire department is run on hybrid – primarily, solar and wind. The experts are working towards
how to make the technology more economically-viable and garner substantial returns on the
investment.
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Two hours of the visit, abound with immense exposure and knowledge gave all of us enough
inspiration to research further on the latest technological advancements. The best part was that we
were encouraged to interact with experts and discuss with them the nitty-gritty of the technologies
involved. The first hand information was a welcome change from the norm, where Google is the staple!
GE Mentors
After our introductory tour of JFWTC, the four teams were taken to the plush conference rooms
of the Odyssey wing, which is also called the green building and is the newest addition to the GE brood.
The rooms were all decked up with everything a team to get their thoughts into reality, put their brain
cells and motive one to innovate- we were all set up to create the revolution that would leave the world
awestruck. We were also given endless access to knowledge through the internet and mentors…. and an
endless supply of caffeine courtesy the pantries on every floor, which literary kept us going all the way.
The teams were introduced to their respective team mentors, and were given a briefing on how to go
about with the presentation, along with hints and nudges about how the process of innovation is
undertaken. The mentors were masters in their respective felids; they were truly intellectual, through
them the teams gained a lot not only in the sphere of technology but also about the social side.
We would take this opportunity to thank our mentors for chipping in and bringing a different
and a more mature dimension to the discussions, whatever the context maybe. The experience has been
‘one-of-its-kind’ and each one of us will truly cherish it. Meeting them and listening to their ideas truly
energised us to innovate!!
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Day Three – WORK and PLAY
BRAINSTORMING SESSION
Having spent most of the previous night preparing hard for cultural events that were to be
performed the next day, the teams woke up groggy-eyed on Day Three. On arriving at the JFWTC, the
teams headed towards Odyssey and gathered into their respective conference rooms to brainstorm and
work upon innovations that had to be presented to a panel of esteemed GE experts and judges the very
next day.
The concept of ‘teamwork’ came into picture. Every team wanted its idea to be unique,
technologically innovative and most importantly, implementable. The true test, we realized lay in
coming up with the most technologically innovative idea yet making it an attractive and commercially
viable business opportunity with strong value proposition. With guidance from the likes of Dr.
Abhinanda Sarkar, and the GE mentors, the teams slowly but surely made their way toward concrete
ideas.
Even in the midst of serious innovation, the teams had the cultural presentations at the back of their
minds – the anticipation of watching the other teams perform coupled with the anxiety of performing
our own parts well. It was a day that none of us would soon forget.
BONDING WITH ALUMNI
Soon we were asked to move to the hall where we were welcomed by our alumni. The GE
foundation scholars were put into different groups and were lead by our ex-GE Foundation Scholars who
took us around JFWTC interacting with us and exchanging our experiences at the workshop.
HAVING FUN-ONE MINUTE GAMES
The Alumni had organized some games for us for fun and recreation .It was a healthy competition
with lots of space for fun and frolic. Well!!, ”Healthy” in another sense I mean they provided us bananas
to gobble up, butter milk to gulp and to do pushups .All these were played to do the maximum number
of counts in a minute. The other two games were to tie the most number of knots in a rope and tie
ponies on one’s hair. The alumni made sure that all of us were able to participate and have fun at the
same time.
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CULTURAL EXTRAVAGANZA
It was finally time for the cultural programmes. Team Zero enacted a play on the theme of growing
up and importance of parents. This was followed by a rendition of Michael Jackson’s ‘Heal the World’ by
team Penicillin. Team Transistor then enacted a humorous play titled ‘The Green Refrigerator’ that was
based upon a fictional story of a family with generations of GE Foundation Scholars. The icing on the
cake was a funny ‘tapori’ dance performance by team Gunpowder. We laughed till our stomachs hurt
and had great fun performing and watching others perform.
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But none of the performances were etched more deeply in our minds than the outstanding
recitation by Dr. P.J Lavakare himself. He recited to us a poem that went,
When I was a Boy at School*
When I was a youngster four feet high,
No happier soul in the world than I,
I love to think of the days gone by,
When I was a boy at school.
My exercises I recollect,
Were not invariably correct,
And sometimes I got what I didn’t expect,
When I was a boy at school.
I robbed an orchard one fine day,
And took whatever came in my way,
But none of the fruits did I take away,
When I was a boy at school.
The owner caught me - the nasty sneak!
Of the scene that followed, I need not speak,
I couldn’t sit down for at least one week,
When I was a boy at school.
I stuck a pin in the master’s chair,
And saw him jump up in the air,
I laughed like mad and heard him swear,
When I was a boy at school.
But the point of the joke I failed to see,
When yesterday, it was tried on me,
It isn’t so funny as it used to be,
When I was a boy at school.
I fell in love with a sweet little thing,
And gave her a brass engagement ring,
We promised to each other for life to cling,
When I was a boy at school.
I loved that girl for a week or two,
And then regretted it as most folks do,
But it didn’t matter for she cooled off too,
When I was a boy at school!
Lal lalla, lal lalla, lalla la…….
* A poem taught (and perhaps written) by Dr. H.J.Taylor, Physics Teacher of Dr. P.J.Lavakare
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Of the two judges, one was an accomplished singer and treated us to a melodious song.
The results of the cultural programmes were announced soon after and members of team
Transistor were the proud, beaming winners.
Most-Wanted Scholar at the Most-Sumptuous Dinner
On Day One, it was decided that by the end of the workshop, when all of us had gotten to
know each other, we would elect someone to uphold the title of ‘Most-Wanted Scholar’. Results
of the voting were announced that evening at the splendid buffet organized at the Odyssey
cafeteria. The dinner was indeed a lavish
affair, complete with Tiramisu for dessert.
We couldn’t have asked for more!!
Hemant Saggar, from IIT Roorkee
who, during the course of the workshop
had put on many hats - Technical
Manager, team Transistor, a vocal artist,
and finally ‘Kittoo’ of ‘The Green
Refrigerator’ won the title. The overdose
of work and play had left us drained out
and we made our way back to UTC.
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Day Four –Time for Innovation
The day started at UTC with scholars meeting for
breakfast at 8. As expected, the turnout was lower than
usual, as most scholars had only managed to get a couple of
hours of sleep in the course of fervent preparations for the
technical presentations. The discussions and rehearsals
continued throughout the ride to JFWTC. The technical
presentations ensured everyone was at their innovative and
technological best, even amidst all the fun.
Mr. Mano Manoharan, GM, GE Global Research judged
the presentations. The different ideas are compiled below:
Zero: All Terrain Vehicle
They proposed a real world engineering design model of an All-Terrain Vehicle that complied with
FSAE design criteria. The vehicle was designed using mathematical and CAD modelling and simulation
with features such as light weight, high strength, high durability for use in all terrains – ranging from
mountains to deserts and swamps.
TEAM ZERO
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Gunpowder: Crop Management and Services
Gunpowder proposed a market led business model to enhance the competitiveness of agriculture
industry by providing crop management services. The technology takes into account the major factors
affecting cultivation i.e. nutrient content, soil type, moisture content, water consumption and climatic
conditions. The tool predicts the best crop type for the particular region while taking into consideration
the ‘critical’ factors with the help of piezoelectric sensors.
TEAM GUN POWDER
Transistor: Home Health monitoring and prognosis system using Bayesian networks
Transistor designed a reliable home health monitoring system that could predict the onset of
emergency for patients suffering from chronic illness. The system was low cost, portable and suitable to
rural markets. They demonstrated the design of their system specifically for the prognosis of cardio-
vascular diseases. Based on inputs from devices like portable ECG, blood pressure etc., a software
model indicated the patient’s health condition. The software model used was a dynamic Bayesian
network.
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TEAM TRANSISTER
Penicillin: Credit Screen
Penicillin designed a credit screen which allowed access to multiple accounts with the help of a
digital device and a password to access each account. Unique barcode with an Automatic logout and
Simple UI – Touch/Regular were other features. The innovation lies in use of bank Silver Nano wires
coated on plastic substrate instead of glass, flexible LCD screen Polycarbonate for back panel Bar Code
Reader hence making it more versatile. A single card solution would be a replacement for carrying
multiple cards and improving on the security of the transactions.
Each team was grilled on the specifics of their proposed technology and the feasibility and
implementation of their ideas in the GE context. The innovation was a critical judging parameter. The
efforts put by each team evidently came across in the presentations. Dr Sanjay Correa, the Managing
Director attended a few portions of the event and appreciated all the ideas put forth by the teams.
This was followed by Mr Mano Manoharan’s talk on how he was able to appreciate each of our
efforts and ideas. He emphasized more on also concentrating towards rural India being a additional
point in two of the teams presentations and how important rural India is as we are more a part of urban
life.
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TEAM PENCILLIN
THE RESULTS
After a passionate, thought-provoking talk by Mr. Mano Manoharam the results were announced.
The team ‘Zero’ was declared the winner for technical presentation. Team ‘Transitor’ was the overall
winner of “fun games”.
Prizes!!!The winners of all events were awarded as Mr. Mano Manoharan distributed the prizes . All
the GE foundation scholars were given bags with the GE foundation logo and printout of the group
photograph.
Towards the end of the workshop Hemant, on behalf of all
scholars thanked Dr.Sanjay Correa, GE Mentors, Alumni and all the
scholars present for making this workshop a success.
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Walk through GE Foundation Scholar Leader Programme
Ten Years of the GE Foundation Scholarship Programme – A review by Dr. P.J Lavakare
Dr. P.J. Lavakare addressed the GEFS, the alumni the
judges and Dr. Sanjay Correa about the GE foundation Scholar
Leader program since we were told that this year would be the
last program and tentative as to whether it was going to be
conducted in the coming years. He did stress on the fact that it
was the 10th year of the GE foundation Scholar Leader
Workshop. He gave a presentation on the program, beginning
with how students are selected across various institutions in
India, on what basis they are selected, the procedures of
teams being made and the team interactions prior to the
workshop. It also brought out the importance of this program
of not only the students getting the scholarship money but
also to highlight the scholarly, leadership, team building
aspects and to keep up team spirit which did persist among all of us during the workshop. The
community development project that was taken up by the foundation scholars was mentioned.
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Thank You Note!
True to its motto, the GEFS Workshop indeed energised us all to innovate! The team spirit,
impinging on new ideas, trip to JFWTC, the fun and laughter and the interaction with some of the best
minds, gives one all the right reasons to cherish this workshop as one of its kind.
On behalf of all scholars, I thank respective colleges for nominating us. We are grateful to the GE
Foundation for awarding us this scholarship and recognizing us as individuals who can make a
difference.
Thanks due to Dr. P.J. Lavakare and Institute of International Education who made scholarships
available to all scholars. We are grateful to Dr. Sanjay Correa; Managing Director of JFWTC, Dr.
Abinandan Sarkar, Co-ordinator GEFS 2010, Team Mentors, Bench of Judges, SPOCs, Alumni and the
entire organising team of the workshop who made this workshop a success.
Sincere thanks to Mr. S.R. Ram and his efforts towards ensuring scholars’ comfortable
accommodation reimbursements for providing the workshop T-shirts and caps and ofcourse, the Gulab
Jamuns!
Finally, we would like to acknowledge the spirit of fellow scholars who undeniably played a principal
role in making the experience truly awesome.
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Feedback Repot (compiled by Kaveri I Kariappa)
The Experience: It was the experience of a life-time’ was the unanimous verdict. Every scholar went
home with a lot more than what they came in with, in terms of intellectual perspective, cultural
confluence and innovation itself. A pot-pourri of activities spanning from technology to theatre,
getting inspired and interacting with mentors over the span of four days made it a very memorable
workshop.
About the scholars: The scholars were from different parts of the country, with different cultural
backgrounds and from varied fields of study. Yet, the combination of this diversity brought out
wonderful results in both the cultural programs and the technological innovations. Most scholars
felt that their team mates were just as technically competent, if not more.
Interaction with GE experts: With the teams having to come up with a product or service that GE
could possibly consider, the infusion of ideas from each in each team led to temporary disarray. It
was the GE experts, who helped teams marshal their ideas, rate them and narrow them down into
the best possible solution. Interacting with them gave us an insight into what the term innovation
meant in a global, commercial, industrial sense.
Administrative aspects of the program: Administrative arrangements were mostly rated very highly.
All scholars having been given more than sufficient information before hand, the organizers left no
stone unturned in making the workshop a comfortable and enjoyable experience for the scholars.
Most exciting parts of the workshop: Many scholars felt that the cultural programs and the one
minute games were very exciting! The brain-storming sessions and the night-long discussions
leading up to the technical presentations were exciting as well.
Suggestions for future programs: Unlike the various batches before ours, our bunch did not seem to
find as many complaints with the food. There were suggestions of organizing inter-team activities so
that there was increased interaction between all scholars. There were also suggestions of allowing
greater time for the preparations of technical presentations as schedules were packed to the brim.
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