"You will all be cursing me throughout the course of this programme!", exclaimed Dr. P. Srinivasan on the 24th of may, 2010. It was regarding the PS-I programme with BHEL being operated for nearly the most number of days among all stations.
Some of you might be wondering what I am talking about. Well, for starters, Practice School - I is an industrial exposure programme organised by BITS - Pilani. It is mandatory for all regular first degree students (U.G.) who completed two years of education at this institute to do PS-I during summer.
BHEL, Tiruchi being one of the PS-I stations was naturally opted by me, being a native from Tiruchi. Nevertheless, it was a great experience.
Let me introduce to you my project mates. Firstly, Nama, who missed her PS-I in her second year due to illness and returned in her third to complete it, actively participated in the project. Secondly, Breezer, the comp sci guy with an ambition to ditch the technical side of comp sci and do an MBA, who tried to learn formatting text documents during this course! Pardon me, he knows a lot about many other things.
7 am- Had to wake up get ready and stand at the bus stop at 8. Thus starts a routine day during PS-I. I would catch some good-for-nothing bus at 8:10 am or so, reach BHEL, Training centre at 8:45 am and start walking towards the Valves department where I had to do my project. It was almost a one-and-a-half kilometre stretch thronged by BHEL employees wearing dull grey ("It's no use... He looks like a driver even if he drives his own car in that uniform", says Breezer) or trainees in their white shirt and brown trousers. Trucks would be stationed on one side which
have products from the industry ready to be dispatched. I would reach the valves dept. at 9 am, walk through the shop floor looking at the sincere employees who started their day-shift in building 6, climb the stairs near the conference hall and reach the destination. Damn, we three are in one way the most unluckiest ones, because among all the 15 students doing PS-I at BHEL, we are the only ones to work in a department without air conditioners :( . I would go sit in front of my boring computer which shows its true colours if disturbed. Actually, it truly shows 'colours'. It would rarely be normal. Pink and red are the most frequently seen colours on the display screen. Either Nama would have come already or she would follow me in a short while. Breezer was always late. He would come in his usual informal shirt and a jeans pant, though we are not supposed to come in such attire. Wiping out sweat from his forehead, he would come sit near me and entertain and give 'moral boost' to me. While me and Nama would be busy programming, he would be busy chatting with other employees in the department. Now and then the employees would be distributing sweets to everyone for reasons ranging from "I am promoted" or "My son joined the air force" to "I have got a new bike" or an almost nothing-just-for-fun. Another important disadvantage of the valves department was the absence of fuel to our body machines. While, the people of other departments and also other people of our department would be receiving tea or coffee everyday, we would be greeted with a hostile look from that guy for rejecting his offer on day one. So, sad...The post-lunch assembly in front of the gannawallah would include a drink at the sugarcane juice shop or a bite from the chikkiwallah's candy. The visit to the library would unleash the chatter boxes inside us. Gossips about our campuses would be fun during that time. Now and then, we would be visiting different shop floors to know about the different facilities of BHEL and gain knowledge about the manufacture of boilers. Unfortunately, I missed the trips to Pondicherry and Madurai, where the others had gone during weekends.
Our work was very much appreciated indeed and it was a happy ending. And we got certificates for completing our projects too from the senior manager. Hoping that the next season of practice school would be a more eventful one...
