Contd.

from page 3

Kollam, Dr. B. Ramdoss, NIT-Trichy, Dr. Raju K. George, IIST, Trivandrum,

Dr. G. Radhamani, GRD College, Coimbatore, Dr. R Rajesh, Bharathiar
University, Dr. Gladston Raj, Government College, Trivandrum, Dr. Sanjay
Singh, Manipal University, Dr. Harish N. Ramanathan, TocH Institute of
Science and Technology, Ernakulam, Dr. Viswanathan G, Chief EngineerR&D, Samsung Research Lab India, Bangalore, and Dr. Vinod P., Associate
Professor, SCMS School of Engineering and Technology were the resource
persons of the workshop.

Vol : 97
No : 45
July
August
2013
2011

College ranking
Farzana Abdulla is being crowned as Ms. SCMS by Dr. Radha Thevannoor.

AICTE-sponsored Faculty
Enablement Programme
A two-week faculty enablement programme
on Machine Learning Techniques was
conducted, with AICTE sponsorship, by the
Department of Computer Science and Engineering from May 20 to June 1.
Prof. Manoj Singh Gore, Professor, National Institute of Technology, Jaipur,
inaugurated the programme. 50 participants from different engineering
colleges in Kerala and other states attended the programme.
Prof.Indu Nair, Group Director, presided. Dr.R.Vijayakumar, Director, School
of Computer Science, Mahatma Gandhi University offered felicitations and
keynote address. Prof.M.Madhavan, Director-SSET, Dr.Vijaylaxmi, NITJaipur and Dr.P.Vinod, Associate Professor-SSET also spoke.

SCMS School of Engineering and Technology has been ranked as the

6th among the Top Promising Engineering Colleges of Excellence in
India, in an all India ranking survey conducted by GHRDC 2013 (Global
Human Resource Development Centre). The college has been ranked as
Number 1 in Kerala in the survey.

Paper presentations
Smt. Shiji P. V., Assistant Professor-Civil Engineering, published a technical
paper entitled as 'Effect of Soil Structure interaction in seismic loads on
framed structures' in the International Journal of Scientific and Engineering
Research Volume 4, Issue 5, May 2013 Edition.

Seminars and workshops

Smt. Lekshmi Subha M.S., Assistant Professor-Computer Science and
Engineering, was the resource person for the AICTE-sponsored Faculty
Development Programme 'Linux and Intranet Tools for Empowering
Engineering Faculty' at Model Engineering College, Thrikkakara, during
June 13 and 14.
Shri. Sujesh P. Lal, Assistant Professor-MCA, and Shri. Varun G. Menon,
Assistant Professor-Computer Science and Engineering, attended the
Deep Dive Faculty Enablement Programme on Foundation Programme 3.1
conducted by Infosys Campus Connect at TocH Institute of Science and
Technology, Arakkunnam, from June 17 to 21.

Staff achievements
Shri. Benrose Prasad, Assistant Professor-Mechanical Engineering,
secured second rank in Mahatma Gandhi University M.Tech. examinations
conducted during November 2012.

Placement news
Prof.Indu Nair, Group Director, delivering the presidential address at the Faculty
Enablement Programme. Sitting beside R-L: Prof.M.Madhavan, Director, SSET,
Dr.R.Vijayakumar, Director, School of Computer Science, Mahatma Gandhi University,
Dr.Manoj Singh Gore, NIT-Jaipur, Dr.Vijaylaxmi, NIT-Jaipur, and Dr.Vinod P., Associate
Professor, SSET.

The objective of this programme was to provide a platform for the faculty to
enrich important machine learning methods and to build up new research
directions by establishing the opportunities in this field. The participants had
the opportunity to understand the important data mining methods such as
feature extraction/selection, clustering, classification and similarity
measurement techniques, etc. The programme identified the demand for
research, development and innovation.
Dr. Vijaylaxmi and Dr. Manoj Singh Gore from NIT-Jaipur, Dr. M.V. Rajesh,
College of Engineering, Cherthala, Dr. Shyam Diwakar, Amrita University,

Poornam Infovision conducted their final round of interview for seven

shortlisted final year B.Tech. students on June 15 and 17.
Mammut Building Systems conducted campus recruitment for 2013 batch
M.Tech. Civil students on June 17.
Prateek Construction Management conducted campus recruitment for
2013 batch B.Tech. Civil students on June 18.
Sundram Fasteners conducted campus recruitment for 2013 batch B.Tech.
Mechanical and Automobile students, on June 22.
Citrix Systems conducted campus recruitment for 2013 batch Engineering
students on June 24.
One final year Mechanical Engineering student is shortlisted for final round
of interview by Apollo Tyres.
Two final year Computer Science and Engineering students are selected by
Procsys, Bangalore.
Selected students of 2013 batch have joined in South Indian Bank, IT Flux
Technologies, and Cadd Centre.

Editorial Advisory Council: Dr. D. Radhakrishnan Nair, Prof. R. Sahadevan

Edited and published by Prof. B. Unnikrishnan for and on behalf of SCMS Group of Educational Institutions, Prathap Nagar,
Muttom, Cochin - 683 106 and printed at Maptho Printings, Cochin - 683 104.
www.scmsgroup.org Email: scms@scmsgroup.org

A Monthly Newsletter of SCMS Group of Educational Institutions, Cochin

Things that renew humanity

The top-notch B-schools in the US were alleged to be largely responsible for
the economic downturn in America. The allegation was that these B-schools
were propagating an excessively analytical and detached style of
management. Ethics was not a matter of concern for them. Corporate social
responsibility was also not an issue.
While these reputed B-schools were cracking their heads to
device some efficient methods to inculcate moral reasoning and
social commitment into the business culture they were trying to
cultivate among the students, here in a remote village in Kerala
a young lady school teacher was demonstrating in her own style
how teaching and learning could be made more inspirational
and transformative.
The anecdote was reported by Shri. Ajit Balakrishnan,
Chairman & CEO of Rediff.com and Chairman of Board of
Governors of IIM-Calcutta at a seminar.
This enterprising teacher had taken the liberty to go out of the
prescribed course material to teach her students a short story
by S.K.Pottekkatt titled The story of how I became a writer. S.K.Pottekkatt
was an illustrious writer in Malayalam and a Jnanpith Award winner.
During his high school days one day while he was engaged in his studies at
home a desolate old woman, who had been a domestic servant for many
years, approached him seeking his help to write a letter to her son who was
enjoying a happy life in a far away town after marrying his fianc and leaving
behind his almost blind and hapless mother all alone. The poor mother had
sacrificed everything she had for the sake of her son to enable him to attain
all his comforts. But, he had mercilessly thrown her out of the house treating
her like a dog. In tears she narrated all the hardships she had suffered to
bring him up and wanted Pottekkat to send a letter on her behalf to her son.
Pottekkat was really moved and felt so sad about the poor woman's plight.

He began writing letters to her son, not just one but a series of letters. He
narrated in those letters the miseries and agonies of the old woman adding
a lot of imagination and drama in it.
Initially, there was no response from the heartless son. But, after a few
letters, the son was moved. He started responding by sending some
nominal amount to the woman, probably without his wife's knowledge. He
even visited the mother once and enquired as to who had
helped her to write such touching letters.
Pottekkat was thrilled in being able to elicit a positive
response through his letters to an unknown person. He
gained confidence and felt pride in his narrative skill. That
inspiration was so transformative that it became the
launching pad for a Jnanpith Award writer to begin his
literary career.
Instead of presenting this story straight away in the class the
teacher first took the students to an old age home to give
them a feel of the situation. She made them interact with the
inmates for about three hours in order to develop a longlasting impression of kindness and generosity towards the abandoned
elderly citizens. Later on, the students were asked to reflect on their
experiences and to present the feelings of concern and compassion they
were exposed to during the whole exercise.
The purpose of education, in spite of the prevailing climate of extreme
competitiveness, is to champion the cause of human values. It should
involve love and respect for others.
Teach this triple truth to all. A generous heart, kind speech, and a
life of service and compassion are the things that renew humanity.
Lord Buddha

Dr. G.P.C. Nayar

Chairman, SCMS Group

SCMS helps Koratty Grama Panchayat

for a major transformation
SCMS Group of Educational Institutions has joined hands with Koratty
Grama Panchayat in Thrissur district to implement together a unique
master plan for making the Panchayat self-sufficient in some of its most
vital needs like drinking water supply, solid waste disposal and power
conservation.
First of its kind
The objective is to make Koratty Grama Panchyat self-sufficient in the
above respect within a period of one year, at minimal cost and with total
people participation. On completion of the project, Koratty will become the
first Grama Panchayat in India to make such a signal achievement. The
Contd. on page 2

Shri.K.P.Dhanapalan MP inaugurating the development seminar organised by Koratty

Grama Panchayat in association with SCMS Group. Sitting (front row) L-R:
Shri.B.D.Devassy MLA, Dr.Johannes Fritsch (in charge of the Indo German project at
SCMS) from Germany, Dr.C.K.Rajan, Professor-SCMS, Shri.Manesh Sebastian,
Panchayat President and Smt.Mercy Sebastian, Panchayat Vice President.

Dr.G.P.C.Nayar visits University of Hyogo, Japan

Dr.G.P.C.Nayar, Chairman, SCMS Group
and National President, Federation of
Associations of Management of Unaided
Professional Educational Institutions in India
(FAMPEI) accompanied by Prof.C.I. Abdul
Rahiman, Secretary General of the
Federation, visited University of Hyogo in
Kobe, Japan. They had discussions with
Prof.Makoto Kosaka, Vice President,
Prof.Takayuki Satake, Dean, Graduate
School of Business and Prof.Naotoshi
Umeno, Professor-International Business,
on furthering the tie-up between SCMS
COCHIN School of Business and University
of Hyogo.
MBA students of the University specialising
in international business used to come down
to Cochin year after year for attending
classes held for them at SCMS COCHIN
School of Business campus by SCMS faculty
under the student exchange programme.

Dr.G.P.C.Nayar (second from right), Chairman, SCMS Group and National President, Federation of Associations of
Management of Unaided Professional Educational Institutions in India (FAMPEI) and Prof.C.I.Abdul Rahiman (extreme right),
Secretary General of the Federation holding discussions with the authorities in University of Hyogo, Japan. From left to right:
Prof.Takayuki Satake, Dean, Graduate School of Business, Hyogo University, Prof.Makoto Kosaka, Vice President and
Prof.Naotoshi Umeno, Professor-International Business.

Contd. from page 1

integrated master plan is implemented adapting German technology,

tried and tested in Germany, with the active cooperation and involvement
of Prof. (Dr.) Johannes Fritsch, University of Applied Sciences,
Weingarten, Germany (now at SCMS).
Germany is a country way ahead of other nations in fields like water
technology, conservancy, and management. With the technical support
and guidance from Dr.Fritsch, a renowned scientist and a specialist in
advanced membrane technology for water treatment, SCMS has set up
an international project by name Indo German Centre for Water
Technology and Management at SCMS School of Engineering and
Technology (SSET) located at Karukutty near Koratty Grama Panchayat.
Dr.Fritsch is spearheading the activities of the Centre for the adoption of
the most advanced water and waste water treatment technologies.
Renowned scientists
Dr.Fritsch and Dr.C.K.Rajan, a renowned scientist and specialist in
climate and environment, and Professor and Chair for Climate and
Environment Changes and Risk Reduction at SCMS have jointly
prepared the plan of action and are giving leadership for the project
implementation at Koratty Grama Panchayat.
The Panchayat had organised a number of workshops and seminars in
this context during the last one year for mobilising people participation. A
number of studies were also conducted as a preliminary step for
assessing the available resources and the future requirements. The
students of SCMS took part along with the members of the Panchayat in
the bench mark study and for assessing the opportunities of
development in addition to the needs and life styles of the people.
Waste-free Panchayat
The project envisages setting up of an efficient water supply scheme that
is free from dependence on the Kerala Water Authority, street lighting
with solar power, and solid waste treatment for making organic manure at
the source. Most advanced technologies will be utilised for the purpose.
The plan is to convert Koratty into a waste-free Panchayat.
The development seminar conducted by the Panchyat authorities on

May 17 was inaugurated by Shri.K.P.Dhanapalan MP. Shri.B.D.Devassy

MLA presided. Dr.Johannes Fritsch, Dr.C.K.Rajan, Shri.Manesh
Sebastian, Panchayat President, Smt.Mercy Sebastian, Panchayat
Vice President, and others spoke.
Community care project
This project is one among the several social outreach programmes
taken up by SCMS Group for the benefit of the communality around.

Faculty achievements

Faculty Development
Academic Leadership
Educational Practices at
Science & Technology,
May 27.

Prof.K.J.Paulose, Dean-Management
Studies, gave
the keynote
address at the
Programme on
and Innovative
Toc H Institute of
Arakkunnam, on

recombinant protein showed all the dominant features of an antigen and

the scientists developed the antibodies of the antigen for the specific
diagnosis of Chik virus. The advantage of this technique is that the viral
antigen in the blood sample of Chik patients can be detected directly on
the first day of fever using these antibodies. The molecular data of the
study was published in the international immunological journal, Journal of
Immunological Methods in 2013.
Genetic variations on Chikungunya virus have changed its virulence and
it increased the mortality rate due to the severity of viral infection.
Consequently, the infection is now reported as fatal. Hence, a rapid and
early detection of the virus in the blood sample of Chik patients has
become inevitable for the effective clinical management of the disease in
hospitals.
Earlier in 2007, when the Chikungunya epidemic broke out as a menace
for the first time in Kerala, SCMS Institute of Biotechnology had come out
with a diagnostic kit, the first of its kind, for the benefit of the community.
Then, no satisfactory methods were available for diagnosis and
evaluation of the virus in any of the major hospitals in the State.
Unlike the early kits of using the antibody of native antigen (antigen
extracted from viral culture) the new method using the antibody of the
recombinant antigen (antigen developed by genetic engineering method)
is found as very specific, accurate and rapid, said Dr. Mohankumar, the
project leader of the research group. This improved molecular kit will be a
boon for providing proper clinical therapy to the patients, since the Chik
virus attack is found to be more severe during the recent infection in India,
he added.
Chik fever continues to be on an epidemic scale in the State with the onset
of monsoon.

World Environment Day observed

World Environment Day 2013 was observed in the South Kalamassery
campus of SCMS on July 5 for promoting awareness on the importance of
preserving our biodiversity, the need to identify problems related to the
environment and ways to take corrective action.
Dr.C.K.Rajan, Professor and Chair for Climate and Environment Changes
and Risk Reduction, and Director of Water Technology and Management,
was the chief guest. He spoke on the means to tackle environment
challenges that include climate change, global warming, disasters and
conflicts, environmental governance, ecosystem management, and
resource efficiency.
The students and the faculty in the biotechnology division and the B Com
department participated.

Dr.C.Sengottuvelu, Professor and Head-Consultancy, made a

presentation on Career Guidance at the Panel Discussion on Career
Guidance at St.Francis D'Assisi Senior Secondary School,
Asokapuram, on May 25.

New accurate diagnostic tool

for Chikungunya virus
developed at SIBB
Scientists of SCMS institute of Biotechnology have developed a rapid and very sensitive diagnostic tool for
detecting the Chik virus on the very first day of fever.
The research team consisting of Dr. C.Mohankumar, Dr. Salini Bhasker
and Smt. Krishna Yathi has identified the viral coat gene from the
genome. The gene was cloned and expressed it in bacteria for the
production of recombinant protein. The bioinformatic analysis of the

Doctorate to Prof.Pradeep P.Thevannoor

Prof.Pradeep P.Thevannoor, Vice Chairman,
SCMS Group, has been awarded PhD in
Management by CMJ University, Meghalaya. His
thesis was on the topic: 'A study of knowledge
management practices in the Indian Public
Service and the effects of organisational culture
on knowledge transfer.

Prof.Pramod P.Thevannoor
President-Elect of South Asia Council
Prof.Pramod P.Thevannoor, Senior Group Director,
SCMS Group, has taken over as the new
President-Elect of South Asia Council Region 10 of
Business Schools and Programs. South Asia
Council Region 10 is the regional division of the
Accreditation Council for Business Schools and
Programs (ACBSP). It represents the member
institutions located in South Asia.
The ceremony was held at the annual conference of ACBSP held at
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, on June 22.
The Regional Council provides a forum for fostering better understanding
of business education and for exchange of ideas concerning collegiate
business education programmes among member institutions.

Investment The Indian Scenario, organised by Kerala University on

March 23 and 24 at the University Senate Hall, Trivandrum.

Paper published
An article titled 'Impact of FIIs on Corporate Dividend Policy in India,'
authored by Dr. Makesh K. G., Associate Professor, has been published
in Indian Journal of Research, May 2013 issue.

Farewell to Batch 9 MBA

Dr. Radha Thevannoor, Group Director and Director-SSTM and Dr. V. Raman Nair,
Director-SCMS COCHIN School of Business cutting the cake along with the student
representatives.
Dr.C.K.Rajan. Professor and Chair for Climate Change and Environmental Changes and
Risk Reduction and Director of Water Technology Management, speaking at the World
Environment Day function held at the South Kalamassery campus.

SSTM
Salver

Paper presented
Shri. Vilas Nair, Assistant Professor,
presented a paper titled 'FDI in Indian
Retail Effect on Small Retailers' at the
International Conference on Foreign Direct

A rousing farewell was organised for the outgoing Batch 9 MBA students
by the junior batch at the Seminar Hall on June 14. The cultural
programme lined up for the day included contemporary skits, enthralling
dances and heartwarming medleys. The highlights of the event were the
title announcements in various interesting categories. Worth mentioning
in particular are the titles for Mr. and Ms. SCMS which were bagged by
Ranesh R. and Farzana Abdulla respectively. The resplendent evening
concluded with some inspiring farewell thoughts and a spectacular
firework that lit up the sky enthralling the whole crowd.
Contd. on page 4