Project Cost Estimation and Turnkey Contracts : Some Important Considerations !

Many times it would be necessary for organizations to invest money for some projects involving multidisciplinary engineering and technology.

The organizations could be government departments, government funded autonomous institutions, Public Sector Undertakings, large private sector companies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO), etc.

The projects could be some thing of the following kind:

1. Implementation of a water treatment plant with or without the distribution pipe networks.

2. Implementation of a water supply project

3 Implementation of a waste water treatment facility

4 Implementation of a municipal or industrial waste handling and treatment facility

5 Implementation of a captive power plant project or power utility project

6 Development and construction of a township

7 Implementation of a Pollution Control Project for an existing industrial unit.

8 Implementation of a new processing plant with new technology.

9 Building a new multi-storey office complex

10. Implementation of a fire protection system or an Air Conditioning and Ventilation System.

There could be many more such projects. I have mentioned some common investments that keep arising for most of the organizations.

There is a notable thing in this kind of projects that may surprise a common man. That is the project cost.

Even when two projects resemble in their titles and the essential descriptions, their costs could be widely different.

This is because of the wide variety of engineering and technological design options that such projects can have.

For example, a waste water treatment project which I had formulated for my company about two decades ago was estimated by me as costing Rs. 14 Crores.

While this was tendered out for implementation on a turn-key contract basis, the costs as quoted by the various bidders ranged from Rs 12 to Rs 30 Crores.

The more the engineering and execution competency of the bidder, the more was their price.

In this case the purchaser naturally face a dilemma.

Suppose the purchaser make stringency in the eligibility criteria, he has to spend much more money than his estimate.

Again, in this case none of the bidders had any previous experience of implementing a project of similar nature, while all of them had experience in executing turnkey projects involving similar engineering of various scopes and costs.

Some of the bidders have a name and a reputation. While the others are lesser known.

While evaluating this case, I had the opportunity to study the methods used by the bidders in estimating their prices.

Cost estimation is important for both the purchaser and the bidders.

The techniques and assumptions used are all important.

For the bidders pricing is a policy based on the initial engineering estimates worked out.

Some bidders, especially the ones which are large companies, the costing is done by various engineers belonging to various engineering disciplines.

Some others add it arithmetically and add other costs like taxes, contingencies and profit margins to make the final price.

In countries like India, where bidding is the process by which pricing is finalised, it is extremely difficult to establish the cost of an equipment or system.

The various requirements of Earnest Money Deposits, Bank Guarantees, conditions for performance guarantees, payment schedules, etc make the cost of the project to go much higher than the reasonable cost at which a project could be implemented.

In India, both the purchasers and the bidders are pretty unaware of the principles of cost engineering.

Costing, estimation or other aspects related to investment appraisal etc are either handled by engineers who do not have much formal exposure in this field or by finance personnel who have some formal back ground in accountancy only.

Cost Engineering is not a common field of study in India. Indian purchasers or bidders normally  do not use cost engineering tools or softwares.

I remember some attempts made by some engineering  colleges in India, including the one where I studied, making some attempts to introduce this topic in the engineering curricula. As far I know these attempts did not succeed.

In  the developed nations, such as the US and some European countries, where engineering professionalism is statutorily protected and respected, cost engineering training and proficiency is considered as an essential pre-requisite for successful implementation of projects.

However, engineering professionalism could be a problem for those desiring to adopt whimsical project management.

The absence of such competencies, in my opinion, cause cost and time over runs for projects which is a very common thing in India.

How much the country collectively lose on account of this is a matter of debate !

I wonder why India is reluctant to learn certain things from the developed nations ! Cost engineering and contract management are two of such things !

Jesus' Discourse on the Evolution of the God Concept among the Jews !

There is a narration in my favorite book which explains, in a matter of fact manner, how Jesus taught  his twelve disciples about the manner in which the concept of God evolved to the reach to that existed among Jews who lived in and around Jerusalem at that time.

The basis of his teaching was the recorded history that they had at that time in the form of their holy scriptures (the old testament bible that we know today).

The human race, at least some of it, had acquired the mental and intellectual growth level that was required for comprehending some essential aspects of the Infinite Being that they vaguely conceptualized as God.

And that was the beginning of a new epoch in the evolutionary history of mankind on earth !

Now what did Jesus taught them about their evolving concepts of God ?

He was recapitulating the gradual growth of ideas about God in human minds during the previous few millenniums, especially among the Israelite who lived in the regions of Palestine and Egypt.

Let me reproduce below this  narration as given in Paper-132 of the book which I referred above. 

Jesus mildly upbraided the twelve, in substance saying:

"Do you not know the traditions of Israel relating to the growth of the idea of Yahweh, and are you ignorant of the teaching of the Scriptures concerning the doctrine of God?"

And then did the Master proceed to instruct the apostles about the evolution of the concept of Deity throughout the course of the development of the Jewish people. He called attention to the following phases of the growth of the God idea:

1. Yahweh—the god of the Sinai clans. This was the primitive concept of Deity which Moses exalted to the higher level of the Lord God of Israel. The Father in heaven never fails to accept the sincere worship of his children on earth, no matter how crude their concept of Deity or by what name they symbolize his divine nature.

2. The Most High. This concept of the Father in heaven was proclaimed by Melchizedek to Abraham and was carried far from Salem by those who subsequently believed in this enlarged and expanded idea of Deity. Abraham and his brother left Ur because of the establishment of sun worship, and they became believers in Melchizedek’s teaching of El Elyon—the Most High God. Theirs was a composite concept of God, consisting in a blending of their older Mesopotamian ideas and the Most High doctrine.

3. El Shaddai. During these early days many of the Hebrews worshiped El Shaddai, the Egyptian concept of the God of heaven, which they learned about during their captivity in the land of the Nile. Long after the times of Melchizedek all three of these concepts of God became joined together to form the doctrine of the creator Deity, the Lord God of Israel.

4. Elohim. From the times of Adam the teaching of the Paradise Trinity has persisted. Do you not recall how the Scriptures begin by asserting that “In the beginning the Gods created the heavens and the earth"? This indicates that when that record was made the Trinity concept of three Gods in one had found a place in the religion of our forefathers.

5. The Supreme Yahweh. By the times of Isaiah these beliefs about God had expanded into the concept of a Universal Creator who was simultaneously all-powerful and all-merciful. And this evolving and enlarging concept of God virtually supplanted all previous ideas of Deity in our fathers’ religion.

6. The Father in heaven. And now do we know God as our Father in heaven. Our teaching provides a religion wherein the believer is a son of God. That is the good news of the gospel of the kingdom of heaven. Coexistent with the Father are the Son and the Spirit, and the revelation of the nature and ministry of these Paradise Deities will continue to enlarge and brighten throughout the endless ages of the eternal spiritual progression of the ascending sons of God. At all times and during all ages the true worship of any human being—as concerns individual spiritual progress—is recognized by the indwelling spirit as homage rendered to the Father in heaven.

Never before had the apostles been so shocked as they were upon hearing this recounting of the growth of the concept of God in the Jewish minds of previous generations; they were too bewildered to ask questions.

As they sat before Jesus in silence, the Master continued:

“And you would have known these truths had you read the Scriptures. Have you not read in Samuel where it says: `And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, so much so that he moved David against them, saying, go number Israel and Judah’?

And this was not strange because in the days of Samuel the children of Abraham really believed that Yahweh created both good and evil.

But when a later writer narrated these events, subsequent to the enlargement of the Jewish concept of the nature of God, he did not dare attribute evil to Yahweh; therefore he said: `And Satan stood up against Israel and provoked David to number Israel.’

Cannot you discern that such records in the Scriptures clearly show how the concept of the nature of God continued to grow from one generation to another?" 

Yes, let me ask that last question to the peoples of the current era:

Can you not discern from the books and the records that are with you now to realize how the concept of the nature of God continue to grow in your minds?

As for me, I realize how this has grown in my mind!

View the linked list of all Blogs of the Author Here ! ]   

Do We Indians Have A Leg-Pulling Nature In Our Genes ?

Many educated Indians keep on joking about themselves by telling the story of the Indian frogs in the well. They can never come out of the well because they keep pulling the legs of others from escaping the pit that they are in.

There are many such jokes about India and the Indian nature and attitudes.

Even the westerners keep advising their citizens who wish to visit India about the cultural shock that they might face in this country.

But even while we are able to detect our own follies and attitudes, we seldom collectively or individually do any thing to overcome such attitudes and behaviours.

Quite unaware to us, retrograde nature of ours come out and create problems to every one.

A joke about the Indian 'babus' (administrative personnel in the government) is very common. They are very infamous for their negative notes and observations in 'files' (internal office memos moved for approvals from competent authorities).

The government employees hold various forms of strikes and protests for getting certain perks for them. Finally some minister asks the concerned secretary to move a note for the approval of the cabinet. 

So a paper is initiated by some department. It moves from one department to other. Some babus keep writing such notes and observations that ultimately the note gets additional note papers attached for every babu to write their points, counter points, study notes, etc etc to eventually become a big file bound by a red-tape. It never reaches the authority concerned for giving a final approval !

Even when it was for their own benefit, it is never done in time ! Otherwise why should  they take so much time in finalizing their pay and perks and the so-called pay commissions and the like ? 

When this is the situation for some thing that gives benefits to them, what to talk about other issues ?

But I am not blaming those in the government departments alone. It happens everywhere in India when we Indians carry out our work collectively.

It is the habit of Indians to routinely oppose a good idea mooted by some one else. In the first place a good majority of Indians do not have any good idea how to go about in a particular case. But if some one of the intellectual thinking type proposes a well thought idea, all the others become all of a sudden too wise to find many alternatives and modifications to the original idea that it becomes impossible for any one to proceed further to act on it.

Naturally, it is good reason to think that some of them who twist the case are having some vested agendas.

But it is not always very true. The fellows who keep doing everything in their arsenal to twist a proposal are not with any hidden agendas. They do it for the sake of doing it. That is in their blood. That is the Indian nature !

During my professional career, I have got the opportunity to study this behaviour of my colleagues.

Quite interestingly, these same fellows might give a very positive opinion about a thing which they happen to oppose or twist collectively.

I had successfully employed a tricky technique for achieving a collective positive momentum for successful implementation of certain ideas.

That is the technique of getting the swines in the cargo ship ! If you pull the animal from the front it would try to go backward. So what did they do ? Pull it from the back keeping it facing the ship's ladder. Then the animal tries to move forward and climbs the ladder to reach the ship's deck !

So in India, if you have to get any good idea to get implemented, it would be necessary to employ many such tricks.

Imagine the difficulty of any government in India to get some ideas implemented !

The opposition is bound to oppose it. If they do not, some one else would do it. If they do not oppose it entirely, they would oppose it partly. Or suggest some new idea. Or suggest some thing else.

Remember, the original proposal have been worked out by experts who have studied all aspects before putting forward the most suitable proposal !

But no, that way things cannot be done in India. Every Indian has the right to pull or push the way he or she likes.

It is not important if that kills the original idea collectively thought as the best for all.

I keep wondering why such a thing happens in India. Why do we keep doing things which prevent us from implementing ideas that is good for the society and the country.

There are several ways for implementing a project or a plan. But if we keep on pondering over each and every issue endlessly we can never go forward.

We have to decide fast and move forward. Decisions could be wrong. But taking decisions and moving forward would be better than not taking any decisions.

We have to abandon our habits of beating around the bush always.

Whether it is for deciding for the FDI (foreign direct investment) for retailing or deciding who would lead the Kochi Metro Rail or how to allot the telecom spectra or things like that big and small, we have to abandon our attitudes that are similar to the frogs in the well.

We, Indians, have to master the ability to support others who are trying to do some thing for us.

We have to learn how to trust others.

Even when it might not be the one we personally like, we should learn to trust our elected leaders.

Give them a chance to act. If they fail, it is better to take actions of correction later than to keep arguing and counter arguing on an issue endlessly.

Remember, the world is moving forward quite fast.

We are already late to catch up with them.

Let not our Indian attitudes and behaviours make us lag behind them for generations !

If this is a collective genetic disorder, we may have to think individually to do some thing to remove this negative quality of ours.

Do you see the point I am making ?

View the linked list of all Blogs of the Author Here ! ]

Walking Dead Bodies of India : Should I Weep or Laugh ?

I know that expressing my views here in this blog site would not make any difference to any one. Years ago, I used to express my views in common discussion among my friends and colleagues. I used to be outspoken.

Painfully, I learnt that people in my country would not like outspokenness. I never used to force my ideas on others. Instead I was open in expressing my views without trying to offend any one. But that openness was something which the majority of my country men do not like.

Even when they agree with my view points, I find them too reserved or afraid to openly support those views.

But that was not the case when I was a teenager. People were more eager to respond to things that stirred their inner consciousness.

But some how things are changing. Those of my age and those some years senior to me are shying away from giving any opinion publicly. Experience has made them wise. Wise to the extent that they no more opened their mouths.

Perhaps their better halves at home have been transforming them to keep their mouths shut always ! Why to get in to an argument for no use !

Perhaps they are right. Perhaps, they may be doing some grave mistake. I am not sure !

But it was making me frustrated. Frustrated to find all those 'walking dead bodies' around me ! They ate, drank, walked and perhaps checked their bank accounts and their share portfolios. But they have nothing to say about the ills of the society. They have nothing to contribute.

They read the news, but the last page first. They watched the TV news, but only cricket news appeared more important than any thing else. Even the channel marketeers understood this well !

Remember, I am not talking of the teenagers and the youths. I am talking of those elderly citizens of India who are in their late fifties or above.

I scan the web space for opinions of experienced Indians. No use. They simply do not exist.

A colleague of mine, who is already retired after serving as a professor for three decades, told me about his total inexperience with the world wide web. But more than that he does not find it of any thing interesting. The computers and the new age mobiles are for the new generations. This is perhaps the view of the majority of Indians of this class !

There could be another reason too. This I take from the opinion of one of my colleagues which accidentally came out of his mouth at one occasion.

He asked me bluntly : What am I going to get from it ? Will it give me some benefit ?

My God ! Does it mean that you do some thing only if you get some thing in return ? 

By good fortune the society has given him every thing. He had a good job. His children are all 'well settled' ( Incidentally, well settled means getting a so called green card or citizenship in the US or some other country of that sort!) 

But yet, they cannot think of giving back some thing to the same society. In another few years, all of us are going to leave this world permanently. But yet, we seem to be only interested in hoarding and amassing things that we cannot take along !

So the dead body like attitude is not exactly because of the wisdom gained so far. It is because reading or writing or sharing even the worldly experiences cannot be undertaken unless it gives some material benefits in return !

See how far the capitalist materialism has influenced the elderly Indians of the present times. Something their parents never thought off, perhaps !

Even this blog writing is money making opportunities for many ! So, you find blogs of those topics which attract the most traffic and the most advertisement incomes.

But let those who need money do it. I am not blaming any one !

The point I wanted to make is about the kind of inertia that has enveloped the so called matured Indians.

So, what's the problem ?

Sorry, I can't explain. If you have understood, well and good. If not, it's okay !

I keyed in this much because of a small incident today which stirred my mind.

Nothing directly connected, though.

A colleague of mine approached me requesting me to use my 'influence' in getting an admission in a school of this city which the general public perceive as a reputed one.

The admission is for the 'preparatory class', something which never existed during my time of school admissions. This class 'prepares' the child of 3-4 years of age to take the 'higher learning' of class-one, the first official level schooling for a child in this country.

Earlier the so-called 'reputed' public schools in the private sector used to conduct elaborate oral and written tests for the small kids and conduct interviews for the kids as well as their parents to work out the so-called 'rank-lists' for admissions.

The schools have been 'encashing' the out-of-proportion anxieties of the parents fully.

Now the Supreme Court of India has banned such tests and interviews. Yet, the parental anxieties give the schools enough opportunities. The more the reputation, the more the opportunity. It is as simple as that.

Now the parent of the child is a highly qualified person working as the head of the department of a national level engineering institute. By this age his children should have been all 'well settled' as I explained earlier. But, unfortunately he married late !

Any school should be glad to give admission to the child of a person of his calibre.

But this is incredible India ! Any thing can happen.

Whoever you are, you are at the mercy of some one at some point of time !

The parent and his friend are requesting me to have a word with the Principal.

For what ? I ask them .

Can it not be done in the normal way ?

Yes, if it is not India. That is their view emerging out of super anxiety . You see, any thing can happen !

I felt like weeping. Also felt laughing.

Who are to be blamed for this kind of a situation ?

Do the elders of the society capable of doing something ?

Or will they keep acting like walking dead-bodies always, only to react when they are pushed to the coffins forcefully ?

Will you react now ?

View the linked list of all Blogs of the Author Here ! ]

The Birth and Infancy of the Aam Aadmi Party of India: Are We Going To Have A Better Alternative ?

Soon all common people of India are going to be benefited by yet another political party which is promising them to exclusively work for the eradication of corruption from the Indian soil.

Just like millions of silent citizens of this country, I too have been silently watching the transformation of 'India Against Corruption (IAC)' Movement to the Aam Admi Party of India  (भारतीय आम आदमी दल ) which means the common man's party of India.

I was hopefully thinking that the think tank of this movement would select some better nomenclature for this new party as all parties in India routinely claim that they are parties for the 'aam admi' (common man). Incidentally the oldest political party of democratic India has made that point clear by stating that the word 'aam admi' is something reserved for them.

But as things proceed this way, I am a bit confused to realize what this 'aam admi' actually represent.

Is it the middle class people ? They are the people who feel the pain of corruption and also accept corruption as a way of life in India. Because, they have pretty no choice. After all they are practical people ! If voting percentages are any indication, nearly 50 % of Indian people do not exercise their franchise for various reasons. A majority of them are from the middle class. The middle class also represents the working class and a major strength of the working population in the organized sector are government employees. They are beneficiaries of corruption in some way and are victims of corruption in some other way. Then with this major vote bank typically abstain from voting, no political party, in the normal sense are going to benefit from them. So, I presume that the Aam Admi Party too has excluded them.

Is it the rich people ? I don't think. Of course, some of the rich might or could provide financial support for the new party, that would not make up the votes for any one to make any real impact.

Is it those people just above and below the BPL (below poverty line) ? But then, this class is already divided between all the aam admi parties of India. What way the new party would attract them ? Of course it can make further divisions of their votes and cause unpredictable results, just what has been happening for quite some time in India. That makes the necessity for alliances and adjustments for all parties, forgetting all their manifestos and ideologies. The sole big reason for corruption in India !

So what is going to happen. A party formed for freeing India from corruption is unwittingly going to be an agency to perpetuate corruption !

A situation faced by all parties in India !

Unless all citizens of the country, rich, middle class or poor, upper caste or lower caste, that religion or this religion, working or non working, capitalists or consumers, men or women, find some confidence in the democratic system of government and feel comfortable to exercise their franchises, no party in India hence forth can think of getting a clear democratic mandate to steer the country.

They may be able to draw crowds here and there but those would not translate into any clear mandate to rule.

If any party make some honest attempt to get the confidence of the majority of people from all classes of people, that party is going to lead.

So the party should first represent the citizens of the country, not just one class labelled as the aam admi.

Who can make all walks of the citizens feel proud of the country ?

At least the party should declare that they are going to work for the citizens of the nation, regard less of their class, caste or religion.

No one should assume that the poor citizens are always looking for some alms that the parties hand out during the elections or the gimmicks of pleasing some one by making always changeable policies.

The poor people also have thinking minds. Keep playing with that they will permanently lose their confidence in the system. The system called democracy. It is absolutely erroneous to think that poor people of India now have no self pride !

Similar is the case with all other classes of citizens.

Any country remains as a country so long as all the people of the country feel the pride of being a citizen of that country. When that binding force is weakened, the country starts disintegrating !

Why can't we think of having a Citizens' Party of India ( भारतीय नागरिक दल ) ?

But that would abbreviate as CPI or the Communist Party of India, which miserably failed to keep the working class of India united even after in power here and there for decades. What it achieved during these years is creating some recognizable faces and breakaway parties!

So, perhaps Aravind Kejariwal and his co-activist leaders have found out the right name for the new party: the Aam Aadmi Party or AAP.

I have been watching the birth and infancy of this Party. As a common citizen of the country, I had seen the birth , infancy  and powerful youth days of a few other parties of India earlier. If past experience is any thing, I cannot be that optimistic and that is perhaps the case with many others like me.

But, AAP is a bit different in its origin. It has not taken birth by virtue of any oratory skills of any one individual! On the other hand, it has its origin on the spontaneous reactions of the frustrations of the common people of India. AAP would not have taken birth, had those clinging to power drawn from the people been a bit more responsive to the voices of the people!

When I read the Constitution of Aam Aadmi Party from the Aam Aadmi Party website, I have a feeling that this could be the party that is going to lead the country in the near future. 

The call by this common man's party for alms to sustain it to fight out the big money power of vested interests have been getting unprecedented response from the Indian citizens. Crores of rupees have already been donated by the people already to this party which is just making its maiden effort make its existence known in the Indian capital as a first step. If it goes this way, AAP does not have to resort to funding from corrupt means and probably show to the other parties what democracy actually is!

That is going to become a major change. Candidates who are aspiring to become elected leaders need not spend huge money any more. That could be funded by the Party from the people's voluntary donations. There is no big urge for the individual representatives of the people to take back their expenditure by corrupt means any more! This situation alone is going to bring down corruption in any democratically elected government to a substantial degree.

Of course, AAP is going to be a challenge to all those vested interests who might fight back with full force adopting all means when they perceive imminent danger to their positions from this infant party.

But history of this world shows that any one who dared to use unfair means against the people had perished miserably. 

In any case, India is now potentially sitting at a key juncture with regard to survival of its democratic system of governance.

Let us hope that finally true democracy would begin to appear in this country for good!

An Introduction to the Seven Absolutes of Infinity !

This is my one hundred and fiftieth blog in this site. There are all chances that you leave this page as quickly as you entered !

That is no surprise to me !

I know very well that it would be the case with the majority of people.

Any way this is for those minuscule number of people whose inner self gets a flash of joy when some absolute truths come to their notice, provoking their thoughts.

But I am no body to do such a thought provoking writing.

I am just a mortal agent who has been subtly instructed to reproduce a part of a writing to some of those who are readers of my blogs.

The author of the piece of writing I am going to reproduce below is not a human being.

He is a Melchizedek.

As the topic is very complex for me to explain, I suggest that you read it in the original words of the author itself :

The seven prime relationships within the I AM eternalize as the Seven Absolutes of Infinity. But though we may portray reality origins and infinity differentiation by a sequential narrative, in fact all seven Absolutes are unqualifiedly and co-ordinately eternal. It may be necessary for mortal minds to conceive of their beginnings, but always should this conception be overshadowed by the realization that the seven Absolutes had no beginning; they are eternal and as such have always been. The seven Absolutes are the premise of reality. They have been described in these * papers as follows:

1. The First Source and Center. First Person of Deity and primal nondeity pattern, God, the Universal Father, creator, controller, and upholder; universal love, eternal spirit, and infinite energy; potential of all potentials and source of all actuals; stability of all statics and dynamism of all change; source of pattern and Father of persons. Collectively, all seven Absolutes equivalate to infinity, but the Universal Father himself actually is infinite.

2. The Second Source and Center. Second Person of Deity, the Eternal and Original Son; the absolute personality realities of the I AM and the basis for the realization-revelation of “I AM personality.” No personality can hope to attain the Universal Father except through his Eternal Son; neither can personality attain to spirit levels of existence apart from the action and aid of this absolute pattern for all personalities. In the Second Source and Center spirit is unqualified while personality is absolute.

3. The Paradise Source and Center. Second non-deity pattern, the eternal Isle of Paradise; the basis for the realization-revelation of “I AM force” and the foundation for the establishment of gravity control throughout the universes. Regarding all actualized, nonspiritual, impersonal, and nonvolitional reality, Paradise is the absolute of patterns. Just as spirit energy is related to the Universal Father through the absolute personality of the Mother-Son, so is all cosmic energy grasped in the gravity control of the First Source and Center through the absolute pattern of the Paradise Isle. Paradise is not in space; space exists relative to Paradise, and the chronicity of motion is determined through Paradise relationship. The eternal Isle is absolutely at rest; all other organized and organizing energy is in eternal motion; in all space, only the presence of the Unqualified Absolute is quiescent, and the Unqualified is co-ordinate with Paradise. Paradise exists at the focus of space, the Unqualified pervades it, and all relative existence has its being within this domain.

4. The Third Source and Center. Third Person of Deity, the Conjoint Actor; infinite integrator of Paradise cosmic energies with the spirit energies of the Eternal Son; perfect co-ordinator of the motives of will and the mechanics of force; unifier of all actual and actualizing reality. Through the ministrations of his manifold children the Infinite Spirit reveals the mercy of the Eternal Son while at the same time functioning as the infinite manipulator, forever weaving the pattern of Paradise into the energies of space. This selfsame Conjoint Actor, this God of Action, is the perfect expression of the limitless plans and purposes of the Father-Son while functioning himself as the source of mind and the bestower of intellect upon the creatures of a far-flung cosmos.

5. The Deity Absolute. The causational, potentially personal possibilities of universal reality, the totality of all Deity potential. The Deity Absolute is the purposive qualifier of the unqualified, absolute, and nondeity realities. The Deity Absolute is the qualifier of the absolute and the absolutizer of the qualified—the destiny inceptor.

6. The Unqualified Absolute. Static, reactive, and abeyant; the unrevealed cosmic infinity of the I AM; totality of nondeified reality and finality of all nonpersonal potential. Space limits the function of the Unqualified, but the presence of the Unqualified is without limit, infinite. There is a concept periphery to the master universe, but the presence of the Unqualified is limitless; even eternity cannot exhaust the boundless quiescence of this nondeity Absolute.

7. The Universal Absolute. Unifier of the deified and the undeified; correlator of the absolute and the relative. The Universal Absolute (being static, potential, and associative) compensates the tension between the ever-existent and the uncompleted.

The Seven Absolutes of Infinity constitute the beginnings of reality. As mortal minds would regard it, the First Source and Center would appear to be antecedent to all absolutes. But such a postulate, however helpful, is invalidated by the eternity coexistence of the Son, the Spirit, the three Absolutes, and the Paradise Isle.

It is a truth that the Absolutes are manifestations of the I AM-First Source and Center; it is a fact that these Absolutes never had a beginning but are co-ordinate eternals with the First Source and Center. The relationships of absolutes in eternity cannot always be presented without involving paradoxes in the language of time and in the concept patterns of space. But regardless of any confusion concerning the origin of the Seven Absolutes of Infinity, it is both fact and truth that all reality is predicated upon their eternity existence and infinity relationships.

If you have not really understood all the above and yet have the keenness to know more, you are perhaps a person ignited with the desire to know more about God.

In that case you should consider reading the whole of those 196 papers (*) which form my favorite book of life guidance. The portion that is given above is from paper-105 authored by a Melchizedek living in the universe of Nebadon (part of the physical Milky Way Galaxy ) ruled by the Michael of Nebadon.

For more understanding you may use the links in this blog.

Best wishes for your adventure !

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ആട്ടിന്‍ തോലണിഞ്ഞ ചെന്നായ്ക്കള്‍ !

ചെന്നായെ കണ്ടിട്ടുണ്ടോ ?

നടപ്പും പോക്കും ഒക്കെ കണ്ടാല്‍ അത് ആരെയെങ്കിലും കടിച്ചു കീറി തിന്നുമെന്നു തോന്നുമോ ?

അയ്യോ പാവം എന്ന മട്ടില്‍ ആണ് എപ്പോഴും.

ആടും ചെന്നായും തമ്മില്‍ നോക്കിയാല്‍ വല്യ വ്യത്യാസം വല്ലോം കാണാമോ ?

ഒരു പക്ഷെ വലിപ്പത്തില്‍ ആടുകള്‍ തന്നെ മുമ്പില്‍.

ആടിന്‍റെ ഒപ്പം വരില്ല ചെന്നായ്‌.

അടുത്തു കൂടി നടന്നാല്‍ ആടിന് പോലും ചെന്നായോട് വാത്സല്യമേ തോന്നൂ.

എന്തൊരു എളിമ, എന്തൊരു വിനയം, എന്തൊരു കുസൃതി, കുട്ടികളെ പോലെ !

എന്നാല്‍ ചെന്നായ്‌ തരം നോക്കി കാത്തിരിക്കയാണെന്നു പാവം ആടിനു ഒരിക്കലും മനസ്സിലാവുകയില്ല.

ചെന്നായുടെ ക്രൂര ദംഷ്ട്രങ്ങള്‍ പാവം ആടിനെ കടിച്ചു കീറി കൊന്നു തിന്നുന്നത് വരെ.

ഒരു അനുഭവത്തില്‍ നിന്ന് മനസ്സിലാകാന്‍ ആടിനു അവസരം കിട്ടാറില്ല.

ആടും ചെന്നായും പോലുള്ള മനുഷ്യരും നമ്മുടെ ഇടയില്‍ ധാരാളം.

കണ്ടാല്‍ ഒരു തരത്തിലും തിരിച്ചറിയാന്‍ പറ്റില്ല, സാധാരണ രീതിയില്‍.

ആടു പോലെയുള്ള പാവം മനുഷ്യര്‍ക്ക്‌ പാവം പോലെ കൂടെ കൂടി ചതിക്കാന്‍ തക്കം കാത്തിരിക്കുന്ന ചെന്നായ്‌ പോലെയുള്ള മനുഷ്യരെ ഒരിക്കലും മനസ്സിലായില്ലെന്ന് വരും.

വല്യ കഷ്ടം തന്നെ. അല്ലേ ?

എങ്ങനെ മനസ്സിലാകും ഇവരെ ?

ആവശ്യത്തിലധികം എളിമയും വിനയവും കുസൃതിയും ഒക്കെ പ്രകടിപ്പിക്കുന്നവരെ ഒന്ന് പ്രത്യേകം ശ്രദ്ധ വച്ചോളൂ !

ഒരു പക്ഷെ ചെന്നായുടെ സ്വഭാവം തരം കിട്ടിയാല്‍ പ്രകടമായെന്നു വരും.

വഷളത്തരവും ക്രൂരതയും കൌടില്യവും വിശ്വാസ വഞ്ചനയും ഒക്കെത്തന്നെ !

ചെന്നായ പക്ഷെ ആടുമല്ല, പട്ടിയുമല്ല. അത് ചെന്നായ തന്നെ.

ഒരുതരത്തിലും അതിനെ മാറ്റിയെടുക്കാന്‍ കഴിഞ്ഞെന്നു വരില്ല.

അതാണ് അതിന്‍റെ ഒരു പ്രത്യേകത.

സൂക്ഷിച്ചാല്‍ ദുഖിക്കേണ്ടി വരില്ല.


[കൂടുതല്‍ കാണുക: രാജന്‍ സി മാത്യുവിന്‍റെ മലയാളം ബ്ലോഗുകള്‍ ! ]

[This blog is in Malayalam language, written only for those who can read Malayalam language of Kerala ]

Professional Development of Engineers in India: Do We Need to Do Something ?

In many advanced countries, engineering can be practiced only by statutorily recognized engineers. It is a generally recognized fact that competence, experience and expertise of engineers have a direct impact on the well being and safety of the public at large. [You may recapitulate the background of the issue here in this Wikipedia article : Regulation and licensure in engineering ]

While going through this article you would come across the present status of engineering practice in India. Wikipedia states like this :

In India, Engineers with an engineering degree (BE/BTech/ME/MTech), from an accredited university, are allowed to practice as Consulting Engineers - there is no statutory requirement for any further licence or registration with any institution or body. However, there are several major bodies/ institutions of Engineers, the largest and most recognized being The Institution of Engineers (India), with Head Quarters in Kolkata and branches in every major city.

Note this : There is no statutory requirement for any further licence or registration with any institution or body.

With the experience of being associated with the Institution of Engineers (India) for many years as a corporate member and also being associated with the management of affairs of this professional body for a couple of years in a city with a very high population of engineers, I have been feeling the urge to write about the falling professionalism in engineering in this vast country poised to develop in a fast pace.

In India, nearly 1.5 million fresh engineers graduate every year after completing  their engineering degree examinations, every year. Thanks to the liberal policies of the central and state governments of India concerning engineering education. Regrettably, for a good majority of these young Indian engineers, the options for a livelihood actually is not actually in the core field of engineering. But in other areas like software development, sales and marketing, banking, IT enabled services, etc. A good number of brilliant engineers take up further studies in management and migrate to non-engineering type of works which are having better career opportunities.

A fresh engineer taking up his career in non-engineering fields soon gets dissociated from the nitty- gritties of engineering practice. All the academic inputs that she or he has been exposed while as an engineering student, soon get evaporated. The basics of engineering that was learnt are soon forgotten making it difficult for the person to refresh up later if he or she has to switch over to an engineering related work.

I do not say that such persons are not doing engineering related works. In reality many are employed and are in responsible positions of engineering.

Since there is no statutory guidelines for ensuring the the competence, knowledge or experience of a person in engineering related works, practically any one can do any type of engineering in India, provided she or he has a degree from a recognized institution.

Other requirements to ensure engineering competency and experience are conveniently forgotten.

Such a scenario has caused the professional bodies of engineering, including the Institution of Engineers (India) facing continuous degradation over the years. They are no more able to do justice in upholding the professional competency and ethical behaviour of their members.

The membership of these engineering bodies are not providing any direct benefit to the members because there is no statute that make it mandatory for engineering work to be regulated by these professional bodies, unlike in the case of other professions such as the medical doctors, lawyers, etc.

In India it is a common thing to make a hue and cry when some thing goes wrong.

When some thing of the Bhopal gas tragedy or a major rail accident or a factory accident take place some enquiries and reports are made only to be forgotten soon.

No one actually goes into the aspects of cumulative human errors on account of faulty or unethical engineering practices that ultimately cause such avoidable human disasters.

In India, design and engineering is a very neglected field. No one actually ensures the actual level of experience needed for an engineer to do a particular type of engineering work. Same is the case with construction, maintenance, operation and the like.

It does not mean that experienced engineers are not working or deployed in India. They are there every where. But there is a high likelihood of the right man at the wrong place or the wrong man at the right place ! Or a team made of experienced engineers linked with totally inexperienced ones !

Who is competent to certify an engineering work ? Who is there to testify before the courts if some legal issues are  involved ?

Due to the lack of statutes, it is a free ride for all. Any one can interpret things the way they like !

That makes working in engineering field is a highly risky thing in India. Remember the case some years ago in Bharat Aluminium Company, Korba, Chhattisgarh, where a trainee engineer was jailed by the police together with an Executive Director and some Chinese engineers when a tall chimney under construction collapsed causing many casualties. In the absence of clear rules, the engineering work becomes very risky for the practising engineers. It becomes more so, when there is no professional body to take up their collective cause.

This kind of situation in India causes experienced engineers trying to distance themselves from taking documentary technical decisions. Usually the less experienced become the scapegoats !

The Institution of Engineers (India) is the only statutory body (the statute being a legacy from the British Raj !) which can do some thing to work towards some proper solutions in this regard.

Unfortunately this body has been at loggerheads with the government of India for quite some years !

A very unfortunate situation for the fraternity of practising Indian engineers ! I remember taking up some of these issues internally within this body some years ago when I used to hold some position in this body of engineers. But let me admit it, I failed miserably due to the vested interests of a few people, while there was a large support from learned engineers from many quarters. Ever since, I too felt it wise to distance from this body for good.

When a serious rail accident happened some where in the north some years ago, the government of India drafted a bill called the ' Engineers Bill' and to control engineering practice and the engineers. It never got introduced in the parliament to become a statute. This draft bill contradicted the Royal Charter that governed the Institution of Engineers (India). In reality, this happened because of the bureaucratic ignorance coupled with the ignorance of those at the top management affairs of the largest professional body of engineers in India.

My only submission to all those connected with the practice of engineering in India is this: It is high time that some thing is done to safeguard the engineers and their jobs so that it is beneficial to the society in the long run. No work involving engineering should be a cause for any catastrophe due to negligence, ignorance or incompetency. At the same time engineers should not shy away from taking challenges in building, operating and maintaining major engineering and technological innovations that benefit the society. 

Competent and experienced engineers need to be professionally encouraged to take up challenges and take decisions fulfilling all essential levels of technical, commercial and ethical requirements. 

Succession planning has to be proper to ensure smooth transfer of experience and wisdom of senior experienced engineers and technocrats to lower levels.

Professional bodies such as the Institution of Engineers (India) should be statutorily strengthened to function well just as in some of the advanced countries. If needed, government should intervene to make it in order.

Practising engineers should be able to move to engineering academics and engineering academicians should be able to move to engineering professional practice.

Practising engineers from India should internationally acceptable for their competence, expertise and experience. 

How we do it all in the best possible and practical manner is yet another issue.

But it is time to think, lest this noble profession might degenerate further in this country !

Do we have to wait for such a thing to actually happen ?

[To view and read all the blogs of the author related to engineering and engineers you may use these words as the key words in the key word search box facility on the right panel top. Alternatively you may click the labels at the bottom of the article.]