Updated on: Monday, December 14, 2009
Ethirajan Rathakrishnan, an eminent professor of aerospace engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, held a three-day national level short term course on “Instrumentation, measurements and experiments in fluids” at the Lakireddy Bali Reddy College of Engineering, Mylavaram.
Addressing about 100 teachers and students from all over the country, he felt that research should be cost effective. Giving an example from his knowledge and research experience, he said, “We can point to certain aspects of testing tools and launching satellites for which the Central government had earlier paid huge amounts to foreign countries, but the cost of these has been drastically reduced by nearly 90 percent because of our path-breaking inventions.”
He dealt with aspects of importance of research, experiments with aesthetic with cost reduction and the need for researchers to have knowledge and fundamental information to be successful in the areas of interest. He wanted the researchers in the country to emulate the Germans and the JapaneseHe advised all the teachers to be specific and accurate in the vocabulary of technical terms.
Pointing out that some scientists who were in the research work lacked presentation skills, Prof. Rathakrishnan advised the faculty, scientists and students to dedicate their research works and knowledge to the nation.
A Fellow of Royal Aeronautical Society, Prof. Rathakrishnan is well known internationally for his research in the area of high-speed jets. The limit for the passive control for jets called “Rathakrishnan Limit” is his contribution to the field of jet research. LBRCE Director L.S.S. Reddy, who inaugurated the programme, said that the presence of Prof. Rathakrishnan would inspire both the scientists and the faculty to get involved in quality research.