The President’s Message

Dear Fellows/Members

I am greatly overwhelmed by the honor you have bestowed upon me to serve as the 24th President of the Indian Geotechnical Society for the term 2011&12 and take this opportunity to share my thoughts with you.

The Society has grown significantly and established several good traditions. It is a tribute to our past Presidents, Honorary Secretaries and members that the Indian Geotechnical Society not merely survived but is a vibrant and thriving assemblage of engineers today. The Society has carved a place for itself on the Indian Engineering scene and over the years its members have distinguished themselves nationally and internationally.

India is a gigantic country and is geotechnically as varied as its numerous ethnic groups and languages. The country has embarked upon major projects such as construction of thousands of kilometers of highways, underground metros and large storage tanks, numerous hydel projects in the north and north east regions, offshore structures in the difficult Krishna and Godavari basins, Nuclear power projects with waste disposal repositories and some of the most challenging railway tunnels and bridges in the Himalayas and also mitigation of natural disasters. The beautiful Leh valley consisting of thick fluvio-glacio-lacustrine deposits completely washed away due to cloudburst, left a devastating trail of human misery recently. The country experiences recurring earthquakes, landslides, mudslides, floods and other failures natural or otherwise requires mitigation strategies and ingenious solutions to minimize risk and improve living conditions.

Keeping pace with the needs of the country, the IGS has contributed significantly to the national development and teaching and research in the field of Geotechnical Engineering. With over 3500 members and 31 local chapters spread across the country, the Society is financially and otherwise stable and sound.

The regular routine activities of the Society will be continued and pursued vigorously. Based on the consultations of a large cross section of the members of the Society, I tried to frame a road map and an action plan for the Society. For a Society like ours, it is vital to have a document, which will list out ideas, which can be translated into specific actions to raise the involvement and standing of the Society in the profession. A few of the priorities are listed below:

1. To increase the role of the Society in the decision making process of the country at an administrative level and provide inputs to make developmental plans effective.
   
   
2. To strive for the registration of engineers through Engineering Council of India (ECI) for maintaining standards and quality of professional services.
   
   
3. Accreditation of geotechnical investigation agencies on the basis of a suitable evaluation method.
   
   
4.  To create a “Geoinformatics Database” on regional deposits,  soil/rock characteristics and case histories.
   
   
5. To prepare design manuals and special publications for professional use and to increase international visibility through specialty conferences.
   
   
6. To improve the quality of the journal and make it internationally acceptable. Propose to go for an international editorial board and bring it in electronic format as well.
   
   
7. To develop high quality “E- Learning Resources” in Geotechnical Engineering.
   
   
8. To create all “Geo –Societies” forum to achieve some common goals.
   
   
9. To have an “IGS -Industry Advisory Board” to foresee the technological trends and research needs of the future.
   
   
10. To create “IGS- Foundation” fund to provide support to less fortunate Geotechnical Engineers who cannot afford some of the basic educational advantages that others can.
    
    
11. To improve the connectivity with the members electronically.
    
    
12. To initiate student chapters at UG level for early induction.
    
    
13. My job is cut out for the next two years! Action on some of the above issues is already initiated. I passionately urge all members of the Society to actively contribute and bring the “Paradigm Shift”. The shift we all deserve. Please write your views on the above and more.

Prof. K.S. Rao
raoks@civil.iitd.ernet.in