Trend setters: Whatever be the place, whatever be the activity or enterprise, whatever be the resources, whatever be the limitations or constraints and whosoever be the people, the first furrow leaves an indelible mark on the sands of time. All beginnings need patience, dedication, toils and tears and that is what is ultimately reflected in the ways of life of the people and their beliefs and traditions. Pioneers are torch-bearers, path-breakers and trend-setters. The world is, what it is today, because there have been people from the earliest times, who have been moving forward and have been blazing trails. Israel was a patch of desert, when it was carved out in 1948 and due to the hardwork, perseverance and dedication of the first generation of settlers, it has been transformed into the most developed state in the middle-east. Civil Engineering School Allahabad was very fortunate in having an excellent bunch of students during the first year. They were keen to learn and were prepared to surge ahead under all types of problems, hurdles and constraints. Now, that, they were in second year of the course, the path was clear, the end was in sight and the future had started unfolding with all the thrills and challenges. The task of the new batch of students of first year was comparatively simpler and well defined. They knew, what they were expected to do and the footprints of the senior batch were there to provide, help, support and guidance. We had an excellent mix of young and energetic teachers alongwith experienced and weather-worn professionals during the opening year. The team had been substantially strengthened during the second year for coping with the increasing numbers and responsibilities. Shaping, seasoning and grinding began from the word go in August 1956 and the days, weeks and months started slipping gradually, till the mid-term examinations started knocking the doors, in the last week of December 1956.
Second annual week celebrations: Second annual week celebrations of the institution were scheduled in the third week of January 1957. Annual week celebrations provide a welcome and relaxing break to almost everybody from the rigorous routines of the first term and prepare the staff and students for the final push during the second term. Looking to the extremely busy and grinding schedules of the annual week and the enthusiasm of the staff and students in whole-hearted participation in almost all the activities, some eyebrows are raised somewhere. Sectionwise games, sports, literary and cultural activities are organized on a continuing basis during the first term. That helps in providing liberal opportunities to almost all the students for participation and polishing their skills. Mass participation of students in extra-curricular activities, brings out the best in an individual and helps considerably, in building up tough and hardy professionals. Knock out competitions and cut-throat rivalry between sections during the annual week is something, which everybody enjoys, from the ring and from outside the ring. The days during the annual week celebrations began in the early hours of the morning and the activities kept going till late in the evening followed by the much awaited music, dance and drama numbers. The climax comes on the final day with the prize distribution. The academic prizes were awarded liberally, sectionwise and classwise with thunderous applause to every winner, whereas the prizes for all other literary, cultural, games and sports activities were awarded on the basis of sectionwise competitions and institution level competitions. With the dropping down of the curtains of the annual week celebrations on the final day, everybody started looking forward for the final run during the second term.
Lok Sabha elections in February March 1957: India gained independence on 15 August 1947. The constitution of India was passed by the constituent assembly on 26 November 1949 and India adopted the constitution and became a republic on 26 January 1950. The first general elections to the Lok Sabha were held in 1951-52. The second elections to the Lok Sabha were scheduled to be held in February-March 1957. Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru was the congress candidate from Phulpur and Lal Bahadur Shastri was the congress candidate from Allahabad. Smt Indira Gandhi, the daughter of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru was the organizer of the election campaign. She was living at Anand Bhavan and that was the centre of all election activities. That was the time, when cars and other automobiles were not being manufactured in India and borrowed and hired cars and other motor vehicle were used for such campaigns. Teams of about five persons were formed and each team was assigned a specific campaign area for purposes of man to man contact and publicity. Members of the team used to gather in early morning hours at Anand Bhavan for a briefing and thereafter, every team moved to the assigned area in the available vehicle with publicity literature and other essentials. They were expected to spend the day in the assigned area, for contacting people individually and for seeking votes for the congress. Normally, every team included one or two regular congress workers and two to three other volunteers. Vishwamitra the secretary of Civil Engineering School Allahabad was a senior congressman and was expected to make substantial physical, financial and manpower contribution to the election campaign. As such, he wanted Civil Engineering School Allahabad to provide fifty active volunteers for work on the campaign trails on specific dates and for rendering help on the polling booths on the date of voting.
Indira Gandhi of 1957 was very much different than the Indira Gandhi of later years. She visited Civil Engineering School Allahabad for three to four times during February and March 1957 and looked after the conveniences of each one of the fifty volunteers picked up from the institution. On the polling day, she moved from booth to booth and had a word here and a word there with most of the volunteers to make sure that everybody was comfortable and had proper meals and refreshments.
Trip to Delhi: Sometimes in April 1957 I was on a short visit to Delhi with Vishwamitra. Dr KS Krishnan was working as Director of National Physical Laboratory at that time. Dr Krishnan was well known to Vishwamitra, since his Allahabad days, where he had been working as Professor of Physics at Allahabad University. Naturally, Vishwamitra utilized the Delhi visit for a courtesy call on Dr Krishanan. Those were the days, when the process of planning in India was still in a state of infancy. Naturally, the discussion immediately turned on, about the second five year plan submitted by Allahabad University, which was for a very meagre sum running into thousands. Naturally, Dr Krishanan requested Vishwamitra to give a wake up call to the university. Consequently, among other things, we submitted a proposal to Allahabad University for the establishment of an engineering college at Allahabad. Ultimately, when the proposal for the establishment of 15 regional engineering colleges was mooted by the Government of India, Allahabad got one regional engineering college, which was named as Moti Lal Nehru Regional Engineering College. The college had its beginnings in the premises of Civil Engineering School Allahabad and functioned there for about three years before shifting to its Shivpuri Campus.
Thereafter, I found time for a visit to the Ministry of Scientific Research and Cultural Affairs, who had the file dealing about the recognition of Civil Engineering School Allahabad. We were told that they have got the recommendations from the Governement of UP and that the ministry had taken a decision about the recognition of Civil Engineering School Allahabad and to provide financial grants for buildings and equipment in accordance with the norms.
Delhi Centre of Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan was established in 1950. The foundation stone of the building was laid by Dr Rajendra Prasad the first president of India. Incidentally, the building was being inaugurated by Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru the first prime minister of India in the evening, on the day, we happened to be at Delhi. We had completed our commitments and were free for attending the function in the evening. I had seen Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru during his fiery speech at Meerut in July 1942, before the quit India resolution. Howeover, Pandit Nehru was in a very happy and jovial mood during the inauguration function of Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan at Delhi. Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan was established by KM Munshi in 1938 and gradually, it has grown into a worldwide movement with hundreds of centres in India and other countries.
Final Examinations: The annual examinations of first year and second year for the written papers were to be conducted at Government Intermediate College Allahabad in the third week of May 1957, in accordance with the dates notified by the controller of examinations of the ad-hoc board of technical education Roorkee.
Practical examinations were to be completed in the first week of May 1957. The panels of internal and external examiners were finalized by the board.
Internal and external examiners for the project work of final year students were also finalized and it was decided that the project work should be taken up after the completion of the written examinations. Duration of the project work was four weeks with one week for field survey and three weeks for drawing, design, calculations and report writing.