From ISRO to Chandrayaan-III : CET Thiruvananthapuram’s Saga of Success is an Epic Tale

Bhubaneswar, August 29: The proud photo post the Chandrayaan-III success story at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) control room had S Mohana Kumar (Mission Director, Mechanical), K Athula Devi (Deputy Director, Electronics), N Satheesh Kumar (Deputy Director, Mechanical), MA Suresh (Associate Director, Mechanical), G Narayanan (Associate Mission Director, Mechanical), M Mohan (Hunan Space Flight Director, Mechanical), and K Shooja (Associate Director, Electronics) . But do you know what the common among all the top ISRO experts is? They all are from 1986 pass out batch engineering graduates from College of Engineering, Thiruvavanthapuram (CET). Currently more than 100 CETians are working in ISRO.

``Yes! The seven CETians are the only top-notch group that has come through the media coverage following the stupendous success of India’s tryst with the Moon Mission, but in reality the engineering alma mater has produced many distinguished engineers who has done India proud through their knowledge, expertise and dedication towards engineering,’’ says Biswaranjan Dehury Industrial Engineering batch of 1994, who was also Magazine Editor for Men’s Hostel and an Odia, who is extremely proud of his association with CET. 

Dehury said ``the College of Engineering Trivandrum (now Thiruvananthapuram) was established by Sree Chitra Tirunal Balarama Varma, the former ruler (Maharajah) of Travancore, on 3 July, 1939. Today the campus is now spread over 250 acres.’’

``Initially the engineering college was functioning from the former office and bungalow of the Trivandrum Chief Engineer. Later the building became Postmaster General’s office. However, during 1960 it was shifted to Kulathoor on the outskirts of the city.’’

The old Satish Dhawan Centre was very near to CET and perhaps from the very beginning of the ISRO’s journey with India’s space odyssey CET’s association came handy due to its proximity, however, quality wise it’s also a top-ranking engineering institution in India.

It would be pertinent to mention here that the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) has placed CET at 110 rank among engineering colleges in India. Its Architecture Department is ranked 14 among architecture colleges. All of CET’s BTech programmes are accredited by the National Board of Accreditation till 2025.

Remembering his association with CET, Dehury says `` CET has given me opportunity to widen my professional relationship with Alumuni Committee. Friends never forget to involve me wherever any kind of social and charitable work need and for not so economically sound brilliant students.’’  After his days in CET Dehury had joined XIMB, Bhubaneswar and managing his own enterprise now.

Among other Odias who passed out from CET was Kumud Chandra Pradhan, Dehury’s ``super senior’’ of 1958 Batch and his brother Nityananda Pattanaik was from the batch of 1956.

OLDEST PLANETARIUM OF KERALA

Among the various associations of CET, Dehury is very nostalgic about one of Kerala's oldest Planetariums with a handmade lens and analog mechanism inside the engineering college.

``Most of the institutions have distinct building from which one could have the feelings of a speciality and at CET its our planetarium and its our own. It was built by Prof. R Jayaram, alumnus of CET who later turned onto become a distinguished faculty at CET. this star dome holds a special place in the hearts of all the students who have set foot into the campus,’’ he remembers.