ETGovernment September 28, 2022, 13:03 IST
Indigenisation and localisation are an urgent and important requirement of the Indian energy industry, which needs thousands of innovative minds to focus on the energy sector.
Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology (RGIPT) , an institution of national importance established by the Government of India, aims to produce world class engineers and scientists by providing state-of-the-art education, training and efficient human resources for the country.
The ministry of petroleum and natural gas (MoPNG) set up the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology at Jais, Amethi, Uttar Pradesh. The institute has been accorded the eminence of being an institution of national importance along the lines of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). The institute is empowered to award degrees in its own right.
It is co-promoted as an energy domain-specific institute by six leading oil public sector units -- Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Oil India Limited, GAIL (India) Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited -- in association with the Oil Industry Development Board.
The institute is associated with leading international universities/institutions specializing in the domain of petroleum technology and energy. Professor ASK Sinha, Director, RGIPT, elaborates “Since its very inception in 2008, the Institute has been instrumental in imparting world class education to its students and providing innovative technological solutions to the problems being faced by Indian petroleum industries, both in upstream and downstream sector. The mission of the Institute is to serve as the fountainhead for nurturing world class engineers and scientists by providing state-of-the-art education, training and research who shall be capable to lead not only the future petroleum industries but also to help society by developing affordable technologies to reduce country's dependence on fossil fuels."
Producing Quality Human Resources
The prime objective of the institute is to provide excellent education, training, and research to roll out efficient human resources, and to meet the growing requirements of the petroleum and energy sector. The institute has an ambitious plan to offer a number of bachelor's and master's degree programmes, post- graduate diploma courses and doctoral programmes in science, engineering and management.
RGIPT will play a key role in the energy-related educational and R&D activities of India. It has to transform to become a key player in the education, R&D and innovation in energy sectors, not just in India but find a niche of its own in energy technology and educational institutions globally.
"All of us at RGIPT - students, faculty, researchers and even the administrative staff must enhance our competencies, increase our capabilities and sharpen our processes to achieve this objective. We need to do this to enable ourselves, our students, to deliver in India all that is critical for the growth of our economy," Sinha says.
Energy Industry
India must grow to achieve its $5 trillion economy in this decade, the cherished dream of PM Modi. Increasing population, growing urbanization, and increasing living standards are causing a steep increase in energy consumption. Significant work is needed to dissect the energy situation and develop novel technologies towards increasing energy efficiency, develop new sources of energy, and work out efficient energy distribution mechanisms. "There is a great need to reduce import costs of not just crude oil, but also energy-related technologies, consumables, etc. Indigenization and localization are an urgent and important requirement of the Indian energy industry. This massive work calls for thousands of innovative minds to focus on the energy sector. India also has to take care of its diverse energy requirement for a vastly diverse population with varying energy requirements," said Sinha.
The goal of RGIPT is to produce talented engineers who can proactively work towards ensuring energy security and provide affordable energy to all. The institute aims to be a key contributor to the development of human potential and technical potential needed in the energy sector, he said.
Job Placement
The institute will strive to facilitate student placement for summer internships as well as final job placements. By virtue of its lineage, the institute is uniquely placed to leverage the extensive industry network developed on its own and through its promoters, the leading oil PSUs like ONGC, BPCL, IOCL, HPCL, GAIL, OIL and OIDB.
For this endeavour, a training and placement cell was set up, which will engage in constant interaction with the industry in the forms of seminars, summer internships, research projects, and on-campus and off-campus initiatives. The profile of the students seeking placement assistance will be made available to the prospective employers. Personality development workshops and intensive preparatory training for interviews will be imparted as a part of the placement programme. The institute endeavours to develop the placement exercise as a joint effort with the students.
The Training and Placement Cell will provide guidance, support and to communicate with potential employers. Students who have equal responsibilities in the placement process will participate in policy formulation, the logistics of campus interviews, etc.
Amenities on the Campus
Bank of Baroda (BoB) branch, situated in the commercial complex of the institute, provides centralized banking services, internet banking and ATM facilities. On enrolment, every student of the institute may open an account with the bank. The RGIPT campus has a cafeteria, which also fosters essential interactions between students and is often seen bustling with diversified activity. It operates from 6pm to 2am. Healthcare facilities at the institute have been well planned and executed. It is functional with primary basic healthcare facilities for employees and students. Apart from that, we have associated ourselves with local hospitals in Raebareli and Lucknow to cater the basic needs of our faculty, staff, students and their families. A pharmacist and an assistant are available on a full-time basis to provide emergency first aid, and for routine medical services. An ambulance service is also available to provide emergency services round the clock, RGIPT said in a press release.