Inspiration Kalpana continues to motivate

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-style:="" italic="">For the first time, the number of girls who have taken admission to PEC''s Aeronautical Department stands at five </span><br /><br />The spotlight is on the Aeronautical Department of Punjab Engineering College, and they''re loving all the attention. So many names from its rolls have done it proud, Kalpana Chawla bringing the department its biggest honour. The memory of her achievement lingers on, an inspiration to those for whom aeronautics is a passion. And a nudge to the ones wanting to explore the science. So much so that the number of students, especially girls, applying for the course has increased manifold in the last few years, finds out <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Chandigarh Times</span>.<br /><br />"We have five girls who have taken admission into aeronautical engineering this year," Prof SC Sharma sounds less like the HoD and more like a proud father. Vis-à-vis the three or at the most four that come in every year in a total of 15 students, it is a record number that owes a lot to one gritty woman. <br /><br />And her photographs adorn the walls behind Prof Sharma, his recollection of Kalpana vivid. "She was the first girl to enter this department. Very sincere in her work, confident about what she wanted to do. Her accomplishments have brought fame to the department, one that has created an awareness about aeronautics," he says. <br /><br />For a department that has always been over-shadowed by the so-called glamour branches of engineering like electronics and computers, this renown acts like a two-edged sword. "Most of us are here because we love aeronautics. Those who just get lured by it''s sudden popularity go away disillusioned, for it isn''t an easy branch of science," avers Anand Saxena, a second year student. Most would agree with that, for aeronautics involves a monumental amount of research work besides a working knowledge of most others branches of engineering. "We emphasise on creating designers, operators and scientists. Our students can choose their own direction after they finish from here," Prof Sharma affirms. <br /><br />His love for the department is apparent when he talks about his students. "They are an extremely hard-working lot, they read up on so much and question everything," he grins. He can''t stop waxing eloquent about their involvement with their course, comparing the presentations made by the students to the latest in technology. <br /><br />The fact that more girls are making their way here is testimony to the fact that while difficult, aeronautical science provides a job security that in integral in a woman''s professional life. "There is a demand like never before. And no one can question a woman''s commitment," students Neha Sharma and Ria Malhan aver. <br /><br />With five girls already finding their feet in the department, we just might see the fairer brigade soaring high in aeronautics over the coming years. <br /><span style="" font-style:="" italic="">nikita.singh@timesgroup.com</span></div> </div>