NE gets first Institute of Aeronautics

Guwahati, Mar 03: The North East got its first institute of Aeronautics after a few young entrepreneurs got together to help the youth of the region to cash on the boom in the aviation industry.

"We have opened the Institute against all odds. It has been a big fight against the system as no one was willing to believe that a Institute could be possible in the North East, which needed to pass stringent rules from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and a real aircraft was needed for training", said Mr Rupak Sharma, Deputy Director of the Institute while briefing the newspersons.

The institute has procured a 'Cessna' and started offering its courses for the first time in the region.

Aircraft Maintenance Engineering or the Aeronautic Engineering has proved to be a promising profession in the country and the demand has also increased day by day.

"But unfortunately there were no such academic or technical institutes in the entire North East to impart such technical education to our aspiring youths. They had to go to other parts of our country to take up the courses" said Mr Rupak Sharma said.

"It was a matter of huge financial involvement and many of our aspiring youths had to be deprived of such education only because of lack of financial soundness. Hence, the step taken by Purbanchal Educational Welfare Society in establishing the North East Institute of Aeronautics may be termed as a bold and timely one particularly for the betterment of the youths of this region" he added.

It is worthwhile to mention the Institute was approved by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and it has been marked as the 28th institute of its kind in the country. The Administrative Block of the Institute is at the R G Baruah Road,Guwahati, just opposite to the Guwahati Commerce College Boys' Hostel.

The theoretical classes are arranged in well equipped class rooms with all modern amenities in a building attached to the Administrative Block and the practical training is arranged at the aircraft parked within the campus at the Institute, while the two aircraft's of the Assam Flying Club are also being used.

The faculty for the institute has been recruited as per the approval of the Directorate of Civil Aviation, Government of India.

It comprises of retired technical experts from Indian Air Force and is headed by Mr M Z A Khan, Retired Chief Engineer, IIT, Kanpur.

In order to impart firsthand knowledge of aircraft, the institute has already procured a four seater Cessna-185 aircraft of Continental 10-520 class having 300 HP engine with a fuel capacity of 300l trs.

The aircraft and other arrangements were inspected by a team from the Directorate of Civil Aviation, Government of India and the team expressed its satisfaction.

The Institute has at present launched a 3-yr(6 semester) course in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering approved by the Director General of Civil Aviation, Delhi. The academic qualification for admission into the course is Higher Secondary(10+2) pass in the science stream with minimum aggregate of 50 per cent marks.

Moreover, are students will be eligible to appear at different competitive examinations conducted by the Director of Civil Aviation, Government of India to register themselves as Aircraft Maintenance Engineer for brighter future, said Mr Sharma.

The Government of India has recently declared to give priority to the North Eastern Region in the Civil Aviation sector. So, the establishment of the North east Institute of Aeronautics by the Purbanchal Education Welfare Society is indeed a timely endeavour for fulfilling the long cherished aspirations of the youths.

UNI