A. Karthi, a student of Padma Narasimhan Industrial Training Institute in Manjakudi in Tiruvarur district has brought laurels to his institute with his feat.
The institute won platinum award in a competition conducted by the Chennai chapter of the Quality Control Foundation of India, thanks to an idea from Karthi.
Karthi, who is training to be an electrician, hails from Kandiramanickam, a hamlet 12 km from Manjakudi. He and his brother are ITI students. His parents are casual labourers in nearby farms. He is a beneficiary of the government’s free bicycle scheme and has received partial scholarship to study at ITI.
The institute has been teaching students the 5S programme, a Japanese technique that many companies in the country have adopted.
The technique is about maintaining processes and procedures in industry. Karthi is not only adept at 5S processes but also Kaizen, another Japanese technique that is used to improve efficiency and cut costs for factories.
The institute wanted to participate in a competition organised by Quality Circle Forum of India, and the final aspect of the contest required the contestants to make an online presentation. “We are in a remote village and the internet reception is not good. When we need to access the internet, we have to go outside and sometimes we manage to get signal there,” said S. Raju, computer tutor at the institute.
When the institute was trying to work out a method to participate in the contest, Karthi came up with an idea. He suggested that his teacher download the Zoom meeting app. He then downloaded the presentation on a mobile and using the app and the data pack on his phone he made the presentation from the institute premises. “We sat under a tree where the signal was good and he made the presentation,” Mr. Raja said.
While other institutions and companies have their staff make the presentation, ITI allows students to participate and Karthi’s suggestion helped, Mr. Raja said.
Karthi will be completing the course this year. “The exams have been delayed due to COVID-19. Only after the exam results are out and he has his certificate will the placements happen,” he added.
Karthi hopes to be placed in a company as an electrician.
