Thursday, March 14, 2024

Memories of Paradip

It has almost been 11 years (10 years 10 months to be exact as on date) since I joined Paradip Refinery in 2013. The journey has been long, but it has given me immense satisfaction as well as learning. 


There have been many instances when I had questioned my decision to opt for Paradip Refinery posting. Around end of 2011, I had thought about it a lot whether I should apply for a posting in Paradip. At that time, the refinery was under construction and somehow a negativity was associated with the refinery mostly because of the delay in approval/construction related to the refinery. During construction also there was a fund shortage in the corporation which resulted in deferment of various facilities. Moreover, there was no fully functional township and people were facing hardship in living a comfortable life inside township. In Mathura, I had a very good profile in Technical Services and the learning curve was good. Hence, I had given multiple thoughts before applying for a transfer. Finally, I applied for transfer, mainly because of the following two reason:

1. In TS, it is difficult to learn the dynamics of a plant in operation. The confidence gained while operating a process unit is priceless. I was lacking that experience and I thought getting a good commissioning experience at a young age will be priceless.  

2. Being from Odisha and a new refinery was coming in my state, hence, I did not want to miss a chance to be part of something which would eventually change the energy landscape of the eastern India. 

Based on the above to reasoning I had applied for transfer and got posted in 2012. However, I joined in 2013 since I was retained in Mathura for 1 year. Finally, I joined on 14th May 2013, and a new chapter in my life started. 

Initial period in my personal space as well as office was difficult. I had to start from scratch since no one knew me here. Gradually things started to fall in its places and life got easier. There have been learnings in personal as well as professional life in the last decade, which I will try to summarize.

1. Getting Out of Comfort Zone: 

Working in Tech Services in Mathura Refinery was comfortable. I never worked in Operations, which I feel is more challenging than Tech Services. I was afraid if I could handle man and machine in an operating plant. Initially I was apprehensive but over a period of time I developed skills to manage people and learned how machines work. Working in a new plant gave ample opportunity to fail and learn. The learning is that once you settle for comfort, you stop growing. In professional life, try to have as varied experience as possible during the initial period and trust me, there is not a single job or experience which does not teach you something. So next time a new assignment or an extra work is required to be done in office, volunteer to do the job. The worst thing is that you will fail, and the best thing is that you will succeed. Either way it will enrich you. 

So next time, when your boss gives you extra work, do not ask your boss "Why Me?", but instead ask yourself, "Why Not Me?". That will make all the difference in the long run. 

2. Trust the Process

There have been times in Paradip, I have felt dejected and on the verge of emotional breakdown. I am a person who is expert in hiding feelings. Hence those emotional turmoil were very hard for me to digest, and I had almost given up on life. But somehow, I survived. I don't know if I am a better person than I was 10 years ago but now, I believe that whatever problem someone goes through is designed to teach them a lesson. It has taught me and changed my perspective on life and hopefully I am better and wiser. 

       

Lawn in front of My residence for 10 years

3. What happens, happens for good.

On 15th Aug 2022, a freak accident in the plant, I fractured my ankle. I was lucky that I did not fall from height which could have been fatal or did not get head injury (thanks to the PPEs). But the injury was at a time when the unit needed me the most (on going plant maintenance), and the injury was in my ankle which made me immobile for a month. If I had injury in any other part, I could still have contributed. Overall, the timing of the accident and injured organ was the worst possible thing that could have happened. But, on hindsight, this was the best thing that happened to me.

First, my junior, with who I had together made all the execution plan, did an excellent job in managing the turnaround. An uncomfortable situation was forced on him, but he came out in flying colors. My team completed the shutdown and startup of the plant in my absence. So, the confidence of the refinery management in my team increased multifold. 

Secondly, because of the injury, I got a change in assignment which would have been very unlikely otherwise. One thing led to other, and I feel my next assignment was related to the change in job profile that happened earlier.

4. Invest in Yourself

Since 2006, I did not take any professional/certificate course. However, changed policy in the corporation, allowed for higher studies in 2018/2019. In the year 2019, I was chosen to go on a foreign assignment for a period of about a year. During the same time, I also had the opportunity to go for the company sponsored M.Tech. I did not take more than a minute to decide between MTech and foreign assignment. Even though, foreign assignment would have been a learning opportunity, but it would have been a repetition of the work I had already done. Hence, I choose to go for higher studies. And I have never regretted the decision. Irrespective of the learning from the course work, what the professors from IIT/ICT taught me was that we should always strive to learn. Reading and learning new things not only gives you knowledge but also changes you as a person. Hence never ever hesitate to invest in yourself and your growth. Keep learning. 

5. Keep the Child inside you alive.

I still love to make models at home as I did in childhood. Last time me and my daughter made a replica of a boat for Kartika Purnima. Before that we made a model of the James Webb Telescope. I get immense pleasure in working on the bonsai plants I have nurtured. I feel a sense of satisfactions when I see the trees planted around my quarter has grown up to big ones bearing fruit and harboring birds. My daughter has learnt this habit from me, and she cares for the plants also. Even if you don't have a kid, keep the child inside you alive. Be inquisitive, and teachable. Develop a knack for questioning things and trying things without a care for success and failure. Take pleasure in small wins and forget the losses. Adopt a hobby, preferably one which involves outdoor activities. Life is shorter than you think, so fill the moments with small memories. As one of dear friend says, life need not be fancy, but it should be fulfilling.

2024, has been great till now. A lot of things have suddenly gone right for me. Since I will be going to a new location, I have a tinge of sadness for leaving a place with so many memories. But I am also excited to explore the new one and opportunity it will provide for me and my family. Paradip is also a place I got married and became a father. I am forever grateful to the almighty for giving me a wonderful life partner who has supported me, changed me for better. Also grateful for the biggest blessings of my life, my daughter, who has provided a new meaning to my life. 

In the early part of my life, I used to think that petrol pumps directly extract petrol from underground and they are located where there is a petroleum reserve. In the late 1990s, as a school going kid, I had heard and read about a planned refinery in Paradip in the eastern coast of India. I grew up to study chemical engineering and work in Indian Oil (that itself is a story of serendipity). I was lucky to be a part of the team that received the first crude oil in the refinery and the 1st Process Unit (Crude Distillation Unit) was commissioned when I was the Panel in charge on 26th April 2015. I have been lucky to have worked with people having immense work ethics and talent. From a driver who had gained so much knowledge by just listening to conversations, to JEAs who have crawled under equipment's to check its correct installations, to people who have selflessly put themselves in danger in case of firefighting, to my bosses who have guided me, they all have been a source of inspiration.  

In life in general and in Paradip, I have been lucky. People have trusted me and advocated for me even though there are more hardworking, smarter and more knowledgeable colleagues than me. I have got more than I deserved in life. But from reading about a refinery to commissioning it, has been a wonderful stroke of luck. 


rabindra

14-March-2024



Sunday, March 19, 2023

A Raindrop and a Leaf



Fate has bonded them,

May be for a moment, may be longer.

A gentle breeze, holding sway or

A scorching sun later in the day,

Will Split them, in a moment not far away.

If it falls, among the roots,

Will return to the leaf to nurture,

Or it will return again,

As a different drop in a different rain..


(Thinking of an analogy with our lives, many people come to our lives, some for few moments and some longer. Eventually we split but we help each other grow in one way or other. There is no good or bad. Sometimes we are the drop, sometimes we become the leaf.)

Tuesday, November 1, 2022

Corruption free India for a developed Nation

Corruption: dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery.

The popular definition of corruption is defined as a dishonest conduct by a person in power involving bribery. The person in power, typically gives another person / organization some undue favor in lieu of monetary or non-monetary benefits. In all the cases of corruption, it has two sides. One is the person who gives the favor and other is the person who takes the undue favor. Corruption cannot be prevalent if either of the parties does not cooperate. India traditionally is known to be a corrupt nation. India ranks 85 out of 180 countries in the Transparency Internationals corruption index in its latest release. Corruption is not limited to monetary loss of any particular being, but it has variety of implications in political, economic, social, environmental, national security. Corruptions among political leaders of the government reduces the trust public has on the government, public institutions and the electoral process. This seriously dents the prospect of an independent democracy. Economic implications of corruptions include reluctance of investors to invest in development of the country and even if they invest it is done at a higher cost which again reduces the affordability of the project. All these implications directly impact the GDP of the nation which affects the quality of life a person can afford, and a government can provide. If corruption has so much implication, do we have a system to prevent it? Yes, Government of India has prepared legal framework for fighting corruption. Various acts like Prevention of Corruption Act, Prevention of Money laundering Act, Companies Act, Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, Lokpal and Lokayukta Act have provisions to prevent and penalize corrupt practices. Further with GOI’s recent initiatives like linking Aadhar to Bank Accounts, Direct Benefit Transfer and Digital Payment have greatly helped in reducing corrupt practices.
 
But are these initiatives sufficient for a developed nation? Is it the sole responsibility of the government to reduce and prevent corruption? No, it is not. Corruption and its prevention are responsibility of all citizens. We have to pledge to not participate in corrupt practices ourselves even if this brings us uncomfortable situations to face. As stated, earlier corruption survives if both sides cooperate. When one side doesn’t then corrupt practices won’t survive. This is where a common citizen has the power to bring a major change. But for the growth of the nation, this is not sufficient. We not only have to stop corruption which involves financial exchanges but, for continued development of a nation as a whole generation after generations, we need to avoid corruption of moral and ethical values among citizens. With time, the definition of morals and ethics changes but some of the values, like honesty, integrity, and probity are timeless treasures. These are the things which is the foundation of any relationship, including the relationship with yourself. We need to be honest with ourselves and always do the right things irrespective of the circumstances were are in or whether we are being watched / supervised or not. When moral compass is good and we ourselves are the sternest inspector of our actions, then only our characters will be strong. Moreover, we need to cultivate these values among us as well as inculcate these in our children, which will make a lasting impact and pave the way for a developed nation. For a developed nation, let us pledge to be good citizens and be proud of our strong moral values and characters.

As aptly captured in a Sanskrit phrase “
शीलम परम भूषणम, let our Characters be our highest virtue.

--- ***---
(This essay was my entry to internal essay competition on the title, which won the 2nd prize)

 

Monday, October 3, 2022

A worthy opponent competes with you or completes you?

Few days ago, Roger Federer retired. The final speech made almost all the spectators around the world emotional, including me and surprisingly, my wife (she is not a tennis fan). I was not this emotional even during Sachin or Dravid's retirement. I felt sad on both Sachin and Dravid's retirement but not emotional. But the scene which stole the heart was where Nadal and Federer were sitting side by side and holding each other hands. Both were teary eyed and it was difficult to find out who was consoling whom. What made it special and surprising is that Nadal is not just any other person or player. He was of course a friend but was also a fierce competitor of Federer and caused him many heartbreaks beating him in the court. But that day, they were just two humans expressing their uncontrolled emotions. Nadal, before Federer retired said that with the retirement of Federer a part of him was also leaving the tennis courts. It was surely the beginning of the end of the golden ear of modern tennis. The trio of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic had dominated men’s tennis for more than a decade and entertained us with some exciting play of tennis.


Looking at all the three tennis greats in the same European Team in Laver Cup, one thought came to my mind. Is it possible that if, all the three had played tennis separately in different eras, would they have been such good players as they became or they would have been a little less good player? Was Federer a great player or became great because he had Nadal and Djokovic as opponent? Some would argue that if he had not Nadal or Djokovic as opponent some one else would have been a worthy opponent, may be a better player than Nadal. It is a valid counter argument to a hypothetical situation. But still the question will be valid. So, the question is does a great competitor completes you? Was Arjun great because Karna was his opponent? Was Achilles great because he chooses to fight the Trojan War in spite of chance of him getting killed? In general, does a great challenge brings the best out of you?

I think the answer to the questions will be, yes. A fierce competitor or battle makes the win more worthwhile. It brings the best out of every one whether you lose or not. Federer lost 6 times in Grand slam finals against Nadal, but not without a fight (most of the times). Does that statistics make Nadal a better player than Federer? I think no. The greatest out come of the battles was that both players craved the best out of their human potential to compete against each other. In the process they both became the best version of themselves. I think that is what Nadal (and Federer) realized when he said that a part of him will be leaving tennis with Federer's retirement. That is why both were attached emotionally to each other because they knew they were incomplete without the other.

But for most of us, our battles are hardly against opposite humans. Mostly we fight situations and some other times the demons within us. Normally we do not choose the situations ourselves but we always choose to fight or not. So, the next time you face a challenge where you think you will fail, just remember that life has thrown a worthy opponent at you.

A worthy opponent will transform you and make you a better warrior in the battles of life, whether you win or lose.


Sunday, January 23, 2022

Be a Stepping Stone

In January 2022, 2 things happened which really made me happy. 

One my juniors in Office, who I know since 2014 and has been working under me since then got promoted to a higher grade. For the promotion, he had to qualify a written examination and a personal interview. It was his third attempt and probably his last. He had narrowly missed being qualified for the exam in all the two times. I knew he had potential and was a sincere guy. We were constantly working together for the examination. But somehow he used to fail. In 2020, when he did not qualify for the written part of the examination, he was so demotivated and depressed that he did not have the courage to talk to me or face me. On a December morning that year, we had met in the park near our quarters and I had advised him not to lose hope and try again with an sense of purpose / mission. ('Junoon" is the hindi word we had used). In 2021 he got selected. He visited my house on 16th January and profusely thanked me for the small contribution I had made.

In the second incident, when I was in the Learning and Development Center of the refinery, one 22 year old came and greeted me by touching my feet. I was surprised to see him since he was a trainee few years ago under me doing his 1 year industrial training. He had succeeded his examination and was joining our corporation.

2 other person I know, always wish me on teachers day, every year since 2014. Both are working, one in Infosys and other in some government NGO. During 2013, I had taught them Physics, for helping them prepare for JEE. 

To be true, my contribution in all the above stories are minuscule as compared to the effort they have put. We all have persons in our lives, who help us climb the ladder of success. Some are with us throughout our lives and some are with us for a brief periods. They can be any one, your parents, teachers, siblings, relatives or friends. Sometimes you do not even know that they have helped. 

It is a great feeling to have helped someone achieve their potential or dream. Be that person. Start with your children & relatives and help them achieve excellence. Be a mentor. If you have a mentor, then also try to succeed in life since it will definitely make them happy.

The day my junior thanked me for his success, it made me immensely proud and happy, more than when I get promoted. The feeling is priceless. Another priceless feeling is when your mentors are proud of your achievement. One day in March 2020, one of my Primary school teacher I met in a function introduced me to her colleagues as a highlight of her teaching career. That compliment, till today, is the best complement of my life.

Always be a mentor and a mentee, because life is a process of learning and try to be the best version of yourself.

*****


Thursday, January 13, 2022

Life is a Voyage

 














One day you will leave, safety of the harbor;
Into the ocean of unknowns and the knowns,
Waves of despair will come and go,
Tides of sorrow will be high and low.

But beyond the horizon it is a beautiful world,
Let your hopes keep the doors ajar.
Enjoy the sail along the way,
Even if you are cast away.

Life is not the ports you dock,
Nor it is the seas you cross,
Captain your ship in life's voyage,
Journey is what matters for us.

As you move ahead in life 
Keep in mind what you leave behind
When you face, troubled water;
Be calm Be patient & drop the anchor. 

Be like water, or a star
Guide fellow travelers, near & far.
Share your joys & spread the smiles
All around you and all the while.

*****
Happy 2nd Birthday Misha
Maa, Bapa
13-January-2022

Monday, April 12, 2021

How did I become a Chemical Engineer ?

I have never resisted life, as it happened to me. Like a fluid takes the path of least resistance, my life has almost always taken the path of least resistance. I studied
in 3 schools in 1st 10 years (from Class-1 to 10) of my academic life, and by default these schools were chosen based on their proximity to my house. Although there was an entrance examination for Class-VI in our school, it was a certainty that I would crack it. Getting admission to a government college for 10+2 in the town where I lived was also certain based on my 10th mark and other available options were not even considered. 

First serious time for decision making in academics came during the choice of subjects, whether to take Biology or Statistics along with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, when I was joining 10th+2. It was based on what I wanted to became. If I wanted to became a doctor then Biology is a must and if engineer then it is ideal if I take Statistics along with PCM. Like every middle class family I had only two choices, either doctor or engineer. Deep down I knew I wanted to be an Engineer. To be specific a Computer Engineer because that is what I used to hear / read in papers. It is a different fact that till that point of time I had touched a computer only once in our school when I got a chance to type my name. Some how computers looked cool to me and I wanted to have a good time with one. But my father wanted to see his son as a doctor. So Biology was my 4th Optional i.e the subject with least priority.

But the decision of not becoming an doctor was a gradual one, which developed over a period of time since childhood. In earlier times, there used to be vaccination program in school where every children were given vaccines. The vaccines used to be very painful and many of the children caught fever. During one such vaccination drive, I could not walk up to home after vaccination and vomited in between. From that day there was a fear for needles and syringes. This fear gradually became stronger over a period of time and every time I took and injections. On next vaccination drive, somehow went home but was brought back. Any time, I visited a hospital, the smell of the disinfectant would drive me nuts. Whenever visited a doctor I would pray that he prescribe a medicine instead of an injection. But final nail on the coffins of a being a doctor was an incident which happened in 1999.

In the summer of 1999, we visited to see an ailing grandmother of a friend While administering saline through veins, there was a small trickle of blood and I do not know why but I fainted at the spot looking at the trickle of blood. The doctor, instead of attending the grandmother, started to attend me. That day a small needle attached to a plastic tube declared that I wont be a medical doctor anymore (I still have a dream of earning a PhD, for Dr. title).

Fast forward to 3 years. In July 2002, I had to make another career choice. Which branch to choose during counselling? By this time, I came to knew that there are other branches of engineering apart from Computer one. My rank in the entrance examination was not that good to have a choice in selecting branches in NITs. One of my fathers senior colleague while visiting our home advised that I should study chemical engineering and joined ONGC. He gave his brothers example, who was working in Assam. [ Later I came to know his brother was working in Indian Oil, Guwahati Refinery, not ONGC]. One of my Professor had advised to joined NIT, irrespective of branch. So, one thing was sure that I wanted to study in a NIT and I expected that I would get a seat among Comp Sc, Electrical, Electronics and Instrumentation and Mechanical. 

During counselling, NIT Rourkela Mechanical seat filled up in by the the rank 110 or 120. Next choice was to go to an NIT out side state. There was no seat left for other top NITs like Trichy, Surtakal. NIT Bhopal had only one seat left in Mechnical and was secretly hoping to get it. But the guy with the rank 137 (mine was 143 in State JEE) also thought the same and picked up the seat. I was devastated. Now I had to go to NIT Surat where I was getting almost all branches. So when my turn came to go to the dais for giving my choice I had already decided to go with Surat. Just before I wanted to lock Surat, my father dropped a bomb. He said, "Your mother want you to study inside Odisha". For that condition to be satisfied, I had two options, either study Chemical Engineering in NIT Rourkela or Comp Science in UCE Burla (presently known as VSSUT) or CET, Bhubaneswar. Among Physics, Maths and Chemistry I hated Chemistry. I thought that Chemical engineering will be full of organic and inorganic chemistry and I can not read those shit again for 4 years. But then I had to lose NIT seat also. In this dillemma I spent almost 5-10 minutes on the dais and finally, very reluctantly, I choose Chemical Engineering. I was so frustrated that I remained gloomy for next 3-4 days. 

After I joined NIT, there was a ray of home. If I perform well in 1st semester, I could change the branch. One of my school senior, was also a senior in NIT had done that when he topped Chemical Engineering in his 1st Semester. So my next target was to earn Rank-1 or 2 in the department. When the results were declared, I was placed 5th or 6th in the Department. Top 2 students changed their branch and thus I became a Chemical Engineer.

3 years later in 2005, I again had a chance to switch field from Chemical Engineering to IT field. But things had changed by that time. I had a fair idea that, chemical engineering can be studied without a big knowledge of Chemistry. There are fields in Chemical Engineering which do not require deep understanding of Chemistry. More over the visit to Damanjodi and Guwahati in summer training, had somehow inspired me to join a core chemical engineering company.

Hence during the placements in July 2005, I decided not to appear for IT companies. That was big decision then. But on hindsight it was Nash Equilibrium in practice. I wanted non IT job and my friends wanted IT jobs. So by choosing to do what is best for our own interest, we were doing overall good for the group by avoiding competition with each other. After I got placed in Indian Oil, I permanently became a chemical engineer. The advise by my fathers senior colleague turned out to be prophetic.



Memories of Paradip

It has almost been 11 years (10 years 10 months to be exact as on date) since I joined Paradip Refinery in 2013. The journey has been long, ...