Celebrating Women Power
Published on : Thursday 04-03-2021
Complacency breeds carelessness and invites trouble.
After going through a harsh lockdown that witnessed much disruption of civic life and the economy, just as things had started to improve, cases of Covid-19 are surging again in a few States. The fact that there are reports of new strains making appearance among these cases is a cause for concern. As the government has systematically gone ahead with the opening of business activities with progressive relaxation in lockdown conditions, it is the duty of the citizens not to drop guard and observe the basic precautions of wearing a proper mask and following the hygiene protocol. People at large could do well staying away from crowds – public gatherings or private functions – the ideal hotspots for contracting the virus. With more and more groups of citizens now becoming eligible for the vaccine, a little more of patience and precautions is the need of the hour.
The Cover Story this month examines the relevance of Fluid Power in face of the growing clout and convenience of electrical actuation finding favour where traditionally hydraulics and pneumatics were the first choice. We have an eminent panel of experts debating the issue and the consensus is Fluid Power is not only very much relevant today, but is also in step with the recent trends in automation in the IIoT era.
In recent weeks, newspaper headlines were abuzz and the social media was celebrating the success of Manya Singh, the daughter of a rickshaw driver, who beat circumstances and the odds to emerge a Runner-Up in the Miss India pageant. Prior to that, there were similar stories of women from mofussil towns and subaltern classes emerging successful in various competitive exams and professional courses, often outshining their male peers. The Indian woman has long come out of the home and hearth, both in urban and rural settings, to become a breadwinner for the family. But today, she is no longer satisfied with routine the desk bound job and is storming what was traditionally considered the male bastion – the world of engineering and the rough and tumble of field work. SAIL – a Maharatna PSU – is headed by a woman. Across the corporate world, several women are today in senior executive positions, waiting in the wings for entry to the centre stage. Many are also taking to entrepreneurship.
This edition of Industrial Automation celebrates the success of women in the technology arena, talking about their experience on the eve of the International Women’s Day celebrated universally on March 8. What is remarkable about the stories that come through these interactions is the confidence, grit and determination shown by women in accepting challenges and breaking barriers.
