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Transcript

00:00Welcome to ET Vibharat. I am Siddharth and today we have with us Dr. Madhavi Latha,

00:05one of India's leading geotechnical engineers and a professor at Indian

00:09Institute of Science. Namaste ma'am. Namaste Siddharth. You are not known only for one

00:16historic thing but two. One is that you are the first female professor

00:25in civil engineering at Indian Institute of Science and you worked on the

00:29world's highest bridge or railway bridge. What are your thoughts on that and how

00:34do you feel about having done this? Okay the first one what you said I am the

00:41first female faculty in the department of civil engineering IAAC. I think someone

00:46has to come and I have come so that's how it happened but the second thing what

00:51you talked about the world's highest railway bridge and I am one of the

00:55engineers who designed and part of the construction and completion of

00:59this bridge this brings a lot of pride to me I feel I feel great about it.

01:04Coming from Andhra Pradesh normally people turn towards engineering but then what

01:11made you turn towards civil engineering as such because you know we are we have a

01:16lot of stereotypes about it especially about women entering the hard

01:20engineering fields you know so what made you turn towards it what was your what was

01:26a process like especially from at home and later taking those decisions.

01:32Okay to be very honest I never wanted to be an engineer I wanted to be a doctor and taking

01:37engineering was because of situations at home and especially the financial status of my family.

01:45So, they thought that engineering is a better profession than medical profession because we can settle down in

01:52life quickly and we start earning whereas, medical profession needs lot of financial support for

01:57building a clinic or to continuing in this profession for a long time to complete the studies.

02:03So, that is how I entered engineering but once I entered engineering civil engineering was also not my

02:08choice because I got seat in other branches as well.

02:12But since I did not get in electronics civil engineering was my second choice that is how I entered civil engineering.

02:19There are a lot of stereotypes and who will say that women have to go into this field that field,

02:25but personally I do not think any of this kind of things exist that women have to do only these things.

02:31For me I treat myself as equal to any man in the world.

02:35So, I do not think being a woman should decide your career path.

02:40I think it is your passion that should drive you towards a specific profession.

02:45So, civil engineering chose you or you chose civil engineering?

02:48Maybe both.

02:49Maybe both.

02:50I chose civil engineering when civil engineering came in my way.

02:54Again, sort of reiterating my previous question in a slightly different way maybe.

02:58Because there are more barriers for women when it comes to mechanical engineering or civil engineering

03:05which are considered as the hard ones compared to and there is more of physicality involved

03:11in these avenues.

03:14Did you face, what are the barriers that you faced as such or did you actually face any barriers

03:19because of your gender?

03:21No, I did not face any barriers because of my gender.

03:24There is physical work in this profession particularly when you work on field, I do not deny that.

03:31But I think we are capable of handling it when women can go into space and live for months

03:36and years beating all men.

03:39I do not think civil engineering is a big thing that people should be scared about.

03:45I would say that this is like any other profession, but if you are looking for a job inside an office

03:50sitting 9 to 5 in front of your computer, this is not for you.

03:54If you are passionate about nation building, I think this is for you.

03:57You said two interesting things.

03:59One is about nation building and you used the word scary because that is the perception.

04:06Now when it comes to the bridge that you worked on, the China bridge, it has both.

04:11It has a scary element towards it considering its location in the geopolitical context and with

04:18other issues and its altitude and all.

04:22And you are also known for a design as you go approach.

04:28How did this come together?

04:30How was the process like was a design as you go approach needed in this context?

04:35Design as you go approach is needed in any infrastructural project which is like very, very big and takes

04:42long time because things change with time because rocks also change with time.

04:47They undergo process through which their properties would not remain the same over the years.

04:52And also when you are talking about projects which are like built on natural slopes like China

04:57in a bridge, you need to adopt design as you go.

05:02It is not like my approach that we have adopted.

05:06It is the approach adopted in globally in many civil engineering projects, but in rarely.

05:11And this approach was it has come together through the Indian railways and the construction

05:17companies and the designers like me.

05:19So, we all worked on this evolution of the bridge into what it is standing today.

05:25When it comes to evolution and design in engineering, you see things are evolving technologically

05:32we are evolving at a different, at a geometric pace probably today more than ever.

05:37How do you feel sustainability, safety and environmental concerns also have to come into engineering and

05:45design?

05:46See, I am the chair of sustainable technologies of IAAC.

05:48So I definitely know what sustainability means.

05:52Many people said that in Chinab railway bridge construction you have used so much of cement

05:58concrete which is not a sustainable material, but to all of them I would like to tell that

06:03sustainability is not about just the materials, it is about the entire environmental impact

06:09and the life cycle.

06:10For example, the Chinab railway bridge was the only lifeline to the entire Jammu region when

06:17floods happened recently.

06:18All roads were closed and this was the only line through which the government has transported

06:23flood material and flood victims to the upper regions.

06:27And also when millions of tons of apples are getting rotten, this was the only line through

06:32which the government could transport the apples from Anantanag and Madgav districts to Delhi

06:38through apple express trains.

06:41I would call this is sustainability and initially when the project started many people in that

06:47region opposed.

06:48There is something going to happen in this region and our slopes are affected, our hills

06:53are affected, there is going to be kind of civil engineering construction.

06:57But I recently met many of the social influencers in a conference in Goa, where these people have

07:03come and told me that ma'am during this floods we realized why we need this bridge.

07:08We all are so proud of you and we are thankful to you for being a part of this bridge.

07:12So, I can see that keeping people happy without affecting their ecosystem is what sustainability

07:19means I think we achieved through our Chinab Railway Bridge project.

07:22So, its sustainability according to you has more dimensions to it than just a unidimensional

07:27Yes.

07:28Whether it is a material or whether it is an emission or.

07:30Yes, it is there is a river flowing between two hills and we have built this huge bridge,

07:35but we have not disturbed the course of the river or we have not silted the river.

07:39Enough care is taken for all these environmental aspects to keep the terrain as natural as it

07:46was in the beginning.

07:48So, I would say that no rules of sustainability are broken and moreover with time the kind

07:54of benefits it is giving.

07:56The time between Jammu and Srinagar the travel time is reduced by 50 percent which means that

08:02we are saving so much of emission on these roads of Jammu and Kashmir.

08:06That is sustainability.

08:07So, by reducing the travel time, you are cutting down fuel consumption and you are kicking off

08:13a whole ecosystem about it.

08:14Yes.

08:15When you talk about engineering and sustainability and essentially STEM fields, again there is

08:20the whole gender aspect that no matter how hard we try not to bring in our.

08:26In the 21st century, it is more relevant and you have been the recipient of the top 75 women

08:36in STEM in India award.

08:37What is your take on women in STEM from a breaking gender barriers sort of a point of view?

08:45Because there is still the glass ceiling.

08:47You also, you still see a wage gap in certain countries and in certain industries especially

08:53in STEM and there is also, as I said, a glass ceiling where the perception is that women

09:00cannot break it beyond a certain point.

09:02So as somebody who has been involved in a monumental project like this at a very influential level,

09:09what do you have to say about it?

09:10Very relevant point.

09:12I would not say that we do not have gender bias in our system.

09:15There is definitely this barrier and this glass ceiling what you are talking about.

09:19But I would say that the change should come from every point of view, like women also

09:26should feel fearless in pursuing these professional trajectories.

09:31And also the industry has to understand the value of women in these fields.

09:35For example, women can deliver end to end, I have seen many men dropping out in taking

09:41the responsibilities.

09:43And I would definitely not just being a woman, I do not have that bias, but I have seen many

09:48women stay strong, when they are like passionate about something, they go till end to tell you

09:54about that.

09:55I think this will be realized by industry when women can break the barriers and show their

10:00strength.

10:01It should come from both ways, women also have to be fearless and industry also should recognize

10:06the merits of women in these fields.

10:08And then I think the path will be easier.

10:11It is changing definitely changing you can see lot of women CEOs these days, lot of women

10:16in very important fields, you can see me.

10:19So, I think it is, there are few case studies as of now, going forward we will see many.

10:25That's my take.

10:26How do you think it can be, like what can a woman say who is married off at the age of 15,

10:3416 after 10th or enter which is, which happens.

10:37Yes.

10:38What do you think she can do or what, what do you think are pathways in today's India,

10:44in today's.

10:45Yeah, that's a very, very pathetic situation because I have been in a situation where I

10:50would have got married at an age of 13, 14 because I came from a village and a rural setting,

10:56small background and people were, the only aim was like getting the girl married because

11:02that's one responsibility you have to get rid of.

11:05This still is a thing in many villages in India, I am very, very sad about it.

11:10I do not know like how to tell them that be fearless, do this, do that, because they

11:16do not know, they do not have the educational background.

11:19The only way I can see is the government should give them the kind of support or education

11:26that is needed.

11:27There is so much is being done already, but I think this gap is still there.

11:33I have no idea how to break this, you know, even in my village, I see that girls getting

11:40married at a very engaged, whereas boys are sent to different countries for education and

11:44things like that.

11:45For example, now when my life story is published in many newspapers, many parents have written

11:51to me, now I will make my girls study, now I will make them study civil engineering all

11:55that, I think many such life stories have to come into picture where parents are inspired,

12:01seeing that this is how a girl also can be equal to a boy if not more than that.

12:08So, I think that should come from the parents and the system should support and publicize

12:14this that these are the opportunities.

12:16Beyond that, I think I am also like you feeling compassionate about what is happening in villages

12:22and the poor girls who are getting married at a very young age and spending their whole

12:26life in doing this daily chores of helping the family, helping the kids and husband.

12:34So, this sort of a journey earned you a doctorate and then earned you a professorship and then earned

12:44you opportunities where you could get yourself involved in projects like the China Bridge apart from

12:50winning you many awards including the Ramoji Excellence Award.

12:55What are your thoughts on this and what do you have to say to young women who are aspiring

12:59to be scientists or that young girl who looks at a scientist on TV and dreams to be that?

13:05Yeah, I think dreaming big is very important and at the same time you should understand your

13:11limitations.

13:13Everyone cannot do everything.

13:14So, you need to find your corner of the sky where you can fly high.

13:19This is what I believe in your life is not defined when you are born.

13:23For example, when I look at how I was as an young girl and how I am today, I would not

13:28have dreamt about like where I stand today.

13:30I had definitely a dream that I would fly high and I would be a big person.

13:35This dream was always there in heart and there is a passion to achieve the dream.

13:39My path was not defined.

13:40I evolved over the time and I grabbed the opportunities that came in my way I would say.

13:46I was never like say no to thing which I know I am sure that this will bring something to

13:53me personal satisfaction or glory or professional recognition.

13:57I never backed off from that kind of a opportunity.

14:00So, opportunities do come in everyone's life.

14:04So, be fearless when you have an opportunity, try to take this forward about awards, recognitions

14:11they follow.

14:12You do not like if I did not ask anyone to give an award actually, everything just fell

14:17in place because I reached that stage.

14:20And the journey from the young girl to this, I think that was very hard and I did well.

14:25I would think today that all the awards, what I am getting today are like for the whole hard

14:32work not just the Chinab Railway Bridge because I studied in Telugu medium till twelfth class.

14:38So when I joined my engineering, I was not even able to talk freely with people because

14:43I was very, you know, shy and I was, everything is taught in English, it was a big, big difficulty

14:49for me.

14:51But then I decided that I am going to conquer the world.

14:54And then I trained myself in a way that today I can sit in any forum and talk about me.

14:59So I think if I can do it, any girl can do it.

15:03Only thing is their family conditions and the opportunities when they come, they just have

15:08to grab it and they have to be, they have to be consistent.

15:13Never give up, never give up, never settle for anything less than what you deserve.

15:18This is my message to all girls who have come from a smaller background like me.

15:22That's actually a very powerful thing that you said ma'am.

15:24In fact, it made me feel something because you said, never settle for anything less than

15:32what you deserve.

15:34And that viewers was Dr. Madhavi Lata and her journey of grit and determination with consistent

15:43efforts throughout.

15:44This is Siddharth signing off for ETV Bharat.

15:46This is Siddharth signing off for ETV Bharat.

डॉ. माधवी लता को रामोजी एक्सीलेंस अवार्ड, जानें- कैसे दुनिया का सबसे ऊंचा चिनाब पुल बनाने का मिला मौका

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