Dr. S Sudhakara Reddy emphasizes on establishing a healthy relation with the students in this interview.

Kindly tell us about your experience in the education industry and what makes it the best industry to work in?

I have 30 years of experience in the education industry as a Teacher and as a Principal. I started my career as Assistant Professor and was elevated to the position of Principal because of the contributions made by me to develop various institutions in which I worked. As a teacher, I shared my knowledge and groomed students to face the challenges that they are likely to come across in the future. As a Principal, I tried my best to provide the resources that are important for students and teachers. Undoubtedly, the education industry is the best industry as we have to mold the students who come from different background. We need to train the students on their requirements and the requirements of the industries. It is a challenging task for us.

Any of the significant challenges you faced as the principal of Malla Reddy Engineering College.

When I joined Malla Reddy Engineering College, this institute had partial autonomous status by JNTU, Hyderabad. I decided to achieve permanent autonomous status by UGC and I did succeed in this. Next challenge was to get re-accreditation by NBA and NAAC which we successfully achieved. Next one is to increase the number of placements for the students in best industries. We have almost succeeded in this case. The biggest challenge faced was during demonetization period. Students faced a lot of problems in paying tuition fee and examination fee as there were restrictions on withdrawal of money. I immediately purchased a software which helped the students to pay their fee through online.

How does your curriculum ensure best practices of the industry?

As our institute got autonomous status by UGC, we have complete freedom to frame our own curriculum and syllabus. We have Board of Studies for every subject. This board consists of subject experts from reputed universities and from industries. These people along with the internal faculty the curriculum that best suits the requirements of the industry. Best practices are

1. Institute–industry interaction

2. Industrial tours

3. Guest lectures by eminent persons from various industries, etc.

What goals do you have in your mind for Malla Reddy Engineering College?

• To make this institute as the best institute in Telangana state and one of the top 50 institutes in India.
• To get 100% placements for our students.
• To make this institute as R&D center.
• To get Deemed University status.

You pride yourself on the level of education and responsibility you teach here to students. How do you ensure the quality of education in your institution?

Propose an increased focus on a real student-centered culture.  The five-pillar educational transformational model of values, trust, courage, connection and openness brings success for students.  It encourages students' deep-learning, creative thinking and the students' confident view of becoming engineers.  Less focus on a “weeding-out” culture, and more on coaching and mentoring for student success and enjoyable learning experiences improve their standards. As a result, students feel they are empowered and inspired in their academic/career paths as future engineers.

How do you build a positive school culture or climate?

A positive school climate is one where individuals feel valued, cared for and respected. Such an atmosphere contributes to effective teaching and learning and to genuine communication, both within and outside the school.

• Building effective communication within the institute
• Catering for individual needs
• Creating a health-promoting physical environment
• Developing democratic processes
• Enhancing self-esteem
• Developing appropriate communication between students and teachers

How do you tend to establish a relation with the students?

We all want to feel cared for and valued by the significant people in our world. Students are no different.  It makes sense that developing positive teacher-student relations is one of the most effective steps one can take to establish a positive discipline climate in the classroom/institute. It's critical to remember that when you treat students with respect, they tend to appreciate and like you. The following strategies are applied to establish a relation with the students:

• Communicating Positive Expectations
• Call on all Students Equitability
• Tell Students They Have the Ability to Do Well
• Correcting Students in a Constructive Way

How do you look at the growth of students through placement opportunities available at Malla Reddy Engineering College? How do you wish to push the envelope further?

I am extremely happy about the growth of students through placement opportunities. There is a rapid growth in the placement opportunities over a period of five years. When compared to last five years, the growth rate has increased by 60-70 percent. We regularly conduct Campus Recruitment Test classes for our students. They are required inputs in Aptitude, Group Discussion, Communication Skills and tips to face personal interview, etc.

What is your philosophy of leadership? How would you describe your leadership style?

The leader should be the Torchbearer. At MREC(A), we believe in Teamwork. Teamwork reduces the workload and increases the efficiency.

Any suggestions you would like to give to the current youth and the inspiring students?

• Utilize the resources available
• Must follow the developments that are taking place in the technology
• Update their Technical Skills
• Must work seriously on the project
• Enhance Computing Skills and Communication Skills