Vivek Kumar Dhaka

“I highly appreciate the noble gesture of European Union in giving financial aid and
opportunity for advanced studies at their centres of excellence, to some of the aspiring
professionals from the developing world. As one of the beneficiaries,
I got a scholarship from European Union for Master of Earthquake Engineering under
Erasmus Mundus Masters Programme. The scholarship was sufficient to cover my tuition and
living expenses during my one year stay in Europe. I got very valuable knowledge which I
implement in my current work in my home country”
Vivek Kumar Dhaka, India, Master’s in Earthquake Engineering and Engineering Seismology
(MEEES) graduate
A top engineer from India
Vivek is a 40-year-old civil engineer, living and working in New Delhi, in India. He obtained a bachelor's degree in Civil
Engineering in 1990 from Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences in India. After graduation he started practising as a civil design
engineer in New Delhi. Two years later, he received a government grant to study for a Master of Civil Engineering degree with a
specialization in structural engineering at the University of Roorkee in India. Vivek resigned from his then job in order to pursue his
studies but after completing his degree, he resumed his work as a civil design engineer, being hired by various prestigious consultancy
organisations in India. During this period, Vivek designed major structures such as multi-storey buildings, bridges, dams and
powerhouses. In the meantime, he also completed a Master of Business Administration degree at evening classes at Indira Gandhi
National Open University in New Delhi, graduating in 1998. He has spent the last ten years of his professional career working in the
hydropower sector. As a design engineer he has been responsible for hydraulic and structural designs for hydropower plant facilities
such as dams, spillways, tunnels, penstocks, powerhouses, control rooms and switchyards. Then, in 2005, he obtained a European
Union scholarship to study for MEEES degree under the Erasmus Mundus Masters Programme. Again, he resigned from his job and
proceeded with his one-year study programme in Europe. To sum up, Vivek has a bachelor's degree and three master's degrees plus
rich technical and managerial experience gained in sixteen years of working for leading civil engineering companies in India. His current
position with AF Colenco Ltd, a Swiss-based company, gives him great satisfaction and excellent remuneration.
Photo: Vivek in the office
Vivek's career is an excellent example of lifelong learning plus a constant drive for professional development achieved by
combining training with professional practice. In his career he has aimed to continually improve his employability by regularly updating
and expanding his skills and competencies. He enjoys a happy family life with his wife and two children and his parents. His childhood
dream of becoming a successful engineer has come true.
One day during our stay in India, the team visited AF Colenco Ltd, where first we met Vivek’s boss, Mr Sri Prakash, who has
held the position of Director of the India and South Asia Region for the last 5 years. Mr Prakash is himself a civil engineer with a master's
degree from the Swiss Institute of Technology. His company's growth in the last 5 years provides an example of India’s emerging
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economy: “In India, we started our operations in January 2004 with a very small and modest setup. We were a few guys; we started with
a work of feasibility report for a private developer for hydro project. Now in 5 years, after changing office three times, we have moved to
this building. We have now more than forty people, serving more then ten clients. We operate in a very complex and challenging market
like India and in the middle of an economic crisis currently which has its own challenges and we are get-up ready to cope with that. We
will pass it through with flying colours, hopefully.”
Photo: Sri Prakash, Vivek’s boss at AF Colenco Ltd, India
The company operates in the field of sustainable development and, according to Mr Prakash, contributing to environmental
protection brings a lot of satisfaction to all its employees: “During the last five years we’ve been providing consultancy to our clients in the
area of hydropower, which is green energy, it is environment friendly. Apart from feasibility studies our services also include detail
design, project management, export services, electromechanical review. It’s quite environmental friendly line which attracts bright
professionals, because nowadays the awareness to improve the environment is growing. So we are contributing in a way to this aspect
which is quite important for our generation, as well as for future generations. And this is quite satisfying for our colleagues and for us
actually”.
Vivek works as part of an internationally-experienced team, consisting of foreigners and Indians who have come back to India
after time spent working abroad. Mr Prakash describes his staff as follows: “Our group consists of people coming from various parts of
the country, also people from Europe and South America. They all are working in this office. It’s quite an interesting group of people who
work in a team, as colleagues, towards the same goal: to do good work and have fun together. So that’s our motto more or less. Many of
our colleagues who worked abroad, who were there, they all are here, because we all share the same passion to be part of the
development of this country and to see it transforming. Thanks to exposure to new technologies, exposure abroad, now, by working in
this country we can contribute a lot to its development and share experiences which we gained abroad. We gather knowledge from our
colleagues in head office and in other offices and projects all over the world because we are working over there and they are also
coming to work here. So it’s the win-win situation actually.”
Photo: Vivek discussing construction plans with a colleague
Vivek explained to the team te wide range of his work on hydroelectric power generation projects. We also observed his daily
work in the office and viewed pictures and documentaries showing construction sites located in remote regions of India to get an idea of
the practical implementation of his desk work: “As workers, we provide all range of consultancy from concept to commissioning of any
hydroelectric power scheme. The concept is like this: first we go to the site, we identify suitable location for putting up the structures, then
we come back to the office and propose investigations to be carried out at site. Using the results of these investigations we plan specific
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structures which are required to be placed for that entire scheme, so that we can utilize the optimum discharge from the river, with
minimum environmental damage and generate electricity. My duty, as a senior project manager within the company, is that I’m
responsible for carrying out the structural analysis and design for all the structures which are supposed to be placed on the ground for
developing the project. We carry out these analyses, we calculate the forces which are going to develop - like the force of water in the
river - and accordingly we design those structures for stability and safety during the entire life of the project. We use computer software
for carrying out these analyses and we prepare construction drawings for structures and we issue them to the site to carry out the
construction. At site, we provide also project management and consultancy in order to assure that all the activities are at the quality
which have been set for the project and it can be finished in its anticipated time and budget. Thereafter the electricity is generated and
sold in the open market for getting revenues”.
Photos: On the construction site of a powerhouse. Building the Rangpo Dam. On the construction site of the Rongli Dam
Vivek finds his work full of challenges and responsibility: “Hydroelectric projects are mostly located in hilly areas and in India we
have very young Himalayas where we generally put up these hydroelectric power projects. These Himalayas are very prone to
earthquakes and that is a big challenge for an engineer to design a structure which is economic and safe. Hydroelectric projects are
strategically very important because they involve huge storage of water and of course a lot of investment of money. So any failure in
hydroelectric power project would be devastating. A lot of lives and property would be lost and we certainly cannot afford such type of
devastation. Accordingly we got to design a structure which is 100% safe for any earthquake which might appear in that region. So it is a
big challenge for an engineer to assess the magnitude of Maximum Credible Earthquake (MCE) anticipated in the project area, assess
the forces due to impact of such earthquake and then design an economic structures capable of withstanding such forces safely.”
Photos:From desk work to realisation at the construction site
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After getting acquainted with the complex and advanced field of Vivek’s work, the team heard an assessment of his
professional expertise and personality from the Director of AF Colenco Ltd: “Vivek is a very important colleague of ours, who joined
almost a year back and after his advance studies, master studies in Europe in earthquake engineering he returned back. We were
monitoring him in fact when he came back as we wanted to have him with us as a colleague. We are glad to have him with us. Since he
joined us we gave him a very good responsibility of managing our important projects. Vivek is managing these projects quite well. He
has a very sweet personality which is not very common among people with so good education, and he has a good blend of those things.
He is quite sensitive to the needs of his colleagues, always very willing to help and to come forward. He has a very special knowledge in
terms of seismology and earthquake engineering and with him the company is now expanding into this field.”
Talents come back - the Indian reverse brain drain
For decades, India experienced the loss of the elite of its management and engineering talents. They were educated in good
state-run institutions funded with public money but then emigrated to Western countries due to the lack of suitable opportunities and
working conditions at home. Nowadays this brain-drain trend seems to be in reverse. The economic boom in India in recent years has
encouraged the growth of domestic industries and foreign investment. Good salaries and compensation packages are playing a major
role in bringing Indian professionals back to India. Moreover, a salary in India comparable to one earned abroad provides a much better
and higher standard of living. The returnees' experience of working internationally brings an added advantage to the companies, which in
turn offer them very good remuneration packages. Also, the returnees' personal reasons, such as wanting to educate their children in
India (where schooling is considered to be better) and wanting to give their children an Indian upbringing close to their grandparents, play
a role in their decisions to go back. The reverse brain drain is visible not only in the numbers of Indians returning to their home country,
but also in the fact that many foreigners are settling down in India looking for greater challenges in their professional lives and financial
prosperity.
Vivek may be considered as an example of brain gain for his country. He submitted his master's dissertation in August 2006
and after obtaining his degree he returned to New Delhi. At first he was employed at the New Delhi office of Halcrow Group, a UK-based
multinational company: “On coming back to my country after having a Masters degree from Europe, I was offered jobs from some of the
very good companies working for prestigious projects in India. I decided to join Halcrow and was offered an emolument which was
almost double the amount I had last drawn. Further I was made to work independently on some of the crucial structures within very good
projects – a dream of every engineer! So that was a good opening and opportunity for me. I was working at Halcrow with augmentation
for 1,5 year. Then I moved to my present organization - a Swiss company with their Head Office in Badden near Zurich in Switzerland
and we have a site office, project office in New Delhi”.
When solving engineering problems, Vivek uses the knowledge that he gained in Europe: “My exposure to techniques I
learned in Europe, helps me in designing economic structures without any compromise on safety – a ‘must’ for developing world. In
India, being prone to seismic events, it is an important aspect to be considered while designing structures. Moreover most of the
upcoming hydropower projects being in mountain ranges of very young Himalayas, where seismic consideration acquire more
significance. Owing to catastrophic effects on failure of any hydropower structure we cannot take any chance on the effect of most critical
seismic activity on the structure. My study at Master of Earthquake Engineering in Europe, had been a great opportunity to learn new
things. Now I feel that I am capable of designing economic structures with ample safety against earthquakes. The technical know-how
which I had gained in Europe has been quite useful and I can fruitfully apply the same in some of the on-going schemes in India”.
For Vivek, the reasons to return were obvious – his family in India missed him and needed him. His career development after
his Mundus studies was excellent both in terms of satisfaction, mental comfort and remuneration : “After doing my studies I did have
some opportunities for working in Europe, but since I had my family back in India I was more feeling comfortable to be there in my own
country so I decided to move back to India and continue practising as an engineer over here. After my studies in Europe there was a lot
of difference, a lot of personal changes in me and a lot of good opportunities were waiting for me over here in India. Before I left for my
studies in 2005, I was earning salary worth 60 000 Indian rupees that is about 1000 Euro a month, but when I came back in 2006, my
salary was two times as big the one which I was earning earlier, and presently in 2009 it has increased to more than three times the
amount. This is a reward for that part of knowledge I gained from Europe.”
Sri Prakash, Vivek’s boss at AF Colenco, is another example of brain gain for India – he previously studied and worked in
Switzerland. In the middle of the 1990s, when economic liberalization was just being initiated in India, there were not many opportunities
for engineers, so he worked on big projects in China and Indonesia: “I studied and then I worked in Switzerland also partly after finishing
the studies. There were opportunities to work abroad. At the time when India was already in the middle of the development phase. I
personally found it quite exciting to be part of this development, returning back and joining a group of professionals who are contributing
towards bringing the know-how which we gained while working abroad and contributing by this to good development of this country.”
Apart from this noble motive, there were also some reasons in his personal life that made him want to return: “Education of the children
and raising them up in our culture is also very important. It was the case of my son, who started school in the French region, then I
moved to another project, so he moved to a German school. I decided it would be better to bring him back, so that he could study in one
medium”. For Sri Prakash, his personal participation in the changes ongoing in India is both a challenge and a source of pride: “For good
engineers there are opportunities in Europe or USA, you know, developed countries. I personally find them a little bit boring because you
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don’t see much change happening there. You know, life is quite static for me there. Given the fact that we have the opportunities back
here. If we don’t have the opportunities back here, of course it is a question of survival - one goes there and works there. But now the
situation has changed. I think there is a lot of incentives for people to come back and work here, to work in their own country and to be
part of its development. I also wanted personally for my children to see those changes, because otherwise they would miss it. They
would not realize what this country, what our generations has gone through to bring it to the level that it is today. So that’s important. And
also it’s easy to say from outside: we should have done this like this and change things, but it’s important to be here in the middle of the
process and to feel it and then contribute in your own special way. So that you can see with pride that: ‘OK, I was there, I felt it, I endured
it and I’m a part of this change’. So that was a big driving force for us to come back. And I’m sure it was the same for Vivek”.
Photos: Vivek’s relative, Ajay Malik, IT Project Manager, IBM India
Today, India is a place with the capacity to absorb talent. The team got to hear of the case of Ajay Malik, an IT Project
Manager with IBM India and Vivek’s relative. He is another example of the recent massive repatriation of skilled Indian professionals.
His comments shed some light on the question of why India is not as badly affected by the brain drain now as it was in the past: “I
have done Master’s in computer science. I have worked with various multinational companies in India as well as outside India: I have
worked in the USA for around 2,5 years. Then I returned back and I’m working in India and I want crawl my career within India, because
I feel India is growing fast now, it’s an emerging market, and all the multinational companies are here. You name the company and it is
here. So now I don’t think that people from India need to look outside for better job opportunities because all these good job opportunities
are here in India itself. So I feel India is doing much better than if you look 10 years back: India was completely different, I would say, in
terms of infrastructure, but now if you’re looking today, all the big companies are here. You look in the metro cities: the infrastructure has
grown - buildings, electricity, water, all these basic facilities missing earlier, especially in the remote areas, are now there. More
sophisticated infrastructure is reaching remote areas in India, so that’s a good thing. So I believe India is on the right track.” Ajay Malik is
sure that his children will not have to emigrate in search of work and this will be good, not only for them, but for the country as well: “My
kids should study here, in India. And for further studies, if they want to go outside India I would be happy to assist them with that and I’ll
invest in them. But I would like them come back here in India and work here and help India to grow, be a developed country rather than
a developing country”.
Nowadays, the whole world is on the move, and this mobility is a source of change and innovation. That is why Vivek, when
asked about his future plans, does not exclude the possibility of going abroad for further training: “I will say that I’m very satisfied with this
profession. At present we have good development growth rate in India. And specifically this progress is promising for an engineer. I don’t
say that I will be here in India only, because I want to be exposed to new technologies and other advancement in the outside world also.
From inner of my heart, I want to stay here only, in India, but for short seminars, presentations, or short duration courses: say one month
course abroad, a training programme that I would definitely like to have in order to get a technical advancement, to get to know what is
going on in the world in my field.”
India - change and constancy
At the time of the Post-Mundus story contest in 2007, Vivek wrote in his intention letter with pride: “I am a citizen of a newly
emerging economy – the force called INDIA. You will appreciate the vast human and natural resources and the potential of growth
that we have. We are progressing (we expect a growth rate of 8 – 9 % for fifth consecutive year!) and struggling hard to catch up with
the developed world of the West”. When we visited him in 2009, India was being hit by the world financial crisis, but for us, New
Delhi, at least, seemed to be one, big construction site. New Delhi is indeed becoming a new city. The team members were
impressed by the hundreds of modern skyscrapers accommodating the corporate, regional and branch offices of top world
companies in New Delhi's peripheral business district, Gurgaon. Vivek showed us some outstanding marvels of engineering – the
metro rail network and the Signature Bridge. Delhi is a fascinating mix of the ancient and modern. Air-conditioned food courts,
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shopping malls and multiplexes stand side-by-side with monuments and buildings dating back several centuries. World heritage sites
like the Red Fort bear witness to the amazing engineering and construction skills of the past inhabitants of India.
Photos: Vivek with his wife, Alka visiting the Taj Mahal in Agra and the Amber Fort in Jaipur.
Marvels of Indian architecture – forts, palaces and temples
Like many other visitors, the team members saw the huge social gaps between the privileged, who have a high
quality of life and the excluded, who live on the streets and in the slum areas, which are gradually being replaced by
residential dwellings with flats for the poor, subsidized by the government. Although Delhi is considered an international
economic and cultural hub, thousands of sacred cows slowly cross the busy streets, oblivious to the modern world. Owing to
the religious beliefs of the residents and protests from animal rights activists, there is little the authorities can do to tackle the
menace of stray animals on the streets.
Photos: Shots of New Delhi’s streets
Tradition and religion play an important part in Indian life. Although they are enterprising and adventurous people, most
Indians are very much rooted in tradition. Amid the country's rapid development, the old spirit is finding new homes – the modern
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Bahai Lotus temple and the new Akshardham Hindu temple, constructed in accord with the ancient Vedic texts, attract crowds of
believers.
Photo: Alka, Vivek’s wife, at a temple during a trip to Jaipur
India is the scene of great cultural and social changes accompanying the economic development. Ajay Malik, husband of
the younger sister of Vivek’s wife, commented on these issues from the point of view of his personal experience: “My marriage was
an arranged marriage. But I don’t think that twenty years from now my kids will go for arranged marriage. I think that now not only
infrastructure, but social matters - mindsets of young Indians - are changing fast. And I believe my kids won’t ask me whom to marry.
They will just tell me: ‘Dad, she is my wife’. I’m pretty OK with that. The things are changing and I’m really happy about that.”
Photos: Vivek’s wedding - an arranged marriage with a traditional ceremony
Vivek took us to many construction sites in Delhi. The team observed both the sophisticated construction equipment being
used as well as people carrying bricks on trays balanced on their heads. At one of the construction sites we were shown around by
Priyank Mittal, an executive engineer at the Central Public Works Department in Delhi. He too told us of his great pride that India was
making great progress with the development process. Mr Mittal explained that they are in the process of catching up with the developed
nations, using the most advanceed technology in the construction work but not to the cost of the population: “In India we have very
recently started this infrastructure development work. It is just few years back only. We are moving forward both with men and machines.
India is a developing country with a vast resource of unskilled and semiskilled people who have to get a chance of working. We have
social commitments; we can not go for outright mechanization completely. We have to really strike a balance between men and
machines. Otherwise we would go for more mechanization in construction.” There are programs run by the government to develop
technical skills amongst slum dwellers so that they can earn a good enough living for a better life, and gradually merge with the
mainstream of society.
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Photo: Unskilled women working as construction workers
According to Vivek, India still needs scientific support from the outside world, as domestic funding for research and
development is not sufficient: “In spite of a lot of potential available within the country, we are not at a place where we should have been!
The reason is some of the inherent problems existing in our system – underutilization, corruption, inefficiency, overpopulation and other
problems associated with the developing world. One of the major disadvantages of the developing world is the underutilization of the
resources available. The main factor behind is the lack of technological advancement and scarcity of funds which need to be directed
towards research and development activities. A major portion of our GNP is diverted towards development of infrastructure facilities,
feeding our growing millions, on defense requirements - we are geographically and strategically placed in such a way that we cannot
ignore it! Ultimately we are left with very little funds for research and development activities. Though we are trying our best still a lot
needs to be done”.
Another thing that needs to be done is reducing the level of pollution in the city. Although the entire public transport network
has been converted to an eco-friendly, fuel-efficient Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) system, other vehicles generate harmful
emissions. There are a number of initiatives to make New Delhi more green and less polluted but Vivek still longs for the fresh air he
enjoyed in France: “Delhi is very densely populated, it is a big city with around 20 million people. We have a lot of traffics, a lot of diesel
and patrol vehicles which create pollution. That way Europe is much cleaner. It is less polluted, there was almost no pollution in the city
of Grenoble when I was there. My hostel was on a hill about two km from level ground and I usually used to enjoy my walk up there
rather than taking a bus for a ride. That was really nice experience for me to have those good environmental conditions, a clean and
green environment.”
Indian streets and roads are a meeting point of change and constancy. Together with a high capacity bus system, overhead
metro lines, and the latest cars from around the world, we saw old-style manually-pulled rickshaws, and elephants and camels joining
the regular traffic.
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Photos: Some of the various means of transport in Delhi and Jaipur – from motor vehicles and
elephants to people carrying things on their heads
Vivek in Europe
Our “Mundificent hero” stayed in Europe for one year. To complete his degree, he studied firstly, for the 2005/6 winter
semester, at Joseph Fourier University in Grenoble in France, and then, for the spring semester, continued at the ROSE School in Pavia
in Italy. We asked him to tell us freely about this period in his life. Vivek started describing his Mundus experience by recollecting how he
got to know about the EM scholarship and how difficult it was for him to make the decision to study in Europe: “In 2005 I was going
through a newspaper clipping and there was mentioned that the European Union was offering some scholarships for stunning student
candidates from developing countries for higher studies. And then I sited a broader details on the Internet where I got to know that there
are some universities which are jointly offering post graduates programmes for Master’s studies in Europe. It was a bit late for me
because I was already married and I was the only person earning money in my family. And it was a bit difficult to move on, to leave my
job and go for further studies but I took a hard decision and resigned from my then-job and moved to Europe for studies.”
Vivek highly appreciates the chance he was given to study in Europe where he gained highly relevant and up-to date
knowledge: “First few days we had orientation program, we were told about a course we were to do, then we had intellectual session
with our professors, and they asked us about our aspirations, about what we expect from this course. At the next session they explained
to us what they are going to teach us. That was intellectual teaching, there was no fixed school for the studies, they themselves created
the sequence of topics which they decided to teach us during the study. The program was practically orientated; this meant that what I
was taught has physical implication and we can directly use our studies for practical application to any project.” Vivek sees the
knowledge he gained in Europe as a big advantage in his work: “Studies at Earthquake Engineering for a Masters Degree were a great
opportunity to learn techniques for predicting forces which might occur during an earthquake and using that knowledge I can design
structures which would be safe for withstanding a high intensity earthquakes.”
Photos: Vivek presenting a paper at the 7th International ROSE School Seminar in Pavia, Italy in May 2007.
Vivek with his thesis supervisor and colleagues during a field trip to Sant’ Agata Fossili in the Piedmont Region in Northern Italy.
Vivek with other Indian students in front of the ROSE School building, and at a study table in a hall of residence at
Joseph Fourier University in Grenoble, France
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Vivek also values his exposure to different cultures, which he considers both an enjoyable and educational experience. “At
ROSE School in Pavia, I was one of the 36 students in the class with students from nineteen different countries. Living with them,
studying with them, interacting with them, eating with them, partying or playing soccer with them was a great experience. We used to
study together for the exam next day, even for the whole night, and then when exams were done we used to party again very wildly with
a lot of fun, dance, music, wine, good food. Living in such a vast group with different cultures inculcates the most important feelings –
sharing, cooperation, coexistence and mutual respect for different cultures. I feel now I am a more confident man with good interpersonal
skills. Now I feel I’m more mature to be a part of a team whose members are culturally very different from mine, I can adapt to different
cultures. That is something for my personal development I got during my stay over there.”
Photos: The farewell party in January 2006: the first intake of MEEES students with their professors at Joseph
Fourier University. Our hero with his French, Columbian, Italian and Chinese friends in Paris
Visiting India for the first time, we were filled with mixed feelings and impressions. Despite globalization it is still a
very different world. We imagined that Vivek must have felt similar when he came to Europe. We asked him to tell us what he
had found different and surprising, interesting, new and valuable in Europe.
In remembering his studies in Europe, Vivek said that the academic atmosphere in Europe differed from the one usually
found in India: “One striking difference which I found was that professors there were very young. Here in India professor means
something like a very serious, grey bearded man with a frown on the face and no fun at all. The one is supposed to be very studious
and no frequent in direction of students. But there it was quite different. We had full, all time access to our professors. We could
discuss, complain or even could argue (of course on technical issues) with professors. Apart from teaching session, my professors
used to party with us, we used to have wine and fun, even dance sometime in the late evening parties, hosted by university or by
students. This we can not even think of with our professors in India”
Photo: Vivek with Professor Fabrice Cotton, Coordinator of the MEEES Programme at the Joseph Fourier University
Moreover, he obviously mentioned his reactions to the change in climatic conditions on moving to Europe and his first
experiences with snow: “It was very chilling for me over there. Though there are certain cities in Northern India which experience heavy
snowfall and cold conditions, but here in Delhi the minimum temperature we expect is around 4°centigr ade and not below. But there in
Europe it was a breath-taking experience for me. First time in my life I have seen a snowfall over there in Grenoble and it was great fun.
We all students came out of our hostel rooms and had great fun with snow, made balls of snow and threw at each other. It was the
cherished moment of my life - it was the first snowfall I had seen. And then we had some hardships as well, because we were not
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accustomed to such a low temperature. Inside it was OK, the room and basin used to be heated but in the open it was a chilling
experience for us. We used to stand on the ground and start jumping, because of excessive cool.” Vivek’s family visited him twice. They
also experienced winter in Europe…
Photo: Vivek’s family in Grenoble – his children, Shailja and Vidit, and his wife, Alka
Afterwards, Vivek shared with us his interesting observations regarding the differences in mentalities between people in India
and Europe. The three main differences, according to Vivek, concerned attitudes towards rules and discipline, the maintenance of
cleanliness and courtesy towards strangers: “Another striking difference which I found among people in Europe as compared to India is
the sense of rules and the discipline in life they live over there. They have definitely very good sense for following the rules, they strictly
abide by traffic rules, social rules, municipal rules, while here in India we are a bit negligent of following the rules. Maybe we are not
trained accordingly. Once after my dinner I was walking through a city, it was very late hour and there was no traffic on the road. But on
the crossing it was showing red signal and a man on the motorbike came there and he stopped on the signal. There was no traffic either
on his way or crossroad. But he still waited for the light to be green and then he moved on. Here if I were in the situation, I definitely
would not have waited for the light to be green and jumped the signal. But it was not the case with him. Also while standing across the
road to cross it, I could see that even if it was green light for the motorist but he still stopped for me to cross the road. That was really
heartening experience for me, because here in India I find all arrogant drivers, even if there is a green light for the pedestrian, driver will
still try to make his way through the pedestrian’s zebra crossing to go his way. That is a striking difference. So this is sense of discipline
and for following the rules which is inculcated in the people over there. A next striking thing is the sense for maintaining cleanliness in
the surrounding over there as compared to what we have here in India. Here in India, the attitude is that maintaining cleanliness is the
job of municipal authorities: why should I bother myself with cleaning the surroundings and keeping it clean? This is for municipal
authorities - a municipal worker, who is paid for the purpose, will come and clean the garbage around me and I am not supposed to do
such petty tasks. But definitely that is not the case for Europe. They are themselves very conscious, maintain clean and healthy
environment around them. Another important thing is the human behaviour. Here in India, of course we are very courteous, we are
hospitable, we are polite, gentle, but these gestures from us are shown only to the persons known to us. However if it is a stranger we do
bother the least about him. But that is the striking difference in Europe. I was a stranger to the local residents over there. But I never
found any sort of arrogance towards me or any hatred towards me because of my colour, appearance or nationality. They were all very
polite, gentle, helping and very courteous. They have a smiling and well contented face with welcoming eyes, which is rarely seen on the
streets of New Delhi. During my stay in Europe for full one year I never found two people quarrelling on the street. Once I found a typical
accident in front of my eyes. Instead of running from the place of accident, the one who hit the other came out and gently helped other
passenger and they together called the police and all the services including medical aid arrived almost immediately. It was very different
from what usually happens after accidents in India. I like the courtesy among the Europeans over there, which we definitely lack here in
India. That is a striking difference. I really loved the attitude of Europeans. So after my stay there I found that change in myself. Now I try
to practice the same thing here in India. Here in India I try to be courteous but I don’t find many people who reciprocate. Though it is a bit
difficult but I still try to stick to the rules and follow the behavioural attitude I had learned in Europe. And that is something good I learned
from there and I try to inculcate the same habit in my kids and my friends.”
Six days with an Indian family
The name 'Delhi' means 'city of large-hearted people'. Indeed Vivek's family offered us great hospitality, care and friendship.
They accommodated us in their house, giving us the chance to observe around the clock the life of an Indian family. We got to know
Vivek privately and we were able to get a picture of his daily activities from his everyday morning practices of yoga and praying to his
evenings spent watching TV with his family. We ate traditional, vegetarian dishes at the dinner table with the rest of the family. By
sharing these meals, we could feel the atmosphere of love and respect in Vivek’s family.
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Photos: Vivek’s morning prayers and yoga exercises
The role of Vivek’s wife, Alka, is that of housewife, running the household and looking after their 11-year-old daughter, Shailja,
and their 9-year-old son, Vidit. Vivek, meanwhile, takes care of his dependent parents - his retired father and his mother, who had also
been a housewife.
Photo: Vivek’s mother buying vegetables
Vivek's family is very traditional in terms of roles. The place of women is valued but not advertised. At the entrance to their
house, there is a notice announcing that the people living there are Vivek’s father, Vivek and his son Vidit, with no mention of the women.
Photos: The Dhaka’s house
Vivek’s parents are very much attached to the traditional lifestyle. Vivek and Alka follow their practices, showing, for example
by the way they dress, their respect and love for his parents. The children attend an English Middle School where Sanskrit is also one of
the languages taught. They learn this classical language of India and get to know its rich tradition.
The team asked Vivek’s daughter, Shailja, to recollect how she felt when her father was far away in Europe: “When he went
abroad for his higher studies we all felt very miserable and lonely because we were used to spend time with him and have a lot of fun
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and had outings at the weekend. He was very much conscious about our studies and we suffered much when he went abroad. I love my
father very much. He works here in the office, when he comes home he teaches me mathematics and science. He takes special care of
my exams and he also helps me in my projects. At weekends we go out for outings and he plays with us.”
Photos: The education of the children is a main concern in Vivek’s family
Vivek thinks a lot about his children’s further education. Perhaps they will also go abroad for higher studies: “My kids are
growing, I love watching them grow. It is a good family life I’m enjoying; I think I’m happy over here. I wish, like me, my son, my daughter
also have a high level of education and one day they go to some of the best universities in a developed country for their studies, and
they have a bright future and it is up to them. If they wish to continue to stay there - fine. Otherwise I would like them to be back like me in
India. Live in mother country, enjoy the family life and that’s it.”
Vivek’ father, Mahavir Singh Dhaka, is originally from a village located 50 kilometres from New Delhi, where his parents lived.
He told us how he had moved from the village to Delhi in 1964 in search of a job. From that period until 1999 he worked firstly as a
teacher in a senior secondary school, and then as a school headmaster: “I was pleased as a teacher. I continued to work sincerely,
honestly, and the government awarded me for that with a State Award in 1990”. Now, after retirement, he is still active in voluntary work,
as a social worker who takes interest in green and cleanness. He feels active and needed: “I’m called successfully in my mission, and I
was awarded 25 000 rupees by the government for my social work”. He explained to us that the municipal services were a little bit
“lethargic” and that his work was to lobby them about things that needed to be cleaned or repaired in the district in which he lives. He
lives a very happy family life, full of peace and satisfaction: “I think my family is a very happy one. I’m very pleased to be with the
members of my family. My children are well educated, my grandchildren are studying in a good school. At present, the standard of the
family is very different from that which we had as farmers when we lived in the village. Here in Delhi we constructed a house and we
remained in that house till 2006, then we demolished that house because the building was very old and we constructed a new one. As I
already said, we are a very happy family because we live together. The concept of a family here in India is: children, their parents, and
grandchildren – all living together under one roof. Perhaps this is different from the Western world.” The team watched Mahavir Singh
Dhaka in his free time, taking care of his plants or going to a nearby park to practice yoga for seniors.
Photos: Mahavir Singh Dhaka, Vivek’s father
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Mr. Dhaka is very proud of his son’s achievements: the European Union scholarship that he won and the high professional
position that he enjoys: “My son got a grant from the European Commission to study in European countries and now he is very pleased
in the Swiss company. He is an expert in hydropower. He is very much respected in his office and in his neighbourhood. I hope he will
succeed as a great man. I’m very proud of my son. When he was selected for this course there were just four students from India: one
from Delhi - my son, the other one from Jaipur and two students from Kolkata. So this was a very much a pride for us.”
We asked Mr Dhaka to talk about the time of his son's Mundus studies. He remembers that time as follows: “At present, when
you people came here we are very happy. But when my son remained there, we missed him very much. His children, his wife, his
mother experienced very much his absence. We were upset that the eating habits were very different here, but he was not
a person to add to things there. So we felt very sad at all these times. And we missed him very much when he remained there but I’m
proud he had done something important. Now he is rendering a very good service here in India.”
Vivek also considers himself to be a very fortunate person as his childhood dream – to be an engineer – has come true: “In
India two the most liked professions are to be an engineer or a doctor. When a child is born, a father wishes that either he be a doctor or
an engineer. Engineering is considered to be a very good profession, a respected profession in India. You’ve got to have challenges in
this profession, you’re paid handsomely, and you enjoy respect in the society. But to be an engineer you have to be very good at
mathematics. Fortunately, from the very beginning I was very good at mathematics and as I had seen some very successful engineers
around me, in my family, the friends circle of my father, I used to dream to be like them one day. So from the very beginning I was with a
hope that one day I will also be an engineer like them. Fortunately, I am today. This is, I believe, a big achievement for me, and I am
happy with this profession. It is really a very challenging profession. The hydro-electric power generation projects involves design and
construction of huge dams, powerhouses, water retaining structures, etc. This is a big challenge. And when we see our structures
coming up we really feel proud, because of our efforts such huge things are coming up. That way it is a very satisfying profession.”
When the contest for post-Mundus stories was announced, the project team got in touch with the coordinators of the Erasmus
Mundus Masters' Courses, asking about contacting any of their alumni that might be good examples of brain gain for their countries after
their return from Europe. Vivek, who was one the alumni recommended by his course coordinator, is very grateful for this
recommendation and for the whole study opportunity he received: “I want to express my gratitude to The ROSE School in Pavia for
giving me an excellent opportunity to carry out studies and research work at the institute and now recommending me as a role model for
the very purpose of Mundus Programme of European Union – sharing technical know-how with developing world”.
Photo: Vivek’s triumph….
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