IIT Kharagpur
Foundation
IITKGP ka tempo high hai!

Dear Reader,

This month we bring to you another story directly from an IITKGP alumni. 

Derek Michael D'Costa (1969/B.Tech/CHE/VS)

In May 1964, after graduating in the first division with a Senior Cambridge Certificate from St. Joseph's European (now Boys') High School, Bangalore in December 1963, I cleared the IIT Joint Entrance Examination held at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. At my subsequent interview at IIT Madras in June 1964, I was offered and accepted a seat in the 5-year integrated degree course in chemical engineering at IIT Kharagpur.

After traveling 1,250 miles by train from Bangalore, I arrived at IIT Kharagpur on July 1, 1964, and was rather taken aback at finding that my assigned VS Hall of Residence was still under construction. Luckily, I was able to stay for one month in Azad Hall, until one Block of VS Hall was completed. Thereafter, I spent a most memorable and happy 5 years of my life on the delightfully pleasant IIT Kharagpur campus! 

Upon graduation in May 1969, with a first class honors degree in chemical engineering, I arrived in Canada as a landed immigrant (permanent resident), and after passing 4 confirmatory examinations, and meeting the experience requirements of the Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO), I was registered as a Professional Engineer in Ontario, Canada in January 1976. Meanwhile, in October 1974, I had also become a Canadian Citizen.

Initially, I did have a few challenging years securing suitable engineering jobs in Canada, but eventually secured rewarding positions as a Design Engineer at Ontario Hydro (now called Ontario Power Generation), later as an Approvals Engineer for the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and later still as a Senior Safety and Process Design Engineer at AECL (Atomic Energy of Canada Limited).

I have also been very active in a volunteer capacity at PEO, serving as the Vice Chair in their East Toronto Chapter, and also as the Secretary in their West Toronto Chapter. Currently, I'm serving as a GLP (Government Liaison Program) Representative, and also as a Member-at-Large.

In November 2009, Engineers Canada, which represents all the 300,000+ professional engineers in the 10 provinces and 3 territories of Canada, rewarded me with a Fellowship for my exceptional contributions to the engineering profession in Canada. In addition, I have also received three Ontario Volunteer Service Awards in 2010, '19, & '24 for my public service to the Province of Ontario.

In January 2026, I shall be celebrating 50 years as a Licensed Professional Engineer in Canada. All this was made possible, because of the superb education I received at my beloved alma mater, IIT Kharagpur.

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