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8 PAPERThe Engineer in Society September 2013

THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS,SRILANKA

I S LPROFESSIONALREVIEWEXAMINATIONS TION liB TH NGIN R IN SO I TYDate: rs September 2 3 Time allowed: 3 hours

nstructions to andidates

Before answering the questions, please read the instructions given below.o Answer four questions only. Answer at least one question from section 1.o Eachquestion will carry 25 marks.o Answers to each question should be written on separate answer sheet, as

each will be marked by a separate examiner.o Write your Index Number and relevant Question Number clearly on top of

each answer sheet.o It is important that you write question numbers to which you have

answered in the cage provided on the cover page.o Pay attention to legibility, grammar, spelling, and punctuation marks, in

addition the relevance, organization and style of presentation.o Answers to all questions should be in essay form, unless otherwise

specified in the relevant question.o Rough work (if any) may be embodied in the answers, but should be struck

out with a single line. No marks will be given for rough work. Do not tearany pages from answer books.

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Section B Paper The Engineer in Society September 2013

Section 8 Question Paper September 2013

SECTION 1

Question 1:Clause 1 of the IESLCode of Ethics is;Engineers shall hold paramount the safety , health and welfare of the public and proper utilization offunds in the performance of their professional duties. It shall take precedence over their responsibilityto the profession, to sectional or private interests, employers or to other engineers

a. What do you understand by the sentence ....It shall take precedence over theirresponsibility to the profession, to sectional or private interests, employers or to otherengineers?

b. The engineers union of an engineering organization responsible for the provision of utilitiesfor the community resorts to trade union action to secure benefits for themselves. Thiscauses severe inconvenience to the public.

i. Is this acceptable in terms of the IESLCode of Ethics?ii. What action should the IESL take if there is deemed to be a violation of the IESL

Code of Ethics. Justify your reasoning.

Question 2:The IESLAct NO.17 of 1968 declares ten Objects of the Institution, six of which are given below.Choosing any four, comment on whether IESLhas met these Objectives, whether they have fallen shortof the Objective and why, how the Engineering profession can be developed/strengthened by theseObjectives and whether the selected Object is relevant today, and if not, how can it amended to besignificant in the present context.

a) to promote and advance the science and practice of engineering in all its branches in Sri Lanka;b) to help in the acquisition and interchange of technical knowledge by reading of original

communications and discussions thereon, by establishing and maintaining technical libraries,publications on matters of professional interests and any such other means;

c) to conduct examinations qualifying for membership of the Institute, to test the competence ofpersons engaged in engineering and to grant certificates of competence;

d) to regulate the professional activities and to assist in maintaining high standards in the generalconduct of its members;

e) to give the Government and other public bodies and others the facilit ies for conference with andascertaining the views of engineers as regards matters directly or indirectly affectingengineering;

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Section B Paper The Engineer in Society September 2013

f) to foster co-ordination with similar institutes in Sri Lanka and other countries in furthering theobjects of the Institute;

SE TION

Question 3:The rich countries have done heavy damage to the natural resource base on earth during theirdevelopment, and now have to invest heavily on mitigation of their impacts on the environment, thepoorer countries have the chance of Making Development More Sustainable via Tunneling . This is aconcept introduced by Prof. Mohan Munasinghe through many of his publications. Explain this conceptusing appropriate figures, and describe the role of engineers in helping this process of Tunneling .Question 4:(a) What similarities and differences do you observe between manufacturing sector driven and service

sector driven economic development?(b) Sri Lankan economy evolved from its predominantly agricultural base at independence, towards

being largely service sector driven economy by now. However, the country s manufacturing sectornever matured beyond being a mere low-value added garment industry-dominated setting.Founding your arguments on the patterns of sectoral evolution in the Sri Lankan economy, criticallyexamine the rationale of this opinion.

(c) Sri Lankan manufacturing sector failed to keep phase with technological innovation and thus lostinternational competitiveness in its exports, which has led the economy to get trapped in unskilledlabour based industries . Discuss as to what extent you agree and disagree with this statement.

Question 5:Electricity generation in Sri Lanka is heavily dependent on fossil fuels. It is a known fact that the cost ofgeneration of electricity is very high owing to this dependency. It is also known that excessive use offossil fuels h~s adverse effects on the environment. Most environmentalists lobby for the use of NonConventional Renewable Energy (NCRE) sources and believe that it is a panacea for all energy relatedproblems. Further, they blame the engineers for not harnessing such resources in the country. As apracticing engineer, explain and give your reasons for not harnessing such resources, to anenvironmentalist who is campaigning for the expedient development and use of NCRE.Question 6:Engineering is not a profession similar to medicine and law. Hence it does not have the same social

responsibilities, and engineering is not given the same privileges as other professions. Accordingly, thereis no social obligation that promotes social responsibil ity .

Do you agree with this statement? Discuss your opinion in a broader sense by comparing theresponsibil it ies of other professions against the engineering profession.

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Section 8Paper The Engineer in Society September 2013

Question7:

Discuss the broader benefits of ISO Standards. Elaborate your answer giving special attention todeveloping countries.

Question 8:Most organizations are over-managed and under-led . Critically analyze this statement referring to thebasic differences in management and leadership principles, taking any organization you are familiarwith, as an example.

Question 9:Provide an example of how established companies in a given industry were successfully challenged by arelative newcomer through the development of a Disruptive Technology.If you were the Chief Executive Officer of a small Sri Lankan manufacturing firm operating in an industryof your choice, explain how you would develop a Disruptive Technology so that you would not have tobuild economies of scale usually necessary to compete head-on with large and established players in theindustry.Question 10:The Indian Ocean is a major area across which much trade and global economic connectivity isconducted. In this context, how do Sri Lankas bilateral relations with China and India influence ournational interests?Question 11:Sri Lanka has a rich water heritage. Its history and civilization was, and still is intrinsically connected towater resources and environmental sustainability. The annual rainfall of Sri Lanka varies between971 mm (South Eastern coast) to 5450 mm (Western slopes of the Highlands). The annual averagerainfall in Sri Lanka is 1900 mm and this is well above the global average rainfall of 750 mm.The demand for irrigated agriculture, water supply for drinking and industries are rapidly increasing, andwater in Sri Lanka is truly becoming everybody s business . Integrated Water Resource Management(IWRM) and partnership approaches are gaining wide acceptance for optimizing water use. Politicalleadership and champions to promote IWRM and national water policy are also emerging.In this context, how does IWRM and national water policy impact economic growth and pattern ofsustainable development in developing countries like Sri Lanka?