Ramesh Ukidave

He was so humorous and cheerful all the time. His jokes were always remembered.

During one of the sessions, Ramesh asked the deputy director about a particularly tough subject and how the grading system worked. The director responded with a question: “Have you been exposed to this subject?” Without missing a beat, Ramesh replied, “Only once, Sir,” humorously indicating that he had flunked the subject only once. The entire lecture hall erupted in laughter, even the serious-looking deputy director couldn’t help but join in.

Just to clarify we passed through the system revision. When we joined in 67, the first four years mattered little and most of the credits came from home paper and final year grades. New director Kelkar changed it to every semester has equal credit. We were already past the first two years. So those marks were normalized and given grades.

After leaving the institute, Ramesh worked for Thermax, the leading boiler manufacturer based in Pune. We recommended the best boiler options for our clients, and we sent out an inquiry. Ramesh Ukidave showed up in our fort office like a professional in a tie and boot suit.

After a bit of technical discussion, he casually said in Hindi, “Tu wo competitor ka boiler mat le, ham log usko ‘kadi boiler’ bolte hain.” Then, with a mischievous smile, he added, “You know why? You’ll need a matchbox to light it up.” Meaning “you don’t buy the competitions boiler we call it Kadi boiler. You know why you need a matchbox to light it up, where our boilers use automated spark technology.” The whole office burst into laughter.

Ramesh was entertainment, entertainment and entertainment. He was a constant source of entertainment, always keeping things light and fun. Sorry to have lost him so early.

Written by Ajay Tankhiwale