An article about Rekha Seal in Tata Steel in-house magazine:
http://www.tatasteel.com/webzine/tisco_news/tisconewsarchive/lifeline_express/tisnewspg_q42001_09.htm
She is an alumnus (1973 electrical engineering) of our college.
Read the full article:
When you have a conflict of interests and want a quiet word with someone, you can turn to her. Despite being the first woman Graduate Trainee of the company she is not one to flaunt it. She is Mrs Rekha Seal, Ethics Counselor of the company.
Rekha Seal grew up in Jamshedpur, studied in the schools run by the company and then went on to complete her Higher Secondary from DM Madan Girls School in 1967. It was only natural for her to opt for engineering since both her father and grandfather were engineers. She applied to Benaras Hindu University and was accepted for the BSc Electrical Engineering course. In December 1973 she came back to Jamshedpur to join Tata Steel as a graduate trainee. The first woman in the history of the company to be accepted as one.
"People were giving the forms but girls were not encouraged those days to apply. We took up my case with the management, they agreed and gave the clearance. Since I belonged to a family of engineers, I had made up my mind in standard VIII or IX that I wanted to be an engineer. My father, who was a Tata Steel employee, was particularly encouraging. The people who were apprehensive were friends and neighbours, who felt that I was entering a "man’s field" even when I went to college."
But that did not deter her. She began her career in the company in CEDD
Project in the Electrical Group and was assigned to electrical projects in the
Town and Works.
Recalling her training days, Mrs Seal says "At the Technical Institute I was very unsure about how to handle things. But people were very protective and there was no negative attitude."
"But there has been a lot of change in the last five to six years. The management has started giving importance to women. Daughters of first generation employees have started joining the company and in some ways the family has been extended to the workplace in Tata Steel. The number of girls who now join the company has increased and that is a very encouraging trend."
Mrs Seal has been very instrumental in helping women cope with the work environment at Tata Steel. As the Ladies Ethics Counsellor and a Training Executive she has seen any young women join the fold, though less than one would expect. "There are fewer women in the company even today because steel is considered a low tech industry."
Professionally she has always been a cut above the rest and has served as a member on many task forces, as well as, been a JN Tata assessor.
Her current assignment as Ethics counselor is a complete change of
responsibility for her. After 25 years in engineering and planning, where she
always had goals and targets to
achieve, now she finds that "in the new profession there are no results to be seen. Now there is no short term target. The horizon has completely changed."
"I get satisfaction by helping people and setting the system right. When a person is aggrieved then it does not matter whether the listener is a man or a woman," she says. Confident of her skills as a counsellor she says, "I feel that people come to me without hesitation. Women employees and suppliers who are women are comfortable with me. In this job one must have the ability to listen to be successful. Moreover, there is a need to ensure that one is effective, and the management is supportive of suggestions made by me."
Her personal goals were very focussed when she joined the company. She dreamt of joining Tata Steel as a
graduate trainee when she was young. She was sure that she would achieve something and wanted to work sincerely and have people recognise her as a sincere worker. She wished to match the standards set by her father who was constantly at work and as a child Mrs Seal did not get to see him for days. "His dedication has served as an inspiration. I was ready to spend time continuously in the Works for long hours, even days."
When asked what values she intends to uphold at Tata Steel, she says, "Tata Steel is like a family where we have grown up. I would like to see more women here especially because there are softer options. I would also like to develop more counselling skills because different situations need different treatment, training will help me deliver more effectively besides there is always scope for improvement."