National Engineers Day

Overview

15^th September 1968 marks the celebration of the first ever National Engineers Day and which is now celebrated every year. This is the day when one of our country’s geniuses was born. The National Engineers Day, is celebrated to pay tribute to Sir Mokshagundam Viswesvaraya, a Civil Engineer who was awarded with the Bharat Ratna in 1955. The day marks the birth of Sir MV. On this occasion, a spread of awareness about the importance of civil engineering and to remember the contribution of countless civil engineers in nation-building is done. Sir M Visvesvaraya was India's first engineer and his contributions towards nation building are remarkable.

Sir Mokshagundam Viswesvaraya

M. Visvesvaraya was born on 15 September 1861 in present-day Chikkaballapura district, Karnataka. Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya also called the father of engineering for his vital contribution to the field of engineering and education. He was responsible for the implementation of multiple damns and flood free areas. Few of his works are as follows:

• An intricate system of irrigation in the Deccan Plateau and designed and patented a system of automatic weir water floodgates that were first installed in 1903 at Khadakvasla Dam near Pune. These gates raised the storage level in the reservoir to the highest level possible to be accomplished without triggering any damage to the dam.
• The same system was installed at Tigra Dam in Gwalior and later at the KRS Dam at Mysore, Karnataka.
• He was a chief engineer of the Laxmi Talav Dam near Kolhapur. 
• The Government of British India sent Sir MV to present day Yemen, which was later implemented. 
•  He was one of the chief engineers of the flood protection system for the city of Hyderabad for the Musri River. He had recommended flood relief measures for the city, which was under constant threat by the same river. 
• He also developed a system to protect Visakhapatnam port from sea erosion. 
• Sir Visvesvaraya also joined as a chief engineer of Mysore State after being appointed as the Dewan in Mysore. 
•  He was the Chief Engineer of the KRS Dam at Mysore. He was also later the chairman of the board of engineers for the Tungabhadra Dam in Hospet, Karnataka. 

Sir MV’s honorary

Sir Visvesvaraya had been one of the biggest achievements of Republic of India since even before the Independence. For all his achievements, India has offered him with many honors. They are as follows:

• Sir Visvesvaraya received the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor, in 1955.
• He received an honorary membership from the Institution of Civil Engineers, London.
• A fellowship from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. 
• Also, several honorary degrees, including D.Sc., LL.D., D.Litt. from eight universities in India. 
• He was the president of the 1923 session of the Indian Science Congress.
• Visvesvaraya received recognition in many fields, most notably education and engineering. Visvesvaraya Technological University in Belagavi (to which most engineering colleges in Karnataka are affiliated) was named in his honor. 
• Prominent colleges like University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering, Bangalore; Sir M. Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology, Bangalore; and Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur; Visvesvaraya Hostel, IIT (BHU) Varanasi; Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, Bangalore was named in his honour. 
• Two metro stations in India, one Sir M. Visveshwaraya Station in Bangalore on the Purple line and Sir Vishweshwaraiah Moti Bagh in Delhi on the Pink Line, are named after him. 
• National Science day is celebrated on in birthday.
• On 15 September 2018, to celebrate his 158th birthday, Visvesvaraya was honored with a Google Doodle.

Conclusion

National Engineers Day is a celebration of innovation, problem-solving, and the incredible contributions engineers make to our world. As we commemorate this day, let's not only honor the achievements of past engineers but also inspire the engineers of the future. Whether you're an engineer yourself or simply admire their work, take a moment to reflect on the impact engineering has on our lives. Together, we can pave the way for a brighter, more innovative future.

 

- Ananya R Upadhya