Engineer’s Day is celebrated on September 15 every year in India. The National Engineer’s Day was declared by the Indian Government to honour Bharat Ratna Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya on his birthday on the same day.
Engineer’s Day in India 2021 celebrates the efforts of engineers nationwide, who with their significant contributions have made our day-to-day living much seamless and comfortable.
M Visvesvaraya was a civic engineer, economist, educationist and a scholar who is known for his significant contributions in the field of engineering and is also considered as one of the greatest nation builders who played an important role in the construction of dams, reservoirs, and the hydro-power projects of Modern India.
The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), on the other hand, celebrates World Engineer’s Day on March 4 every year.
On Engineer’s Day 2021, Prime Minister Modi also extended his greetings on the day via Twitter. He thanked the engineers for their pivotal role in making the planet better and technologically advanced.
Greetings on #EngineersDay to all hardworking engineers. No words are enough to thank them for their pivotal role in making our planet better and technologically advanced. I pay homage to the remarkable Shri M. Visvesvaraya on his birth anniversary and recall his accomplishments.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi)
September 15, 2021
Engineer’s Day 2021: History
The Government of India, in 1968, declared M Visvesvaraya’s birthday as the Engineer’s Day. Since then, the day has been celebrated to acknowledge and honour the engineers who have contributed immensely to make India much more developed, advanced and modern.
Engineer’s Day 2021: Who was M Visvesvaraya?
As India pays tribute to M Visvesvaraya every year on his birthday on September 15, it is important to know about his contributions and work.
Visvesvaraya was born in Karnataka in 1861. He studied Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Mysore University and went on to pursue Civil Engineering from the College of Science in Pune. He became one of the most eminent engineers in India.
M Visvesvaraya started his career in engineering as an Assistant engineer in the Public Works Department of the Bombay Government. As an engineer, he made significant contributions to various technical projects in Hyderabad, Mysore, Maharashtra and Odisha. In 1912, Visvesvaraya was appointed as Diwan of Mysore.
Engineer’s Day 2021: Major contributions by M Visvesvaraya• As a Chief Engineer, Visvesvaraya constructed the famous Krishna Raja Sagar Dam in Mysore. • Visvesvaraya brought major reforms in the field of education, banking, agriculture, commerce, industrialization and irrigation. He was a well-known precursor of India’s economic planning. • Visvesvaraya is known for his flood disaster management skills and excellent irrigation techniques. In 1903, he had designed and patented the automatic barrier water floodgates. • M Visvesvaraya’s other significant contributions include the block system of irrigation in Deccan Canals in 1899 and Hyderabad’s flood protection system. • In 1917, Visvesvaraya established the Government Engineering College in Bengaluru, which was later renamed the University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering. • Visvesvaraya has also authored various books, such as ‘Planned Economy of India’ and ‘Reconstructing India’. |
M Visvesvaraya: Awards and Recognitions
Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya was awarded the highest honour- Bharat Ratna by the Government of India in 1955 for his outstanding contribution to the economic, social and industrial projects.
Visvesvaraya was also graced with the British Knighthood by the then King George VV, which had put ‘Sir’ before his name.