Engineers' Day : September 15
Sir M. Visvesvaraya
The Institution of Engineers ( India ) proudly celebrate The Engineers Day on 15th September every year at its all local and state centers throughout the the country.
Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, popularly known as Sir M.V., was born in the year September 15, 1860. At 23, he ranked first in the engineering examination in Mumbai and he started his career as an Assistant Engineer at Mumbai, Public Works Department. An able statesman and engineer, gradually he rose to become the Dewan of Mysore, to carve for himself a pride of place in the history of modern Mysore. He was a liberal statesman and visionary.
Sir M. Visvesvaraya lived up to 100 years to see the fruitful realisation of his schemes and projects, which brought bounty and prosperity to the State and the country. Not only in Mysore, he occupied high positions elsewhere and wherever he served he left a stamp of his ingenuity in engineering and administrative matters. His ingenuity and foresight led to building an industrial India with numerous irrigation, electricity, railway and industrial projects. In Karnataka, he had the Krishnarajasagar Dam built across the River Cauvery, 1.75 miles long and 134 feet high to use water for irrigation and power.
A man who never compromised on his principles, Sir M.V. was a great believer in democratic institutions. The Mysore Legislative Council came to be expanded during his time in 1913. The Council was given power to discuss the budget. The legislations enunciated by him provided an elected majority to the local self-government bodies.
A number of projects and industries were implemented by him during his Dewanship. The Krishnarajasagar dam, he built across the river Cauvery, near Mysore, was the country's first multi-purpose project, providing water for irrigation and electricty. The Bhadravati Iron and Steel Works, now named after the great engineer, the Government Sandalwood Oil Factory in Mysore, the Government Soap Factory, manufacturing the best of sandal oil soaps, are some of his major industrial gifts to the State. He founded the Mysore University, the Kannada Sahitya Parishat, the Mysore Chamber of Commerce and Industries the Chamarajendra Technical Institute, and the State Bank of Mysore.