An engineering commission a must for fraternity, society
September 15 is marked as Engineers’ Day in India, to commemorate the birthday of Sir M Visvesvaraya (1861-1962). Recognised internationally for his genius in harnessing water resources, he was responsible for the successful design and construction of several dams, bridges and implementing irrigation and drinking water schemes all over India. He served as the diwan of the erstwhile Mysore State and is credited with the all-round development of Karnataka.
Visvesvaraya was so thoroughly a man of action that his memoirs, written at the age of 90, begin only with his entry as Assistant Engineer in Public Works Department of Bombay Government in February, 1884. The memoirs focus only on his working life, containing little personal details. His mind was focussed on nation’s progress, as is evident from the several books that he authored.
Every year, on Engineers Day, we talk about Visvesvaraya but we never talk about the degradation of engineering services as compared to administrative services which is creating lot of frustration amongst engineers. India should set up an Engineering Commission to look after the deteriorating condition of engineering services in India.
We should recognise that engineers play an important role in every walk of life. They convert knowledge of basic sciences into products. They are versatile minds who build bridges between science, technology and society. Engineers contribute to the nation’s technological and industrial progress. They help improve living conditions of the common man. By virtue of our achievements in multiple fields, India stands poised to emerge as a leading nation in the 21st century. The innovation capability of our scientists and engineers will play a critical role in enabling India achieve this goal.
Engineers are not just glorified technicians in maintenance, repairs and operations. An engineer devises solutions to problems in a clever and creative manner. They are the link between scientific discoveries and the application of these new ideas to the world.
The value of engineering is, therefore, the creation of a better world - a cleaner, safer and more connected world. The administrative reforms commission submitted its report in 1969, which recommended that secretaries of all engineering departments should be engineers but that recommendation is yet to be implemented. The Niti Ayog also talks about professionalism and recognition of specialised services.
There is an urgent need to overhaul the structure of engineering services to induct experts at the decision-making level in the government. It is a matter of regret that despite recommendations of the administrative reforms commission and many other expert committee reports, nothing concrete has been done by either the central government or the state governments. The most unfortunate part of the deprivation suffered by engineers is in the form of recommendations by the Central Pay Commission one after another. Before embarking on a comprehensive corrective process, the top most priority is a central government-appointed engineering commission. In most engineering departments, the overall decision making right remains with generalists IAS officers
though engineers are held responsible for satisfactory functioning of the department. It is required to give decision-making key posts in the secretariat to engineers to give the department appropriate direction and speed. Unless immediate corrective steps are taken, it may not be possible to keep pace with technological developments taking place in developed countries.
The engineering commission is required to recommend the status of engineers vis a vis administrative services. The engineering commission, if implemented, may provide an atmosphere in all technical departments which may provide status, power and career value to engineers which they deserve to perform at highest level of their capabilities.
The proposed engineering commission should be a national commission and its recommendations should be a guideline for the central and all state governments as far as streamlining, upgrading and modernising engineering activities in India are concerned. The commission should also recommend the career and status of engineering services in the context of their placement at administrative and decisionmaking level in the government.
The commission should be headed by an eminent engineer of the country with the secretary being a serving engineer and members being taken from reputed engineering departments.
Engineering services in India, particularly in UP, are in a very bad shape. In the 70s, engineers were given due recognition in state services, particularly in power and irrigation departments, when eminent engineers were given charge as principal secretary power and principal secretary irrigation. This professionalism paid rich dividends in that decade. UP became a pioneer in establishing the first 110 MW power plant at Obra, first underground hydel power station at Chhibro, first 400 KV & 765 KV transmission line and substation in India. But unfortunately, bureaucracy prevailed and engineers were replaced by bureaucrats in the secretariat. Before independence, there were three main services namely ICS, Indian Police and Indian Service Of Engineers. After independence, ICS continues in the name of IAS, IPS is also continuing but Indian Service of Engineers has been abandoned which should be formed as early as possible.
If engineers have a major role in nation building, then they should be given due recognition by appointing an engineering commission and implementing its recommendations, otherwise marking Engineers’ Day is meaningless.
ON ENGINEERS DAY, WE TALK ABOUT VISVESVARAYA BUT WE NEVER TALK ABOUT THE DEGRADATION OF ENGINEERING SERVICES AS COMPARED TO ADMINIST RATIVE SERVICES WHICH IS CREATING LOT OF FRUST RATION AMONGST ENGINEERS