Happy Women Engineer's day

Visweswaraya National Institute of Technology

Sept 15 may be the Engineers day for all. But, for me , it is always October the 5th. And pray how, one may ask ?

Well, well, most people know of Sir.M. Visvesvaraya, the pioneering Engineer cum statesman of India, whose birthday is aptly known as The Engineer's day. Born on 15 September 1861 in Karnataka, Visvesvaraya grew up in a modest family but developed an exceptional interest in learning. Through determination and hard work, he went on to study engineering and began a career that would eventually transform the way India approached water management, infrastructure and economic development.

At a time when India was still developing its modern infrastructure, Visvesvaraya understood something fundamental: a country's progress depends on its ability to build strong systems.

He became particularly well known for his work in irrigation, flood protection and water supply. His engineering expertise was not limited to designing structures; he focused on solving practical problems that affected ordinary people's lives. One of his notable contributions was the development and use of innovative automatic sluice gates for controlling water levels. His engineering work demonstrated how technology could be applied to manage precious water resources efficiently.He literally made water behave!

Sir M.Visvesvaraya's contribution to India went far beyond engineering.He served as the Diwan of the princely state of Mysore from 1912 to 1918. During this period, he played a major role in modernising the state.He promoted industrialisation, education, infrastructure and economic development. Institutions and industries associated with the period included initiatives in banking, education, manufacturing and technical development.

Many know of Sir.M. Visveswaraya. Some may know of the history of the Visvesvaraya Regional College of Engineering (VRCE), Nagpur. Established in June 1960, when the State Government Engineering college was renamed to honor Sir M. Visveswaraya. Being one of the early Regional Engineering Colleges , this was particularly important in the 1960s as India needed engineers for dams, roads, bridges and much more. VRCE, later named VNIT* became part of that national engineering ecosystem.

Only some know of Mrs Meenakshi's association with the college. Mrs Meenakshi , served as the only lady engineering professor for the longest time at the Sir M Visveswaraya College of Engineering. One of the first women Civil engineers in India , she was a pioneer not just as a student, but also as the only lady professor in a male dominated college. Where she taught several batches of students, and was well known not just for her engineering, but also for her kindness to staff and students alike.

But, what was my association with Mrs Meenakshi ? Very few know that she happened to be my mother ! Even though she had such an illustrious career, she never wanted to glorify here achievements, the humble lady that she was- dressed simply and never spoke about her intellect. Even in her later years, her brain was sharp and she mastered technology easily , however new that might have been, And now that she is no more, i cannot help but pay a tribute and feel proud of all that she did, not just for her children, but for all womankind , by being the trailblazer lady engineer !

While her passing away leaves a void no one can fill, her birthday every year reminds me that for me and perhaps for many other women who later followed in her footsteps, Engineers day is none other than her birthday, the 5th of October ,and will always be...

Happy (Women) Engineer's day, to one and all.

Regards,

Aina Rao

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VNIT* - National Institute of Technology