National Engineer’s Day 2025 – September 15

National Engineer’s Day is celebrated every year on September 15 in India to honor the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, remembered as India’s first engineer for his great contributions to engineering and education.

Background:

Declaration: In 1968, the Government of India (GoI) declared the birth anniversary of Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya to be observed as National Engineers’ Day.

First Observance: The first National Engineers’ Day was celebrated on September 15, 1968.

About Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya:

Birth: Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya was born on 15th September 1861 in Karnataka.

Titles: He was popularly known as Sir MV, the Father of Mysore, and the Father of Indian Engineering for his contributions to society.

• According to the Institution of Engineers India (IEI), he was also called the ‘Precursor of Economic Planning in India’.

Public Service: He served as the Diwan of Mysore from 1912 to 1918.

Engineering Feats: He served as the chief engineer of the Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) Dam in Mysore (now Mysuru, Karnataka), which created Asia’s largest reservoir and transformed agriculture in Mandya.

• He is also remembered for his contributions to irrigation and water supply projects, including the Khadakwasla Dam in Pune, Maharashtra.
• He designed the Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar reservoirs and introduced effective flood control solutions.

Authorship: He authored several books, including Reconstructing India (1902), Planned Economy for India (1934), and Memoirs of My Working Life (1951).

Awards & Honours:

Bharat Ratna Award: In 1955, the GoI honoured him with the Bharat Ratna for his contributions in the field of engineering and his service to the nation.

British Honour: He was also awarded the title of Knight Commander of the British Indian Empire (KCIE), which gave him the honorific “Sir” before his name.

Government Initiatives for Engineering Innovation:

INSPIRE (Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research): Introduced in 2008 by the Department of Science & Technology (DST) under the Ministry of Science & Technology(MoS&T), INSPIRE encourages youth to pursue research careers in fields such as clean energy, semiconductors, and space technology.

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM): Launched in 2016 by National Institution for Transforming India(NITI) Aayog, AIM promotes innovation and entrepreneurship through Atal Incubation Centres (AICs). By 2024, it has supported the incubation of over 3,500 startups, fostering a strong startup ecosystem.

Startup India: Launched in 2016 by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry(MoC&I), this initiative supports engineers and entrepreneurs in building scalable startups.

• As of January 2025, over 1.59 lakh startups have been officially recognized.

National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS): Launched in 2018 by the Department of Science & Technology (DST) under the MoS&T, NM-ICPS promotes AI, Robotics, Internet of Things(IoT), FinTech, and Cybersecurity through 25 Technology Innovation Hubs established across India.

Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF): Established in 2023 under the ANRF Act and implemented by the MoS&T, ANRF funds long-term Research and Development(R&D), industry–academia collaboration, and high-impact projects with a Rs.1 lakh crore corpus, driving mission-based research.

Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH): Launched in 2023 by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), the initiative aims to equip engineers with practical, industry-ready skills, preparing them to contribute effectively to the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

MERITE Scheme (Multidisciplinary Education and Research Improvement in Technical Education): Announced in 2025 for the period 2025–26 to 2029–30, and implemented by the Ministry of Education (MoE), MERITE focuses on technical education reforms with an allocation of Rs.4,200 crore for upgrading 275 institutions.

Premier Institutes & AICTE Initiatives: The GoI has strengthened Indian Institutes of Technology(IITs), National Institutes of Technology(NITs), and Indian Institutes of Information Technology( IIITs) as hubs of excellence, while All India Council for Technical Education(AICTE’s) Research Promotion Scheme (RPS) fosters a research-driven environment with modern labs and high-quality education.

India’s Engineering Strength:

Chip Design & AI Leadership: India is now home to nearly 20% of the world’s chip design engineers and ranks first globally in  Artificial Intelligence(AI), skill penetration, as per the Stanford AI Index 2024.

Quantum Mission Goal: India’s National Quantum Mission aims to develop quantum computers with up to 1,000 physical qubits by 2031.
About Ministry of Science and Technology(MoS&T):
Minister of State (MoS) (Independent Charge, IC) – Jitendra Singh (Constituency Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir, J&K)