JAMMU: The 59th Engineers’ Day was celebrated with enthusiasm by The Institution of Engineers (India), Jammu Local Centre, at its Institutional Complex in Jammu, with Divisional Commissioner Jammu Ramesh Kumar, IAS, attending as the Chief Guest and Managing Director, J&K State Power Development Corporation Ltd., Rahul Yadav, IAS, as the Guest of Honour.
The programme was organised to commemorate the 165th birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Sir M. Visvesvaraya and brought together engineers from various government departments and organisations. The event was attended by Er. Anil Verma, FIE, Chairman, and Er. Avneet Gupta, FIE, Honorary Secretary of IEI, Jammu Local Centre, along with other dignitaries and engineering professionals.
In his welcome address on the theme “Engineering Excellence for a Sustainable and Technologically Sovereign India”, Er. Anil Verma highlighted several major technological achievements by Indian engineers and underlined the growing importance of engineering excellence in strengthening the country’s technological sovereignty. He cited the commencement of hydrogen fuel cell-powered train operations on the Jind-Sonipat section of Northern Railway in July 2026 and the Ken-Betwa river interlinking project among notable engineering achievements.
At the same time, Verma expressed concern over inadequate supervisory control and coordination with project implementing agencies, which, he said, could contribute to setbacks in major infrastructure projects. He called upon all stakeholders to work with greater coordination, sincerity and dedication to support India’s journey towards technological self-reliance.
Rich tributes were paid to Sir M. Visvesvaraya by Er. Mohinder Singh, Assistant Executive Engineer, Jal Shakti Department, J&K, and former Honorary Secretary of IEI Jammu Local Centre, who highlighted his qualities of austerity, integrity, competence and discipline.
On the occasion, Er. Virinder Sethi, former Senior Manager, NHPC Ltd. and former Director, JP Group of Industries, was conferred the IEI Award for his lifetime contribution to the engineering profession and the Institution of Engineers (India), Jammu Local Centre.
The Jammu Centre also presented the R. L. Sharma Memorial Gold Medal to Er. Joy Ganjoo for the best technical paper, the Rudra Bhagwati Silver Medal to Er. B. L. Rawal for the second-best technical paper and the IEI Bronze Medal to Er. Gopal Krishan Sharma for the third-best technical paper during 2025-26.
The first issue of the 24th volume of the quarterly newsletter ‘IEI Jammu News’ was also released by the Chief Guest and Guest of Honour. The publication was brought out by the editorial board comprising Er. Anil Verma as Chairman-cum-Editorial Director, Dr. Sanjay Khar, Er. P. K. Nanda, Er. Sumil Goyal, Er. Amit Sethi and Er. Avneet Gupta.
IEI Jammu further honoured Er. P. K. Nanda, Er. B. L. Rawal, Er. Gopal Krishan Sharma, Er. Ranjeev Sawhney, Er. Joy Ganjoo and Er. Anil Kumar with mementoes for presenting two or more technical papers during 2025-26.
Speaking as Guest of Honour, Rahul Yadav said engineers were increasingly taking on administrative responsibilities and stressed the need for them to remain closely involved with projects from conception to completion. He advised engineering professionals to give greater emphasis to design and technical aspects rather than concentrating predominantly on managerial roles.
Chief Guest Ramesh Kumar paid tribute to the legacy of Sir M. Visvesvaraya and said engineers played a decisive role in shaping the future of the nation. He said the country had undergone significant transformation since Independence and engineers would have an important role in realising the objectives of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat 2047.
He emphasised that the contribution of engineers extended beyond infrastructure to virtually every industrial and commercial activity and called for greater focus on planning, the responsible use of artificial intelligence and sustainable development while remaining mindful of the ethical and moral implications of emerging technologies.
The inaugural session was followed by a technical session chaired by Er. Hamesh Manchanda, MIE, former Chief Engineer, Jal Shakti Department, J&K Government. Er. B. L. Rawal presented a paper on the theme “Engineering Excellence for a Sustainable and Technologically Sovereign India”. A presentation by Surya Shakti Solar Solutions, Jammu, also sensitised participants about rooftop solar solutions from Tata Power Renewable Energy under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana.
Er. Avneet Gupta conducted the proceedings and presented the vote of thanks, expressing gratitude to the guests, engineers, line departments, information department and media representatives for contributing to the success of the programme.
