BENGALURU: Karnataka will officially celebrate Engineers’ Day from the next year to recognise their contributions to the state’s development, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters after paying floral tribute to Bharat Ratna Sir M Visvesvaraya at KR Circle on Engineers’ Day, Shivakumar said he has approved a proposal to organise the celebrations by the government.
“More than one lakh engineers are being produced in Karnataka every year. India has a large pool of engineering talent, and it is our responsibility to recognise their contribution,” he said. He added that the format and other details would be finalised after discussions with officials.
Later, speaking at the 59th Engineers’ Day celebration organised by the state unit of the Institution of Engineers (India), Shivakumar said an order had been issued allowing engineers to use ‘Er.’ before their names as a mark of professional recognition.
He said the government has issued an order to honour engineers who continuously contribute to the country’s development and economic progress.
Describing engineers as an asset to the nation, he said they played a crucial role in translating scientific research into practical solutions and laying the foundation for development. “Engineering is not merely a profession. It is a mindset that transforms lives and finds solutions to problems,” he said.
Shivakumar said Karnataka has 230 engineering colleges. However, 23,000 engineering seats remained vacant this year. Bengaluru has around 24 lakh IT professionals, compared to 16 lakh in California, he said.
The CM said his vision is to build a “new Karnataka” with greater focus on planned urban development and mobility. The government is considering construction of a ring road around every town to ease traffic congestion. Instructions have also been issued to establish a new town planning college on Kempegowda Road in Bengaluru, Shivakumar said.
On Bengaluru’s Metro expansion, Shivakumar said a progress review meeting with BMRCL would be held on Wednesday on the plan to expand the Metro network to 500km.
He said the proposed 45-km double-decker Metro corridor had faced objections from the Centre, following which approval was available for only 16km.
“As roads cannot be dug up, instructions have been given to proceed with the 16-km double-decker Metro corridor. I will meet the Prime Minister and discuss the matter,” he said.
Highlighting Karnataka’s technological legacy, Shivakumar said the state was at the forefront of several sectors, including IT and BT. Engineers have also played a major role in departments such as Bescom and KPTCL, he said.
Shivakumar also said the government would consider demands raised by the Institution of Engineers, including those concerning land renewal and Engineers’ Day celebrations in Bengaluru and Tumakuru.
Speaking about his own background, Shivakumar said his father wanted him to study engineering. “I scored 287 marks in SSLC and, at my father’s insistence, joined the science stream. As it did not suit me, I later joined commerce,” he said.