Engineers can fix India’s problems, says Kovind

Chennai, Dec 23 (IANS) President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday called engineers "agents of change" and said they can play a much larger role in providing solutions to key challenges faced by India.

"Disciplines such as food technology, biotechnology, environmental engineering and transportation engineering are expanding the horizons of engineers," he said at the valedictory function of the 32nd Indian Engineering Congress organised by the Institution of Engineers (India) here.

Consequently, engineers will inevitably intersect with disciplines as far apart as law, geography and political science, he said.

According to him, technological developments in various fields gives rise to cross-fertilisation and engineers can play a much larger role in solving key challenges facing our country in food, healthcare and the environment sectors, in providing low-cost and easy-to-build housing, and in enhancing urban infrastructure with minimum disruption.

He said: "The evolution of technology is changing how we live, work and think. It is also challenging the practice of engineering. For example, civil engineers are specialists in materials. They use this knowledge for construction."

"Yet, this same knowledge of composites and materials will increasingly be deployed for both micro needs - such as creating medical implants for the human body as well as macro needs for instance, constructing facilities and maybe even colonies in outer space," the President said.

Calling engineers "agents of change", Kovind said from the earliest metal tools to the integrated circuit, from the 18th century Industrial Revolution to the 21st century Fourth Industrial Revolution, it is engineering that has spoken the language of the future.

"Today, in exploring the possibilities of Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things or in realising our aspirations for Make in India, once more it is to our engineers that we turn," he added.