Karnataka minister urges engineers to link innovation with public needs

Karnataka Water Resources Minister N. Chaluvarayaswamy has said engineers are central to building the country’s future and should apply their knowledge to society’s practical needs. He was speaking after inaugurating the 41st National Convention of Civil Engineering, organised by the Institution of Engineers (India) in Mysuru on 3 October 2026.

The minister said engineers were not merely responsible for constructing roads and buildings but also for shaping a secure and prosperous future. Chaluvarayaswamy said acquiring knowledge was important, but using it for public benefit was equally significant. He pointed to roads, bridges, water supply, electricity and mobile technology as facilities that depend on the planning, labour and responsibility of engineers.

He said artificial intelligence, robotics, semiconductors, green energy, electric vehicles and space technology were rapidly changing daily life. Karnataka, he added, had an important role in that transformation because of its talent and innovative capacity across districts, taluks and villages. The minister said development should not be measured only through major projects.

Timely water supply for farmers, quality digital education, improved rural road links and skill-based employment for young people were also indicators of progress. He urged that technology should be sustainable as well as “smart” and encouraged young people to become job creators rather than only job seekers. He also recalled the work of Sir M.

Visvesvaraya, saying his projects continued to inspire engineers despite having been developed with more limited technology. The minister felicitated senior engineers and presented the Young Engineer award to Manish Pandey. He later interacted with delegates on civil engineering’s contribution to building a developed India by 2047.