thanks and same to the engineering brethren
On 9/15/07, Buljit Buragohain <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > *Wishing all of a very Happy Engineers' Day.* > > > > > *EDITORIAL* > ------------------------------ > *Remembering M Visvesvaraya > — R M Das* > *I*ndia has produced many persons of eminence in the fields of religion, > philosophy, politics and poetry but the number is limited in the field of > science and industry. In fact persons of eminence in these fields can be > counted on one's fingers. Bharat Ratna Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya belongs > to the small band of eminent Indians of our times whose ideas and > achievements have been among the truly creative and formative forces in > modern India. > > Mokshagundam is a village of Kamool district in Andhra Pradesh from where > the ancestors of Visvesvaraya immigrated to Mysore more than three centuries > ago. Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya was born on September 15, 1861, in > Muddenhalli village in the Kolar district of Mysore Mokshagundam Srinivasa > Shastry., father of Visvesvaraya, was a Brahmin, well-versed in ancient > scriptures and lore. He also practiced Ayurveda. His wife was > Venkatalaxmamma or Venkachamma, as she was popularly known. > > Visvesvaraya lost his father when he was just fifteen. The stern yet > kindly Ramaiah, his maternal uncle, took him to Bangalore in 1875 and got > him admitted to the Wesleyan Mission High school. Later, he joined the > Central College, where Charles Waters was the Principal. It was this > association, which, in course of time, gave shape and direction to the > scientific and mathematical studies of Visvesvaraya. He took the BA degree > of the Madras University in 1880 with distinction. Waters, in his letter of > introduction, referred to Visvesvaraya as a "capital mathematician and a > very good English scholar". > > Visvesvaraya joined the College of Science in Poona to study engineering > in 1881. In 1883 he topped the list of candidates in engineering of the > Bombay University in and 1884 was appointed as an assistant engineer in the > Bombay Public Works Department. Thus began a life of devotion and service to > the country. > > With a start of supervisory and administrative duties of general nature > involving irrigation, channels, repair of anicuts and distributaries, he was > entrusted with the direct execution of a pipe system across a channel, which > carried water from the Panjra River, 35 miles west of Dhulia in Khandesh > district. The result was the design of a water supply scheme in Dhulia, and > later in Poona. He was later transferred from irrigation and water supply to > building and roads. In February 1894, he was called upon to undertake the > execution of the water supply and drainage of Sukkur in Sind. Visvesvaraya > introduced an extremely intricate system of irrigation in Deccan, area, > which had been completely systematised and perfected. > > Visvesvaraya designed and patented a system of automatic waste weir > floodgates. These were installed for the first time in 1903 on the > Khadakvasla reservoir at Poona. The object of these gates was to raise the > flood level of the storage in the reservoir to the highest, level likely to > be attained by the flood, without causing any danger to the dam. The success > of these gates was so remarkable that the same pattern was subsequently > adopted in the Tigra Dam surplus weir of Gwalior and the Krishnarajasagar > Dam of Mysore. > > Government servants get their promotions and increase in their salaries as > per rules. Promotions normally depend on seniority and not entirely on > merit, honesty, integrity and other such qualities. Even the undeserving > sometimes get promoted because they have put in many years of service. > However, for his exceptional qualities Visvesvaraya found early recognition > and was promoted so fast that he became the object of envy for those whom he > superseded. At one time he superseded 18 seniors including many Europeans. > Even though Visvesvaraya got up the ladder faster than others there was > little chance of his being appointed as the Chief Engineer of Bombay, the > only position he had to get as that was the sole preserve of the White man. > Consequently he decided to resign. > > The work, which gave Visvesvaraya all-India prominence, was the appalling > flood in the city of Hyderabad of river Musi that flew through the capital. > It was at this time that Visvesvaraya had to cut short his well-earned rest > on a tour in Europe. At the invitation on behalf of the Nizam to protect the > city from future ravages of menacing floods. Visvesvaraya gave his consent > to act as Special Consulting Engineer from April 15, 1909. After > investigating the engineering aspects of the problems, he started working on > his scheme for the reconstruction of the city, and a flood protection > programme to assure immunity to the city from floods, as well as a modern > sewerage system. > > Visvesvaraya was then appointed Chief Engineer of Mysore on the condition > that his advice on matters of economic improvement and initiation of new > works and progressive development would be acceded to. He held this office > till November 1912, when he was appointed the Dewan of Mysore. > > During his three-year office as the Chief Engineer of Mysore, Visvesvaraya > also was the Secretary to the Government for Railways. The works that he did > during this short period earned him eternal fame. His entry into the > services of the state marked the beginning of a new era in the annals of > Mysore. He worked for the benefit of the people of Mysore. > > A special feature of Visvesvaraya educational programme was the donation > of a sum of Rs 2 lakh and an annual recurring grant of Rs 12,000 to the > Bananas Hindu University of which the Maharaja of Mysore was the Chancellor. > The greatest achievement of Visvesvaraya in the field of education, however, > was the inauguration of the University of Mysore in 1916. By this action > Mysore earned the unique distinction of being the first Indian State to > establish a University of its own. > > Perhaps no man in modern India has done so much to raise the status of > untouchables and socially backward classes in India as Mahatma Gandhi. Long > before Gandhi became the Mahatma there was one little frail engineer, > Visvesvaraya, who in his own silent way tried to remove these inequalities > by persuading the state to give equal opportunities in education and other > important fields. > > There are very few persons in India who have not heard of Krishnarajasagar > Dam and the Mysore Iron and Steel Works at Bhadravati in Mysore. These are > monumental creations of Visvesvaraya. While visiting the Brindavan Gardens, > the Krishnarajasagar Dam with myriads of colourful fountains, brilliantly > lit during nights, with innumerable colourful lights, one always remembers > Visvesvaraya. > > Visvesvaraya was the director of the Tata Iron and Steel Company Ltd., > from 1927 to 1955. The Indian Institute of Science, built by the Tatas, was > developed under the care and guidance of Visvesvaraya. It was the only > Institution of its kind in India before independence. > > Honours came to him in succession. He received the title of CIE at the > Delhi Durbar in 1911, KCIE in 1915, and Bharat Ratna in 1955, along with > Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru. Eight Indian universities conferred Honoris Causa > degree on him. > > Visvesvaraya was a man of cultivated manners. He was abstemious in eating, > but fastidious in tastes. He was a strict vegetarian and a teetotoler. > Visvesvaraya, an outstanding engineer, a celebrated planner, a statesman and > above all, an apostle of honesty and integrity breathed his last on April > 14, 1962. > > (*Published on the occasion of Engineers' Day*) > > *The Assam Tribune,15.09.2007* > > > > > ------------------------------ > Why delete messages? Unlimited storage is just a click > away.<http://in.rd.yahoo.com/tagline_mail_1/*http://help.yahoo.com/l/in/yahoo/mail/yahoomail/tools/tools-08.html/> > > > _______________________________________________ > assam mailing list > [email protected] > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > >
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