ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA, SHRI RAM NATH KOVIND ON THE OCCASION OF CALL ON BY THE OFFICER TRAINEES OF CENTRAL ENGINEERING SERVICE (ROADS) AND CENTRAL PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
Rashtrapati Bhavan : 02.04.2018
1. I happy to see this room full of young and bright engineers. I welcome you all to Rashtrapati Bhavan and congratulate you for your selection to the Engineering Services. I am told that you are a mix of civil, mechanical and electrical engineers who shall be responsible for managing infrastructure projects and key technical functions in two very important organisations – the Central Public Works Department and the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. Your selection to the Engineering Services is truly an achievement for you and your families.
2. Your services provide you an enormous platform for serving the nation. Quite literally, all of you shall be engineering the country’s growth and development. This, to me, should be the primary reason for celebrating your success in the Engineering Services Examination.
3. Those among you who are joining CPWD must be proud of this organisation’s history of building public infrastructure in the country. After our Independence, CPWD took the lead in nation building. It created physical infrastructure in key sectors such as Agriculture, Aviation, Surface Transport and Telecommunications. We all know the role that CPWD plays in construction of public offices, residential projects and road and flyovers. Equally noteworthy are its projects that concern fencing and lighting along international borders as well as its impending projects for construction of high altitude border roads.
4. CPWD, through its projects, touches the lives of millions of citizens across the nation. We at Rashtrapati Bhavan too see CPWD in action every day as it works for the maintenance and upkeep of this national building. In January this year, we introduced dynamic façade lighting at Rashtrapati Bhavan. This too was a project managed by CPWD.
5. I am told that 26 of you have joined the Central Engineering Service for Roads. The Roads sector is truly a remarkable sector to work in. It is a key focus of the Government’s infrastructure push. Roads impact our lives as well as the prospects of our nation. Quality road infrastructure is the bedrock of industrial development, trade and commerce, employment generation and balanced regional growth. Roads give the farmer connectivity to sell his or her produce for a better price in a bigger market. Roads are also critical for ensuring efficiency of fuel and time, national security, and safety of traffic and passengers. All of you have the responsibility of ensuring that through a network of high-quality highways and roads we become an increasingly connected nation – both internally as well as externally with our neighbouring countries.
6. As future leaders of our infrastructure projects, I call upon each of you to practice engineering with a social conscience. For instance, ensure that the public infrastructure you build – be it offices, residences or roads – is accessible to our differently-abled fellow citizens. While formal codes in this regard may exist, the projects on the ground need to do more to ensure ease of accessibility. This aspect should not be treated as an add-on to an infrastructure project but should become integral to planning and implementation.
7. As young engineers, you are all aware of the ills of climate change and the benefits of energy efficiency. All of you must ensure that buildings, roads and other infrastructure you create are energy efficient and environment friendly. I am happy to know that CPWD has taken initial steps towards construction of Net Zero Energy green buildings. It should strive to ensure that green buildings become the norm. I am sure that the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways too shall continue to accord increasing importance to environmental aspects while undertaking its different projects.
8. All of you have joined institutions that provide you a unique opportunity to serve the nation and touch the lives of millions of fellow citizens each day. If you ever doubt what you can do for the nation and society, simply think of stalwart technocrats like Shri M. Visvesvaraya and Shri E. Sreedharan. Like them, nurture a spirit of innovation and emerge as solution providers in the midst of challenges. Do your duty and lead your life with a spirit of positivity that will allow you to make meaningful changes – both at your work places as well as in society at large.
9. I wish all of you a long and fulfilling career.