Separate groups of officer trainees of the Central Engineering Service (Roads) and Central Public Works Department together called on the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, today (April 2, 2018) at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Addressing the officer trainees, the President said that their services provide them an enormous platform for serving the nation. All of them would be literally engineering the country’s growth and development. This should be the primary reason for celebrating their success in the Engineering Services Examination.
The President said that as future leaders of our Infrastructure projects, the officer trainees should practice engineering with a social conscience. For instance, they must ensure that the public infrastructure they build – be it offices, residences or roads – is accessible to our differently abled fellow citizens. While formal codes in this regard may exist, projects on the ground need to do more to ensure ease of access. This aspect should not be treated as an add-on to an infrastructure project but should become integral to planning and implementation.
The President said that as young engineers, they are all aware of the ills of climate change and the benefits of energy efficiency. All of them must ensure that buildings, roads and other infrastructure they create are energy efficient and environment friendly. He was happy to note 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. He was confident that the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways too shall continue to accord increasing importance to environmental aspects while undertaking projects.
The President said that the officer trainees have joined institutions that provide them a unique opportunity to serve the nation and touch the lives of millions of fellow citizens each day. If they ever doubt what they can do for the nation and society, they should simply think of stalwart technocrats like Shri M. Visvesvaraya and Shri E. Sreedharan. Like them, the officer trainees should nurture a spirit of Innovation and emerge as solution providers in the midst of challenges.
Click here for text of President’s address
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AKT/VJ/VK
