Unite, O engineers

Throw an egg from the top of Dhara-hara and you will hit an engineer,” said someone once. Unite, O engineers

Nirajan Pudasaini

Published at : May 14, 2014

Updated at : May 14, 2014 08:32

Throw an egg from the top of Dhara-hara and you will hit an engineer,” said someone once. We have produced a lot of engineers today. Even then, the development of infrastructure in the country is still at a nascent phase. Neither have our engineers been successful in inventing or developing something new, nor have they become able to implement things developed by others for the country’s good. We often make fun saying that our country isn’t able to produce even a needle. What is the reason behind this? Who is to be blamed?

Undoubtedly, many of us might say that our politicians are the ones to blame. I was shocked upon hearing the words of a retired officer of the government of Nepal. According to him, the blame for the worst condition of our nation today goes to engineers. Every year, billions of rupees comes for various development projects in our country from different donor organisations and INGOs. With this money, various projects are implemented at places. But in consensus with contractors and local leaders, engineers fill their pockets. Development projects are left behind. That’s why engineers are the ones responsible for our undeveloped country, he said.

I am an industrial engineer and I am currently doing MTech in India, so the subject is something close to my heart. The engineering profession has lost its charm today. A decade ago, it was regarded as the topmost profession in our society. But the failure of engineers to develop the nation, increasing number of unemployed and unskilled engineers each year and stories of corrupt and fraudulent engineers have decreased the faith of people towards engineering and engineers. Arguably, some engineers in the past were frauds. They developed themselves from the budget allocated to develop the country. And our engineering institutions are producing unskilled engineers. Engineering colleges in our country teach to pass and not to learn. These institutions have become “business houses”.

A complete overhaul of the courses, teaching mechanism, evaluation method and faculty orientation can help increase the production of competent and cognizant engineers.

Engineers are the ones who play an important role in the progress of the people, society and the nation as a whole. Using their inherent skills and knowledge, engineers should work for the benefit of others. Engineers are the ones who develop medicines and medical devices for doctors, aeroplanes for pilots, machines for industrialists and tractors for farmers and so on.

No engineers means no any other profession. I wonder if we would not be in the Stone Age today if engineering hadn’t progressed. It’s thus the duty of us engineers to respect this “best profession” and work for the development of the nation.