GUWAHATI, Dec 18 - Professor Tathagata Roy, the Governor of Tripura, today inaugurated the 30th edition of the Indian Engineering Congress at the Pragjyoti-ITA Centre for Performing Arts, Machkhowa, here.
The Governor, who is also an engineer himself, said in his speech that �engineers are somewhat power shy,� and that they should enter public life more because they know better about public works and how funds can be best utilised for the same. He added that the congress is a kind of platform where more and more numbers of engineers should participate.
The three-day event that started today is being hosted by the Assam State Centre of the Institution of Engineers (India) which is among the largest professional bodies in Asia.
The State engineers� body is hosting this event here for the second time. The last one was held nine years back in 2006, which was the 21st edition of the congress.
About 2,000 delegates from different parts of the country and a few foreign countries are attending the event.
The inaugural ceremony, which got under way at 10 am, was attended by special guests Dr LV Muralikrishna Reddy, the president of the IEI, and HCS Berry, the president-elect of the IEI. A host of nationally and internationally-acclaimed technocrats, engineering scholars and other dignitaries were present on the occasion as invited guests.
Dr AK Mishra, chairman of the Institution of Engineers (India) for the 30th Indian Engineering Congress, delivered the welcome speech. Dr VK Saraswat, member, NITI Aayog, and Dr LV Muralikrishna Reddy also spoke on the occasion.
The other programmes of the day included three memorial lectures, two technical sessions, a felicitation programme called �Glimpses of engineering personalities� and a few award functions, a statement said.
The focus of the congress seminar is on the topic, �21st century engineering: the Make in India pathway,� which was inaugurated by the oldest surviving engineer of the region, DN Barua.
The objective of this congress is to have discussions on the theme to promote ideas and broaden the operational horizon of engineers from different disciplines and to promote engineering practices that lead to sustainable development. A total of 35 technical papers were selected by the review committee for presentation in four sessions of the congress.
A high-end technical exhibition called Prayukti@prag-III, depicting contemporary elements of science and technology, was held at the Sonaram HS School playground, Bharalumukh, which was inaugurated on December 17.
A multi-coloured souvenir was also released today to commemorate the event and highlight the salient scientific, technological, socio-cultural and environmental features of Assam.
For the entertainment of the guests, cultural expositions of Assam are also being organised, which began today with a cultural evening at the ITA, Machkhowa.
