Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, commonly referred to as MV or M. Visvesvaraya, was the first Indian civil engineer and statesman, serving as the 19th Diwan of Mysore. He was born on September 15, 1861, and passed away on April 14, 1962. Visvesvaraya had a strong passion for education and dreamed of making significant contributions to his country.
He began his formal education in Bangalore (now Bengaluru) and earned a BSc from the University of Madras. After that, he earned a Diploma in Civil Engineering (DCE) in Bombay (now Mumbai) from the University of Bombay via the third-oldest engineering college in Asia, the College of Engineering, Pune.
Early life:
M. Visvesvaraya was born on September 15, 1861, at Muddenahalli, Kingdom of Mysore (Now Chikkaballapura district, Karnataka), into a Telugu-speaking family of Mokshagundam Srinivasa Shastry and Venkatalakshm. After completing his degrees, he helped found the Deccan Club and became its first secretary.
Visvesvaraya began his career by working with the Government of British India. He worked in the Bombay presidency and other British-held colonies in the Middle East, and later he worked for Hyderabad. After taking retirement, he began his administration and continued his engineering career in Mysore.
Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya received India's highest honour
Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya had received India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 1955. He was awarded for his exceptional contributions to the nation, and later, George V, king of the United Kingdom, decorated him as a Knight Commander of the British Indian Empire in honor of his contributions to society. To pay tribute to his legacy, National Engineers Day is celebrated in India, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania on the occasion of his birth anniversary on September 15 every year.
