“Progress in every country depends mainly on the education of its people. The difference between one man and another, apart from birth and social position, consists in the extent of knowledge, general and practical, acquired by him.”

These golden words of Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, one of the most respected engineers of the country, hold great significance in today’s world. People know him as an engineer, who built many dams and reservoirs or as the architect of Vrindavan Garden, a major tourist attraction in Mysore. But Visvesvaraya, my role model, was more than that.

He was a pioneer of modern India and his principles and ideas on education, modernisation and planning made him a person worth emulating. Sir MV, as he was fondly known, is my hero because I always dream about becoming an engineer, a visionary like him. His contribution to the country is immense.

With his effective flood control measures, he played an instrumental role in controlling rivers such as Ganga, Mahanadi, Sindhu, Kaveri and so on.

Gatikrushna Sahoo

Class IX, Saraswati Sishu Vidya Mandir,

Unit-VIII, Bhubaneswar