The desire to excel and attain perfection has become keener and this is a healthy sign for a society aiming to attain excellence, he said at the valedictory session of the Indian Engineering Congress organised by The Institution of Engineers here.
"For our engineering institutions to cope with the challenges of a changing global scenario, the skills acquired by our engineers need to be constantly honed and updated," he said.
Stating that students need to be taught to be creative and innovative so that it provides them with necessary skills for invention, he said, "the rapid development of the country requires engineers to be creative and innovative".
Noting that an engineer plays a "responsible role" in a society, he said, "the earlier notion of engineers building bridges, dams and operating power stations has undergone a drastic change."
"People now look at engineers as playing a more versatile role," he added.
Stating that Tamil Nadu has actively promoted engineering colleges and was in the forefront of engineering education, he said, "alongside knowledge of engineering it is important for engineering institutions in Tamil Nadu to remember that engineers should also develop their communication skills."
"Only then will they be able to contribute in a larger way to the development of the nation," he said.
As an engineer one must remain well informed of the latest developments in the field otherwise one runs the risk of "becoming redundant", he cautioned.