77th Raising Day of IDSE Cadre celebrated at Air Force station Palam
The 77th Raising Day of the Indian Defence Service of Engineers (IDSE) cadre under the Military Engineer Services (MES), Ministry of Defence, was celebrated on 17th September 2026 at the Jumbo Mazumdar Centre, Air Force Station Palam, New Delhi.
The officers marked the occasion by organising a one-day conference with the central theme: “Ethics, Accountability and Excellence towards achieving the aim of Viksit Bharat @ 2047.” The conference was attended by dignitaries from various departments and ministries, including the Ministry of Railways, Central Vigilance Commission, Defence Accounts Department, National Highway Authority, and Public Sector Undertakings.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh conveyed their greetings and messages to IDSE officers on the 77th Raising Day. In their messages, they laid emphasis on ethics, transparency and accountability.
AK Jain, IDSE, DG (Pers), delivered the welcome address. He emphasised that as professionals entrusted with public works and Government construction, IDSE officers carry a responsibility that goes beyond engineering excellence. “Ethics, Integrity, Accountability and Transparency must remain the cornerstone of every decision and every project undertaken. A culture of transparency and accountability not only strengthens public confidence but also reinforces the credibility and reputation of the engineering profession and the government,” he said.
Vivek Kumar Gupta, IRSE, Member (Infrastructure), Railway Board, highlighted the importance of integrity and ethics in railways, where capital expenditure is Rs 3 lakh crore. He reiterated the importance of seven benchmarks of ethical practices laid down by Gandhiji. He said excellence is the need of the hour for the entire engineering fraternity if the dream of Viksit Bharat by 2047 is to be achieved.
Lt Gen Vikas Rohella, AVSM, SM, Engineer in Chief, MES emphasised the importance of ethical teachings from the early stage in life. He said the education system must be strengthened in these directions. The introduction of the Electronic Measurement Book and various other steps taken in MES will go a long way to strengthen ethics and accountability. He also touched upon all the stages of public procurement, and said discretion exercised at all stages must be qualified with ethical principles.
Arvind Arora, IDSE (Retd) Ex DG (Pers), spoke on the topic of “Integrity Pact” and ways to eliminate corruption in public procurement. He also highlighted the important role of “Independent External Monitor” in infrastructure projects and underscored the importance of various checks and balances.
Rajneesh Tomar, IRSME JS&CVO (MES & BRO) emphasised adopting digital initiatives for resolution and streamlining the procedure of vigilance and disciplinary inquiries to fast-track the disposal of long-pending cases. He emphasised maintaining the balance between enforcement of ethics and accountability and harassment of Government officials. He gave importance to reforms needed in MES in addressing and fast disposal of disciplinary cases.
Sharad Sharma, IDSE, Director, CVC, delivered a talk on the ongoing three-month preventive vigilance campaign: “Probity for Prosperity”. He further described the role of the Central Vigilance Commission, preventive steps in the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) to stop corruption, and the different nature of complaints and their disposal, such as PIDPI, etc.
Ashish Nath, IDSE, CVO, NHAI, discussed the different technologies adopted by NHAI to reduce corruption, such as FasTag, Zero Cash, digital monitoring through Drones, Dash Cams and AI monitoring.
The conference concluded with a vote of thanks given by AK Dubey, IDSE, Joint Director General (Discipline & Vigilance).
On the occasion, the complete fraternity of MES, including senior officers of the Corps of Engineers and representatives of all cadre associations such as Surveyors, Architects, Barrack and Stores, and Administration, were present.
