President Kovind meets officer-trainees of Military Engineer Service

President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday met with the officer-trainees of the Military Engineer Service (MES) at Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi and urged them to be innovative in their approach to think how the life of the soldiers can be made more comfortable.

"President Kovind meets officer-trainees of the Military Engineer Service at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Urges them to be innovative in their approach to think how the life of the soldiers can be made more comfortable," President of India tweeted.

In his address to the officer-trainees, Kovind congratulated the officers for choosing the MES, the premier construction organisation of the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

"As I learnt, the motto of MES is "AHARNISHAM SEVAMAHE" that means "In-Service Day and Night". There cannot be any better objective than what this motto says in service of our nation," President Kovind said.

He said that MES has an illustrious history. It was created in 1923 and put under the direct control of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in 1948.

It is one of the oldest and largest Government infrastructure development agencies and provides dedicated engineering support to the Armed Forces enhancing their operational preparedness.

MES also provides engineering support to other defence organisations such as DRDO, Ordnance Factories, and Coast Guard. It carries out a variety of construction activities such as residential and office buildings, hospitals, roads and runways, and marine structures across the country including in border areas.

Kovind also highlighted the need to preserve the environment in the field of construction and said that the only way for sustainable development is to adopt green technology.

"I am told that MES is greatly contributing towards reducing the national carbon footprint by completing 150 MW solar photovoltaic projects by 2020. Green building norms, called Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment or GRIHA, are followed in all-new important projects to create environmental friendly infrastructure," he added.

The President said that the officers will serve as the soldiers who guard India's frontiers day and night. "You need to be innovative in your approach to think how the life of the soldiers can be made more comfortable as most of them lead a tough life, living in inhospitable terrain and braving hostile climate," he said.

Boosting the confidence of the officers, the President said, "When in doubt, remember your motto, "AHARNISHAM SEVAMAHE".