The award recognises Professor Ramnath’s work in illuminating the life and legacy of one of India’s most influential engineers while situating it within the broader historical and social context of nation-building. The jury acknowledged the book for its depth of research and its ability to expand public understanding of India’s institutional and technological history, an area often overlooked in mainstream discourse.
In this biography, Professor Ramnath examines the life and legacy of engineer, administrator, and statesman M. Visvesvaraya, whose enduring influence is reflected in the celebration of his birth anniversary as Engineers’ Day. The book explores how Visvesvaraya rose to prominence through his engineering accomplishments and broader contributions to governance, policy, and nation-building.
Situating his life within a wider historical and social context, the work traces the aptitudes, experiences, and historical contexts that shaped an individual whose influence extended well beyond engineering. It presents a layered understanding of how technical expertise, administrative vision, and historical circumstance converged to shape one of modern India’s most influential figures.
Built on over seven years of meticulous archival research, the book draws on letters, technical papers, newspapers, and institutional records from India and abroad. It demonstrates how M. Visvesvaraya helped shape not only physical infrastructure but also the administrative and intellectual frameworks of a young nation. It places his contributions within the political and economic transformations of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, offering a nuanced understanding of the intersection between technical expertise and governance.
The Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards honour the literary and scholarly strength of Engineering a Nation and its contribution to understanding the intersections of engineering, governance, and modern Indian history. The timing of the recognition is significant as India sharpens its focus on infrastructure, innovation, and state capacity, making a reassessment of Visvesvaraya’s legacy particularly relevant.
Professor Ramnath’s achievement also reflects the broader vision of Ahmedabad University in advancing interdisciplinary scholarship that extends beyond academia and contributes meaningfully to public discourse. The University, established in 2009, operates as a leading private, non-profit research institution offering a liberal education focused on interdisciplinary learning, practice orientation, and research thinking.
Recognised by the Government of Gujarat as a Centre of Excellence, Ahmedabad University has been accredited with an ‘A’ grade by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council. It received the Leadership and Management Team of the Year award at the Times Higher Education Awards Asia 2025 and has secured a 5-star rating, the highest awarded in the Gujarat State Institutional Rating Framework for 2021-22 and 2023-24 by the Knowledge Consortium of Gujarat, Department of Education, Government of Gujarat.
The University Centre has been awarded the Royal Institute of British Architects International Award for Excellence 2024. The institution has also received a ‘Platinum Rating’ by the Indian Green Building Council for sustainability and green practices and a Gold Rating for achieving Green Building Standards. It has been recognised by the UGC under Section 12(B) of the UGC Act, placing it among a select group of private research universities with this distinction.
Further recognition includes being named a Highly Commended University for Teaching and Learning Strategy of the Year in the Times Higher Education Awards Asia 2023 and receiving the AACSB’s Innovations That Inspire Award 2023 for its Foundation Programme.
Rooted in the vision of the Ahmedabad Education Society, founded in 1935 by nationalist leaders, the University offers programmes ranging from bachelor’s to doctoral levels across humanities and social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, and management. Its academic structure includes Amrut Mody School of Management, Bagchi School of Public Health, School of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Ahmedabad Design Lab, Centre for Heritage Management, Centre for Learning Futures, Global Centre for Environment and Energy, International Centre for Space and Cosmology, Sahyog: Centre for Promoting Health, Stepwell Centre for Asian Futures, The Climate Institute, The Institute of Manufacturing and Economy, and VentureStudio.
As an urban university, Ahmedabad University promotes independent-mindedness and diversity, equipping students to become analytically skilled, practically oriented, and contextually aware global citizens. Its academic framework integrates liberal arts, sciences, and professional disciplines to foster new knowledge and address complex societal challenges, preparing students for the evolving demands of the global economy.
The recognition of Professor Ramnath’s work stands as a significant moment in reinforcing the role of deeply researched non-fiction in shaping how India understands its past while informing its future trajectory.
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