Karnataka Approves Official 'Er' Prefix for Engineers Following 'Tr' Honorific for Teachers

In a public administration decision to grant formal institutional recognition to technical and educational professionals, the Government of Karnataka has issued official government orders permitting engineers in the state to prefix 'Er' before their names. This move follows a separate directive released on Teachers' Day, September 5, which authorized school teachers across Karnataka to use the professional prefix 'Tr'. The order allowing the 'Er' prefix was issued by the state administration following an announcement by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar during official celebrations commemorating the birth anniversary of legendary civil engineer Sir M. Visvesvaraya on Engineers' Day. Historically, official professional prefixes in India were largely restricted to medical doctors ('Dr') and academic professors ('Prof'). The Department of School Education and Literacy noted in its order that conferring such titles recognizes a lifetime of professional service and dedication to nation-building. Karnataka, which graduates over one lakh engineers annually and employs nearly 4.5 lakh school teachers, becomes one of the first states to formally accord state-sanctioned prefixes to these professions. Government officials indicated that the symbolic recognition aims to elevate the social standing and morale of technical and teaching communities across the state.