Biplab Deb courts controversy again, says mechanical engineers shouldn't opt for civil services

Agartala: Days after courting a controversy with his remarks against former Miss World Diana Hayden, Tripura chief minister Biplab Deb has now said civil engineers are better suited for civil services as compared to mechanical engineers. [caption id=“attachment_4374357” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Biplab Deb. Twitter@BjpBiplab[/caption] “Those who are from a mechanical engineering background should not opt for civil services. Society has to be built up. Civil engineers have this knowledge… because those in the administration have to build society,” he said on Friday at an event at the Prajna Bhavan. Earlier, arts graduates used to appear for the civil services examination, but now, medical and engineering graduates are also joining the services, he said. Deb said civil services officers should be all-rounders as “people who are expert in all disciplines have the highest demand”. To drive his point home, he cited the examples of Sachin Tendulkar and Kapil Dev. “People take names of special players such as Sachin Tendulkar and Kapil Dev. Dev’s bowling was good, but batting was also excellent. This is the age of speciality. All-rounders are accorded highest priority,” Deb said. Deb is no stranger to making controversial statements. On Thursday, he had questioned the crowning of Diana Hayden as ‘Miss World’ in 1997 and alleged that international beauty contests were a farce. Earlier this month, Deb, an arts graduate, had claimed that internet and satellite communication existed in the days of the Mahabharata, drawing criticism from social media, as well as intellectuals and his political adversaries.