Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the lives, choices and decisions of India’s youth would play a crucial role in shaping the country’s journey towards becoming a ‘Viksit Bharat’, and stressed that those who continue to learn will succeed in a rapidly changing world.
Addressing the convocation ceremony of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, PM Modi said rapid technological advancements and shifts in the global strategic landscape would bring both challenges and new opportunities for the younger generation.
More than 3,000 students, including 587 PhD scholars, were conferred degrees at the ceremony.
“The world’s strategic equations are changing quickly, and the global balance of power is shifting every moment. The biggest force behind this transformation is the rapid pace of technology. Today, no one can say with certainty what the world will look like over the next 20–30 years,” PM Modi said.
“But whenever a period of change comes, it brings challenges as well as new opportunities. The world will change, technology will advance, industries will grow, and professions will evolve. But remember one thing: Those who keep learning will succeed,” he added.
Emphasising the importance of continuous learning, the Prime Minister said technological advances would reshape industries, professions and the nature of work in the coming decades.
“You are all aware that every generation faces the specific challenges of its time and also bears its own national responsibility. Whatever you do over the next 30 to 35 years of your lives will influence our journey towards a ‘Viksit Bharat’,” he said.
“Hence, every decision you make should also be focussed on how it will benefit the country. Which of the nation’s needs will this fulfil?” PM Modi added.
The Prime Minister also highlighted research and innovation as major avenues for young graduates, noting that several government initiatives had been introduced to encourage researchers and strengthen India’s research ecosystem.
“The Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship is providing our talented youth with opportunities to conduct research. A ‘Research, Development, and Innovation Scheme’ has been launched to enable the advancement of new ideas. The National Research Foundation has also been established to give fresh impetus to science and research in the country. Funding of up to Rs 1 lakh crore is being arranged for the research sector,” he said.
“Through the ‘One Nation, One Subscription’ initiative, prestigious global research journals are now reaching even the smallest towns in the country at no additional cost,” PM Modi added.
He underlined the importance of ensuring that young Indians have access to knowledge, research resources and opportunities to compete and contribute at the global level.
During the ceremony, PM Modi presented IIT Delhi’s academic honours to meritorious students for their outstanding performance. The awards included the President’s Gold Medal, Director’s Gold Medal, Shankar Dayal Sharma Gold Medal and Perfect Ten Gold Medal.
The Prime Minister also virtually inaugurated ‘Param Pragya’, an artificial intelligence-powered high-performance supercomputing facility at IIT Delhi’s Sonipat campus.
The facility is expected to strengthen the institute’s capabilities in artificial intelligence, data science, advanced computing and interdisciplinary research.
(IANS Inputs)
