Speech by the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee at the 13th convocation of Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology
Speech by the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee
at the 13th convocation of Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology
I am happy
to be amidst you to share this significant moment in your life. At the
outset, I would like to congratulate those who have completed their degree
programme from this prestigious Institute. I would also like to thank the
management for inviting me to this Institute named after Sir M. Visvesvaraya,
an eminent engineer, planner and statesman of our country.
2.
Today, while remembering this great
son of India on his birth anniversary, I would like to quote his philosophy on technical
education. He had said, (quote)
“No
great improvement can be affected without definite ideals and organizations.
“Investigate, educate, organize” should be our watchwords if we are to quicken
the life pulse of the people and train them for a larger and fuller life.”
(Unquote)
I am happy that this Institute
has taken steps to realize his philosophy and to sensitize the students to
technology enhancement and social causes. I am confident that all the
students passing out from this Institute will imbibe the ideals, vision,
philosophy and professional qualities of Sir Visvesvaraya. I am
also glad to know that the Convocation of this Institute is usually conducted
on the birth anniversary of Sir Visvesvaraya, which is also celebrated as
Engineers’ Day in India, to pay tribute to this visionary leader.
Dear students,
3.
The convocation today marks the
completion of a vital phase in your life. You all have worked hard to
acquire knowledge, technology and skills through the programme of the
Institute. While achieving this, you might have undergone pressures, ups
and downs and anxious moments. On this significant day in your life, you
would be experiencing a certain joy and happiness to see your perseverance,
hard work and commitment being translated into achievement of your goals and
objectives. I am happy that all of you will now enter the
professional field to become part of an active and skilled work force and will
also add to the technical prowess of our nation.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
4.
Education in general, and technical education in particular, has always been
seen as an instrument of transformation for economic, social and political
development of the country. We have always emphasized the role of science
and technology in solving the problems of society. I am reminded of what
Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan had said in 1966 in his Message to the Nation on
the occasion of Independence Day, and I quote,
“Science and
technology will help us to solve the problems of hunger and poverty, of disease
and illiteracy, of superstition and deadening custom, of vast resources running
to waste of a rich country inhabited by a poor people.” (unquote)
We have to effectively utilize the power of education,
the strength of science and technology in the right direction to bring positive
transformation in society. You, as graduates of this Institute, have the
responsibility for ushering in societal transformation using the knowledge of
science and technology which you have acquired.
5. In today’s
world, technology is disruptive. It brings in fast paced changes making
it difficult, many a times, to keep pace with the evolving technological
environment. The pace of change in technology makes the continuous
learning process even more challenging. Today, after passing out from the
hallowed portals of this Institute, I would urge all of you to continuously
keep updating your knowledge and skills to deliver substantive outcomes for
your organization, society and country. I am sure the faculty
members of this Institute have empowered you to overcome myriad challenges and
become successful leaders in whatever field of work you may decide to work in.
Friends,
6.
Technologists are professional
practitioners of engineering with special emphasis on applying scientific
knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technological
problems. Technologists integrate their knowledge of the physical sciences with
more abstract realms beyond the boundaries of current technology in all areas
of life. They have many different types of jobs to choose from, including
research, design, analysis, development, testing, and sales positions.
Technologists are problem solvers who search for quicker, better and less
expensive ways to meet tough challenges. Thus, technology graduates like
you will play a pivotal role in understanding and furthering the relationship
between science, technology and society for a better tomorrow. On this
momentous day when you set out on your journey into the real world, I call upon
each one of you to take a pledge to make the full use of technology for the
benefit of mankind and to see that the use of technology spreads happiness,
prosperity and general well-being amongst the people of this country.
7.
The government has initiated the
"Start-up India, Stand up India" campaign to promote financing for
start-ups and offer incentives to boost entrepreneurship and job
creation. The success of this initiative will depend on how innovatively
we can use the technology as well as human resources available in our
country. I call upon you, the young technologists, that instead of
looking for job opportunities, you may aim to become entrepreneurs, who create
job opportunities for people. Through your start-ups and entrepreneurships
you can create enterprises, which will create wealth for the nation, society
and people. This will be your biggest contribution to inclusive and
sustainable development of our country.
8.
For the past three years, almost
like a parrot, I have been repeating at the Conferences in Rashtrapati Bhavan
and at Convocations that no single Indian institution is in the list of top 200
institutions of the world. As a result of several pro-active steps taken
in the last three years, the ranking scene is beginning to change. It is
a proud moment for Indian academic community and the institutes of higher
learning that in the QS World University Rankings of 2015-16 released today, we
have two Indian institutes in top 200 of the world.
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore is ranked at no. 147 and
Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi is ranked at no.179. Apart from
this, IIT-Bombay is ranked at no. 202. Indian institutions have done
remarkably well and I will like to take this opportunity to congratulate the
faculty members and staff of these institutions. I will also like to
appreciate these institutions for responding to my repeated calls to take the
ranking process seriously and to present the credentials of our institutions by
providing data at the appropriate time.
9. A high rank
can boost the morale of the academic community and open greater avenues of
growth and placement for students. It can help attract the best faculty from
India and abroad and provide a benchmark for continuous quality enhancement. I was reading a report that IITs
rank at 61st position globally, when rated as a system.
Similarly, the IITs as a unit together, are among the world’s top
entrepreneurial under graduate universities at no. 4, after Stanford, UC
Berkeley and MIT. I am sharing this information to highlight the
entrepreneurial capacity of our institutions and their potential to transform
India through innovation and indigenization. The NITs, as institutes of
national importance, have to take a lead in creating the capacity for
innovation and entrepreneurship and align it with the national development
goals. I would like to call upon your institute to take a lead in this
direction.
10.
Knowledge and innovation are the keystones of
progress. Competitive advantage can be derived from an eco-system
conducive to new learning, research and innovation. I am sure that VNIT,
Nagpur which is following the footprints of the technology visionary, Sir M.
Visvesvaraya, will take a lead in creating an eco-system for entrepreneurship
and innovation amongst the NITs.
Friends,
11.
On this 13th Convocation of
VNIT, 1117 students have received their degrees. I congratulate all the
students who have become graduates today. You are a valuable asset to
your profession and to the intellectual wealth of our nation.
India is a country full of opportunities as well as challenges. Each one
of us aspires for change. I would like to conclude by quoting
Mahatma Gandhi who had said, “Be the change that you wish to see in this
world.” I once again wish all of you the very best in your chosen
fields of activity. I am sure you will make all of us proud of your
achievements in the years to come.
Thank you.
Jai Hind.
Post a Comment