PM asks IIT-D graduates to drive research, innovation in emerging sectors

The Prime Minister said graduates' careers over the next three decades can shape India's journey towards becoming a developed economy, and urged them to focus on research, technology and self-reliance

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged graduates of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi to use their education to solve problems that the world had stopped looking at, as he identified research, emerging technologies and self-reliance as key areas for India’s journey towards becoming a developed economy.

 

Addressing the institute’s convocation, Modi said rapid changes in technology, industries and professions meant that young people would have to keep learning throughout their careers. An IIT degree, he said, should not merely be seen as proof of having cleared examinations, secured a good CGPA, or obtained a placement, but as evidence of an ability to solve difficult problems.

 

“I think your degree shows the world that you know how to solve difficult problems,” Modi said. He said the graduates’ journey through subjects, projects and examinations had taught them to break down seemingly difficult challenges into smaller components, adding that the same approach would help them deal with challenges in life.

 

The Prime Minister said the next 30-35 years of the graduates’ careers would have a bearing on India’s journey towards becoming a developed country. He asked them to consider the country’s requirements while making professional decisions.

 

“Whatever you do in the next 30-35 years of your life will impact our journey towards a developed India. Therefore, the basis of every decision of yours should also be how it will benefit the country,” Modi said. He highlighted economic, technological and industrial self-reliance as the foundation for a developed India.

 

Modi pointed to the expansion of opportunities for young people in sectors such as space, semiconductors and drones. He said the government had opened up sectors that had previously offered limited opportunities for youth, and cited young engineers building launch vehicles, producing semiconductors and developing new applications for drones.

 

He identified artificial intelligence, data centres, critical minerals, deep-sea exploration, batteries and power storage, energy security, electric mobility and quantum computing as sectors awaiting talent, innovation and leadership from young people.

 

“Now there is another big possibility in front of all of you, and that new opportunity is research. Today the country needs new research and we are equally focused on research,” Modi said.

 

He highlighted the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship, the Research Development and Innovation Scheme, and the National Research Foundation, and said Rs 1 trillion was being arranged for research. He also cited the 'One Nation, One Subscription' initiative for widening access to global research journals.

 

PM Modi also cautioned graduates against comparing their careers based on salaries, companies, cities or countries, noting that social media had intensified such comparisons. He urged them to instead focus on improving themselves while also paying attention to their physical and mental health.