Keep learning, question the status quo, RBI Guv Malhotra tells IITians

Never stop questioning the status quo and keep learning because karma largely determines outcomes, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra said on Monday as he went down memory lane and shared his thoughts with IIT students.

An alumnus of IIT Kanpur, Malhotra also emphasised that trust is the foundation on which any relationship is built, whether it is marriage, friendship, or at the workplace - between the CEO and the employees, or between a company and its consumers.

Malhotra recalled his days at IIT Kanpur and sounded nostalgic as he even mentioned his roll number while delivering the address at the 58th convocation of the institute.

As a fellow alumnus, roll number 85213, who has experienced life after campus, Malhotra said there are four learnings from his journey -- learning for life, questioning the status quo, pursuing virtuous karma and trust.

"Remember that learning is for life. The moment one is not learning, it is a signal that one is not growing; one is not advancing. It is knowledge which will keep you ahead of others...," he said.

He is a graduate in Computer Science and Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, and a Master in Public Policy from Princeton University, USA.

Malhotra, an Indian Administrative Service Officer of the 1990 batch, Rajasthan Cadre, took charge as the 26th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India on December 11, 2024.

Immediately prior to this appointment, Malhotra was Secretary, the Department of Revenue (DOR) in the Ministry of Finance.

"Dear graduates, it is a special day for you as you enter a new and exciting phase of life. It is an equally special day for me and doubly so. First, this institute has had a transformational impact on me, my life and my thoughts.

"I remember with nostalgia my years at IIT. I still vividly remember my first day at IIT when my mother came to drop me with another batchmate," he said.

He further told the passing students that with a degree from a prestigious institute and a good job in hand, please don't think that you have arrived.

"The moment you think you have arrived, you will stagnate. The moment you believe you know everything, you will stop growing," he said.

Malhotra advised the graduating students to have confidence in themselves.

"Your journey of transformation began here at IIT Kanpur. Now, transform the world as leaders who are trustworthy; who continue learning for life; who question the status quo and who pursue virtuous karma," the governor said.

Malhotra has vast and diverse experience across various key sectors, including power, finance and taxation, and information technology, and has held key positions both at the state and the central government, apart from having a stint with a United Nations agency.

He was also Chairman and Managing Director of Rural Electrification Corporation Limited. Malhotra served on the Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India as a government nominee director from February 16, 2022, to November 14, 2022.