PM Modi Focuses on Education and Youth at IIT Delhi’s 57th Convocation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday addressed students at IIT Delhi’s 57th Convocation, where more than 3,000 students and 587 PhD scholars were present. His address focused on continuous learning, questioning established ideas, solving problems, India’s startup ecosystem, semiconductor manufacturing, and the role of young graduates in the country’s development.

Here are five key takeaways from Modi’s address:

1. Keep learning and questioning

Modi urged graduates to keep their curiosity alive and continue learning as technology, industries, professions and global power equations change.“Keep curiosity alive in life. Keep your learning instinct awakened.” He said students should test things that are accepted without thinking, raise questions and have the courage to find answers.

“Those who keep learning will succeed,” he said. He also suggested students to value their time at IIT Delhi, from orientation to convocation, as they move into the next stage of their lives. “As responsibilities grow in the future, these memories will become a cherished reminder of your journey, bringing you back to the past.”

2. Young entrepreneurs are driving India’s startup growth

Modi highlighted the role of young Indians in the country’s startup ecosystem and pointed to IIT Delhi’s alumni who have gone on to become startup founders.

“It is young people like you, from this very generation, who have shaped and empowered India’s startup revolution,” he said. He added that the achievements of one institution indicate the potential being created across the country. “If a single institute can achieve so much, just imagine the immense force that is being built across the entire country,” Modi added.

3. Semiconductor manufacturing shows what India can build

Modi referred to India’s semiconductor programme while speaking about taking on difficult technological challenges. He said there had been questions over whether India could manufacture semiconductors when the country began taking steps in the sector. He noted that production has now begun at the country’s first semiconductor unit.

“I firmly believe that from chips to ships, everything will be made here by your hands,” Modi said.

4. Break large problems into smaller ones

Modi told students not to be intimidated by challenges that appear too large. Instead, he asked them to divide such problems into smaller parts and work towards solutions. “Whenever you find a big challenge, don’t get scared. Divide it into small parts,” he said.                           
He referred to the way students spend hours or days working through simulations before arriving at solutions. According to Modi, problems will continue to arise in life, but they can also create opportunities for people who remain alert and look for new solutions.

5. Graduates will have a role in India’s next 30 – 35 years

Modi said the next 30 to 35 years of the graduates’ lives will coincide with India’s journey towards ‘Viksit Bharat’. He said students should consider the national impact of their decisions and careers, including two questions: How will this benefit the country? and Which national need will this fulfil?

His closing message was that having the courage to find new solutions can help turn challenges into opportunities, a principle IIT Delhi had already taught its students.