Indian youths will make the years till 2047 memorable in history- PM Modi

Addressing the 38th Convocation Ceremony of Bharathidasan University in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed confidence in the ability of India’s youth. He said, “I am confident in the ability of young people to make the years till 2047 the most important in our history.”

“Our nation and its civilization has always been centered around knowledge”, the Prime Minister said as he threw light on the ancient universities of Nalanda and Takshila. He also mentioned Kanchipuram, Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Madurai being home to great universities which were frequented by pupils from across the globe.

Purpose of Education

While presenting awards to the meritorious students of the University, the PM asked the young scholars to think deeply about the purpose of education and how society looks at scholars. He quoted Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore about how education teaches us to live in harmony with all existence. He said that the entire society has played a role in bringing the students to this day and emphasised the importance of giving back to them, creating a better society and country. “In a way, every graduate here can contribute to creating a developed India by 2047,” he said.

Role of youth

Referring to the University’s motto- ‘Let us create a brave new world’, the Prime Minister said Indian youth are already creating such a world. He listed the contribution of young Indians in creating vaccines during the pandemic, Chandrayaan and the increase in the number of patents from 4000 in 2014 to almost 50,000 now. He also pointed out that India’s humanities scholars are showcasing India’s story as never before. He also highlighted the achievements of sportspersons, musicians and artists. “You are entering the world when everyone is looking at you with new hope in every sector”, he added.

Speed, Skill and Scale

“Youth means energy. It means the ability to work with speed, skill and scale”, the Prime Minister remarked as he underlined that the government is working to match the students with the same speed and scale in the last few years.

In the last ten years, the Prime Minister mentioned the doubling of airports in the country from 74 to nearly 150, doubling of the cargo handling capacity of all major ports, doubling of the speed and scale of construction of highways, and the number of startups growing to almost 1 lakh from less than 100 in 2014.

He also spoke about India achieving a number of trade deals with important economies thereby opening up new markets for India’s goods and services, while creating countless opportunities for the youth. He said that India is being welcomed as a part of every global solution as he mentioned strengthening of institutions like G20, fighting climate change and playing a bigger role in global supply chain. “In many ways, due to local and global factors, this is the best time to be young in India”, the PM said as he urged the students to make the most of this time and take the country to new heights.

Unlearning, Reskilling and Upskilling

Noting that the journey of the University is coming to an end today, the Prime Minister insisted that there is no end to the journey of learning. “Life will become your teacher now”, he said. He underlined that it is important to work proactively on unlearning, reskilling and upskilling in the spirit of constant learning. “In a rapidly changing world, either you drive the change or the change drives you”, the Prime Minister concluded.