President Murmu delivers convocation address at NIT, Kurukshetra, launches development initiatives in Haryana

Kurukshetra, November 29, 2022

President Droupadi Murmu today urged students not to judge their success in future employment on the basis of the salary package.

Delivering her address at the 18th Convocation of the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Kurukshetra, Murumu said they should not be limited by traditional notions of success and societal pressures.

They have to decide what they want to do in their life. She urged them to choose a career that gives them satisfaction and a sense of meaning in life. She also urged parents to motivate their children for excellence. In striving for excellence, achievements will automatically come their way.

The President said today the whole world is going through a phase of rapid change. Due to the technological revolution, the nature of jobs as well as the basic needs of the people are changing.

These changes are also challenging the existing methods of engineering. Due to the technological shift, it becomes very important that technical institutions like NITs become "future-ready".

She said she was happy to note that NIT Kurukshetra was moving towards introducing futuristic courses like artificial intelligence and data science, robotics and automation and industrial internet of things.

The NIT has established a state-of-the-art Siemens Centre of Excellence in which special emphasis is being laid on smart manufacturing and automation designs and e-mobility.

The establishment of this centre has led to increased collaboration with industry, academia and Research and Development organisations such as DRDO and BHEL.

The President said the region of Haryana and Punjab has made a very important contribution in the development of Indian agriculture. The progressive farmers of this region have made the green revolution possible by using modern technology and providing food security to the country. But today, increasing air and land pollution and depleting groundwater levels in the region have emerged as major problems.

It is the responsibility of NIT Kurukshetra to find technical solutions to these problems. During the pandemic, it became clear that the common citizen of India is technology friendly. If technology is for the betterment of society, then it gets full cooperation from the public. The success of digital payment is an example of this phenomenon, she added.

The President, during her visit to Haryana, also attended an International seminar on the Bhagwat Gita and launched or laid the foundation stone for various projects related to health, road transport and education.

She launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Swasthya Sarvekshan Yojana’ and Haryana e-ticketing projects for all public road transport facilities and laid the foundation stone for a Medical College and Hospital in Sirsa through virtual mode.

At the Gita seminar, she said Shrimad Bhagavadgita was a global book in the true sense. It has been translated into many languages. The number of commentaries that have been written on Gita would hardly have been written on any other book. Just as Yoga is India's gift to the entire world community, Gita is the spiritual gift of India to the entire humanity. The Gita is a life code and spiritual beacon for humanity.

She urged the organisers to make efforts for the promotion and dissemination of the message of Gita. She emphasized that putting the teachings of Gita into practice is more important.

At the function to launch the health survey scheme and Open Loop Ticketing System and laying the foundation stone for Medical College and Hospital in Sirsa, she said that these initiatives remind us of the saying in the Gita ‘Sarva-bhūta-Hite Ratāḥ’ which means those engaged in the welfare of all beings deserve the grace of God. She appreciated the Government of Haryana for these people-welfare initiatives.

Later in the evening, the President attended a civic reception hosted in her honour by the Government of Haryana at the Haryana Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh.

Addressing the gathering, the President acknowledged the contribution of Haryana in various fields such as politics, space science, sports, food security of the country, industrial production, service sector, defence, and so on. She said that with an area of ​​less than 1.4 per cent and population of less than 2 per cent of India, Haryana has been contributing immensely in the overall development of the country.

Farmers of this state have made invaluable contributions to the food security of India. She noted that ‘Centres of Excellence’ have been set up in Haryana in collaboration with countries like Israel, Brazil and Netherlands to adopt successful modern practices in the agriculture sector.

The President said that along with agriculture, Haryana is also a leading state in industrial production and service sector. It is a major automobile producing state. She noted that more than 250 Fortune 500 companies have their offices in Gurugram and this city is called ‘Global City’. She also noted that Haryana is also among the top five states and union territories in terms of per capita income.

NNN