The Vice-President Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar today called upon the youth to decimate & neutralise the false narrative being peddled by certain forces to taint and tarnish the image of Bharat and its institutions. Interacting with the faculty & students at IIT Delhi today, the Vice-President expressed his anguish over the narrative being floated that IITs are catering to those, who are in the upper class. “IITs, I know for sure, people from the village come, people from humble backgrounds come, people who have made it with great difficulty, but a different impression is sold to the outside world,” he said while adding that each student who gets admission to these prestigious institutions does so based on merit and merit alone.

Shri Dhankhar further said that “For some strange reason, our growth is in digestible to some. Some people can go to the extent and say that Pakistan has a better Hunger Index than India. Imagine how far they can go. They have some problems which Institutions like IIT must solve to find out why the digestive system is so repulsive to the growth of this country, something has to be done.

In his address, Shri Dhankhar asked the students to focus their efforts on cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing, and Green Energy as they strive towards realizing "Bharat 2047 that is just not a vision but a reality that surpasses the world of our dreams”. He encouraged the students ‘dream big, think decisively and never be tentative.’

Praising the National Green Hydrogen Mission as an important initiative towards expediting the adoption of green hydrogen as a sustainable energy source. He highlighted that India will become the ‘Global hub for the production and export of green hydrogen by 2030’, which will attract an “investment of 8 lakh crores and create over 6 lakh jobs”, he noted.

Referring to the National Quantum Mission as the ‘Quantum Jump for India’ to accelerate Quantum Technology led economic growth, Shri Dhankhar informed that Union Cabinet on April 19, 2023 approved over 6000 crore rupees for this project that will leverage Bharat into a leading nation in the latest ecosystem.

Acknowledging IITs as ‘crucibles that have transformed the nation and world’, the Vice-President underscored the pivotal role that IITs played in India's developmental journey. He also pointed out that leaders of major organizations in India and around the world proudly carry the IIT badge.

Underlining the significance of economic nationalism as ‘fundamental for our country's growth’, Shri Dhankhar underscored the vital principle that our raw materials should remain within our borders. He stressed the need for value addition to be executed domestically. Furthermore, he highlighted that our practice of importing certain day-to-day items not only depletes our foreign exchange reserves but also denies our workforce of potential employment opportunities.

The Vice-President also commended the wide-reaching impact of IITs across the nation in democratizing access to world-class education, while cautioning against the dissemination of false narratives that label IITs as exclusive to the upper strata of society. He urged students to counter any anti-India narratives in a ‘Vigilant manner’ that taint and tarnish the image of Bharat and its institutions.

Calling the young minds of India, as the vanguards of a resurgent Bharat, he said that gain of knowledge and education by such bright minds holds the potential to bring about a societal change. The Vice President also said that the global interest in nurturing an IIT campus within their counties speaks volumes of the credibility with IIT Delhi's endeavors to establish one in the Middle East.

During his visit to IIT Delhi, the Vice President also interacted with Senate Members of IIT Delhi. Director, IIT Delhi, Prof. Rangan Banerjee, faculty members, students and other dignitaries attended the student interaction program..

Following are the excerpts from the Vice President’s speech –

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1970909

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