Very good afternoon all of you, Hon’ble Governor, Shri C.P. Radhakrishnan ji, Shri Ashok P. Hinduja ji, Chairman, the Hinduja Foundation. Ashok ji, what you reflected, express your sentiments, there can be many caveats, I am not as good as you indicated. You set a very high benchmark for me.

We have two very distinguished members of Parliament. Praful Patel has been in Parliament since 1991, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. A former Union Minister, one of the seniormost politicians of the country, has been instrumental with football association and is very good at scoring political goals.

And another caveat that can come for me, Milind Deora. His father, Murali Deora ji, hand held me. A lovable politician for the entire nation, particularly for Mumbai.

Milind is very promising and knows when to make the right move. I am talking about those who can give caveats. We have amongst us Honourable Minister, Mangal Prabhat Lodha. He is suave, polite, persuasive and for a man like me, if a person is gifted with three qualities, there is everything to worry about. Because you can't anticipate, so there can be a legitimate caveat. And on top of it, if I am staggering a little, it is on account of presence of my son- in-law, Karthikeya Vajpayee.

But the good relief is that Karthikeya is in the sound company of Soman Satya and therefore will not be in that mode at the moment. But Ashokji, you rightly focused on something which is very fundamental and a contemporaneous need. And something which is part of our civilisation ethos and essence.

We must remain well grounded and rooted to Sanatan. And Sanatan has to be part of our culture, our education. Because Sanatan stands for inclusivity. Sanatan offers solutions to the most intractable problems the global challenges indicate. I therefore appreciate it and the endorsement by the Honourable Governor immediately is vindication of your stand. Smt Harsha Hinduja ji well I have got formidable challenge from my wife, but I take some solace. Ashok ji is facing equally strong challenge. Shri Paula Brown, President of the Hinduja Foundation is a copy book person. It doesn't deviate from what is requirement for the college. While traversing journey of the college, she unfolded future programmes. Smt. Chandrakala Joshi, Principal, Hinduja College. When I looked at the faculty, the very distinguished faculty, I found she has to be little fair to my gender. There were more women in the faculty than men. To be on her right side, I quickly looked a Praful Patel and then extended an invite to her that the faculty will be my guest for visit to the new building of Parliament, and I'll have the occasion to have lunch with them along with Shri Praful Patel and Shri Milind Deora.

Bombay is a place which gave to the country a principle of quid pro quo. And I so recall because I happen to be a politician who went to Parliament in 1989 and was a Minister in 1990. But a small explanation. This is not quid pro quo.

Distinguished members of the faculty, I must recognise the presence of some whom I know but everyone present here is a distinguished person. I convey my respects. Shri Neeraj Bajaj, Shri Amarlal Hinduja Ji, Dr. Rajesh Joshi and Shri Rupani, I have had some connect with them in one form or the other. I am particularly here for young boys and girls, and let me tell you boys and girls first, there are no backbenchers. There are only backbenches.

And let me tell you at the outset, all my life I happen to be a gold medalist, and that was never a good idea. I suffered a traumatic obsession what will happen if I don't come to number one? It was too late in the life I learnt, Heavens have never fallen so far. Why fear them? It is good to be in the first top ten. So never have tension, never have stress. 

India today is envy of the world for the reason that it has your dividend, dividend of the youth. This demographic dividend is your possession, your repository. Undoubtedly you are the important stakeholders in democracy and governance. And therefore I am happy to announce here that Indian Council of World Affairs of which I happen to be the President, will have an MOU with your organisation.

 

MOU will fructify in next two months. And I tell you the reason for the delay. We are awaiting a new Director. We are looking for a good person that will give you an exposure to global events. And there will be footprint of global personalities here. Around the time Ashok Hinduja celebrates his 75th birthday, So does the Institution. The milestone is glorious both for the individual and the Institution. By the way he doesn't look that old, but this is an occasion also of stocktaking, reflection and planning for way forward. Planning in our times is very challenging. Because we have challenged times on account of onslaught of disruptive technologies. A kind of Industrial revolution. A new era is being heralded virtually every moment. Those of the diplomats who are present here and bring on the table experience and exposure of their own countries will bear me out. And therefore the Institute will have to focus way-forward strategy. It is soothing to note it has quite a mark at the national level.

It will be a deemed University but time for it to set the tone to become a Global Institute of excellence. It was indicated a while ago. Learning! I keep on telling boys and girls, शिक्षान्त कभी नहीं होती, दीक्षांत होता है।

Learning never stops. Even after you leave the institute you have to learn every day, and this principle was first put in public domain in pre-Socrates era by a great philosopher Heraclitus. And he was a great philosopher. He was a great philosopher. He was a great philosopher. And Heraclitus reflecting on change said the only constant in life is the change. He buttressed it by an illustration. The same person cannot enter the same river twice because neither the person is the same nor the river is the same. So boys and girls keep on learning, and what your computer tells you keep on self-learning also.

Because you are your best teacher. Take this institute for instance. It was seeded by Shri Paramchand Hinduja ji. It was a Sindhi teaching school to begin with. And look at that sapling, the shape it has taken now. It is fructifying aspirations of 6000 students.

Which means a small beginning yields great results. When in 1969 on 20th July, incidentally 20th July happens to be birthday of my wife. Another coincidence it was on that day in 2019, President of India signed my warrant appointing me Governor of the state of West Bengal, but let me invite attention to what Neil Armstrong said. He said small step for me, big leap for mankind.

What was done to begin with will turn out undoubtedly according to me one of the best institutions in the world. It has vast pool of alumni across sectors. Now this has enormous potential. This potential can reflect in several ways.

Time to harness it. An initiative can emanate from here, blessed by Hinduja Foundation. For emergence of a confederation of alumni associations. We have alumni associations but I am referring to confederation. This will go a long way in contributing sectoral policy evolution of the government. Just imagine if there are confederations of IIT alumni associations, IIM alumni associations, an association of the kind that your college represents. This confederation can go a long way. Such convergence of talent is a valuable pool for government. It can enlighten the government on policy pathways.

 

Hinduja Foundation is well enabled to catalyse alumni confederation culture across institutions in the country. While I appreciate great job that is being done by the faculty, it is a satisfied faculty that makes for the institution. Institution is defined by the infrastructure because that is the basic need, but an institution is recognised by the faculty it has. I am so happy and delighted to see the faculty is committed and vibrant, but then institutions have blossomed beyond faculty and infrastructure.

It is there in that I express a deep sense of gratitude to Hinduja Foundation and members of the family for sustaining this institution through continuous philanthropy. Ladies and gentlemen, Hinduja group has been at the centre of India's growth story. The Hinduja group is multinational, multi-sector, conglomerate with pronounced social and cultural footprints.

Group's deep interest in education philanthropy and sublime commitment to Bharatiya culture are commendable. It was a pleasant revelation to me when I was laying foundation stone of a building in Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in New Delhi. I gathered that the Hinduja group helped establish the first overseas branch of Vidya Bhavan in New York.

A great step. The leaders of the group have realised the need to bridge East and West divide and why it is essential. Because there has to be portrayal of the orient in authentic way. Because there are challenges emanating from the West and from that perspective the group is working in that direction.

One instance I can share with the distinguished audience. Establishment of Dharam Hinduja Indic Research Centre at Columbia University is a very desirable move. We look forward, Ashokji, for more such steps in this direction. Friends, I need to reflect on some concerning aspects for larger good. Sharing our concern is always good because then we can address the problem. Philanthropic endeavours should not be driven by philosophy of commodification and commercialisation. Our health and education sectors are being plagued by these.

The group in this context offers emulative instance by confining philanthropy much away from commerce. The group is wedded to the concept of giving back to the society. I urge everyone so involved to nurture this culture. Many in the audience will bear me out that endowments of some of the Universities in the US is in billions of dollars.

What is there in this country that we do not have this culture? In the West, anyone working out of an institute stands committed to make some fiscal contribution. Quantum is never important. I would urge our corporates to think in that direction.

 

Friends, according to me, education is the most impactful transformative mechanism because it brings about equality. It cuts into inequities. It affords level playing field. It creates genius by discovering the genius through the path of education. Our framers of the Constitution were very wise men. They put education in the concurrent list.

Those of you who are not lawyers, concurrent list means it is a joint concern of the State and the Union. I would appeal from this platform, a platform where I have witnessed that by way of philanthropy, it is giving back to the society. It is concurrent responsibility between the government and the private sector.

Those in industry, trade, business and commerce must come forward and take initiatives. I appeal the country's private sector to rise to this occasion and accord highest priority to education. My friend Praful Patel is doing it in his own way.

I await an invitation to his contribution in this sector. India at the moment is in economic upsurge. We have phenomenal infrastructural growth, deep digitisation, technological penetration because people of this country have tasted in last decade, fruits of development.

People centric policies have been highly rewarding. This has converted the nation as the most aspirational nation in the world at the moment and therefore education gets primacy.

Quality education is a gift and we in the country, must work towards educational excellence. We have seen and you noticed by way of Start-ups, Unicorns and otherwise, our industries are evolving. Corporate leaders should view investment in education, not a charity.

Beyond philanthropy, it is investment in our present, investment in our future and to put it straight away, it is investment for development of the industry, business and trade. And therefore all efforts must be taken that these investments take quantum leap.

Look at our country. If our GDP at one point of time was one third of the world or more, it was premised on what count? We had glorified Institutions– Udantpuri, Takshashila, Vikramshila, Sompura, Nalanda, Vallabhi. The world frowned. Scholars came from every nook and corner of the globe to get knowledge and give knowledge and share knowledge.

Thirst of knowledge was satisfied. But then what happened about 1200 years ago? Nalanda, ancient India's intellectual jewel, it housed 10,000 students and 2,000 teachers. Nine-storied building.

And what happened? 1193, Bakhtiyar Khilji, reckless destroyer of our culture, our academic Institution. The premises were set to fire. For months, fire consumed vast libraries, turning hundreds and thousands of irreplaceable manuscripts on Mathematics, Medicine and Philosophy to ash.This vandalised devastation wasn't merely architectural but represented the systematic erasion of centuries of knowledge, and that makes Ashok ji your observation relevant. We must make our people aware about Sanatan values.

Ladies and gentlemen, what vanished in those flames was the living record of ancient Indian thought, creating an intellectual void that continues to echo through history as one of this civilisation's most profound cultural losses. Just look around which country can take pride in 5,000 years of civilisation ethos. No one comes close to us.

And now, fortunately, in this century, we have re-arrived at the global stage. We need to reclaim that glory. We are on way. We have to take a holistic view of education in this country. I call upon leaders, Parliamentarians and thought leaders present here. We have to monetise every moment of this century.

We cannot afford to fall victim or prey to narratives that emanate from sources that are inimical to the very existence of Bharat. We have to work to revive institutions like Nalanda, our intellectual legacy, and this is essential for realising goal of Viksit Bharat at 2047.

Friends, the entire world knows today India is no longer a nation with potential. Viksit Bharat is not a dream. It is a certain definitive destination, and it may be fast-tracked much before 2047 if we bestow intelligent attention to education. We have a litany of IITs, IIMs across India's academic landscape. But right now, if you look around, many niche areas, our Institutional footprint is either fragile, thin or not at all there.

Now, when we are faced with such a situation, it is fundamentally required that we diagnose the issue. A resolution cannot emanate unless we know the ground reality. These are the areas where we can take lead in the world.

It is for the first time, I think, in last several decades, that India is in single-digit number of countries that are focussing on Quantum computing, green hydrogen, Artificial Intelligence, and even commercial exploitation of 6G technology, but then, we need skilled men force.

Our young boys and girls are still in the same silo or groove of government jobs. My young friends, boys and girls, if International Monetary Fund accolades Bharat as a favourite destination of investment and opportunity, it is not on account of government jobs.

If World Bank hails us with the digitisation that has happened in this country, penetration of opportunity to the last village in six years is otherwise not accomplishable in four decades, and therefore, please be aware of the opportunity basket that is ever getting enlarged for you.

Whether it is Blue economy, Space economy, whether you are on the sea surface, deep sea, ground, sky or space, opportunities for our youth and corporates are ever enlarging. But then, Institutions like yours have to be crucibles of change. You have to focus very deeply on research.

I must share with you one concern. Research is not for the shelf. Research is not supposed to be on the shelf. Research is not an assimilation of cut and paste. Research is not surface scratching. Research has to correlate to the ground transformative mechanisms. And therefore, everyone involved with research, we must be having stringent standards to assess our research. This country has a great potential. Government is only one facet.

If we go much beyond the government and give ideas to the people, in any field, results will be geometric. Ashok ji, I'm making an appeal to you now. Through you, I'm making an appeal to everyone who is possessed of wealth, possessed of wisdom, and keenly devoted to serving the society by giving it back.

Please, let us have green field institutions in these areas for new and emerging technologies. There must be centres of research. And I can share with you, distinguished audience, and my two very distinguished Parliamentarian friends will bear me out and the Honourable Minister would also know of it. The governmental policies are going a long way in promoting contribution in these areas. Long way. Only a team has to be constituted by leaders in industry, trade, commerce and business to exploit the fullest potential of these areas.

I have for a long time held an idea dear to me if the corporates come together our organisations like FICCI, CII, ASSOCHAM, PHD and various other chambers. If they pool their CSR, we can have every year Institutes of Excellence springing up in various parts of the country. If the modest target is set for four in a year, the Govt has only land to make available. Rest, I am sure you will bear me out.

Rest I am sure you will give me out Industries while capable when it comes to creating infrastructure of securing even faculty. Faculty is best attracted through the industry because then there is an assurance of stability. so these kind of Ideas must be there.

Another issue which we are facing in the countries, we have Institutes of Excellence But the variation is taking place only on the account of faculty, there is no infrastructural variation. faculty mobility you have to think about it. Presently, the system is such that a systemic change is required But the foundation stature of Hinduja foundation  can catalyse the big movement in this area  and therefore faculty members from  one place to another can navigate. There can be a group to look after them that will go a long way.

Technology has to be used in particular to change the rural landscape of rural education, that is foundational and to bring that about we have to use Technology. The country at the moment has 400 aspirational blocks. If corporates adopt blocks then what they will get.  in every village you will find land for the school, enough infrastructure even teachers are well paid as compared to the private. What is lacking is motivation and greasing. So that engine of education can fire on all cylinders. The corporates converge on this idea to adopt aspirational blocks and that I can assure you will be a gamechanger. This will reflect public private partnership in sublimity and making lives of India much better.

Friends, as we commemorate 75 years of KPB Hinduja college, Let us celebrate the rich legacy. Let us pay our tributes to the legendary figure who had this vision and nurture it to the next level. Let us leverage every resource to make it a global benchmark. with the collective efforts of faculty, students,  alumni and stakeholders, I have no doubt that this college will scale greater heights in the years to come as deemed University.

I extend my heartfelt congratulations to KPB Hinduja College, Hinduja Foundation and Hinduja Family on this remarkable milestone.  May the next 75 years be even more glorious, filled with new achievements, milestones, and contributions to society.

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JK/RC/SM

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