New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday addressed the 57th Convocation Ceremony of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, urging graduating students to look beyond textbook problem-solving and tackle challenges the world has “stopped considering as questions.”
Addressing the graduating batch, the PM recalled attending the institute’s convocation virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic and said that his physical presence on campus this year held deep personal significance for him.
He congratulated the students and their families, stating that their degrees carried a mandate to contribute meaningfully to the nation, not merely academic distinction.
The PM reminisced about campus life, referring fondly to the rivalry among IIT Delhi’s hostels – Kumaon, Ara, Kara, Vindhya, Nilgiri, Kailash and Himadri – as well as popular local food spots including Jia Sarai’s poha and Satpura mess parathas. He said these memories would continue to energise students as they took on larger responsibilities in the future.
Modi told the graduates that, unlike university examinations, real-world challenges operate entirely “out of syllabus,” and that true achievement lay in identifying problems society had grown complacent about rather than solving predefined questions.
He noted that many successful IIT alumni stood out because they dared to raise questions others had stopped asking, according to an official statement.
Linking individual career choices to national progress, he said students should evaluate every decision based on its benefit to the country. He highlighted government initiatives aimed at youth empowerment, citing growth in India’s space sector, semiconductor manufacturing, drone technology and startup ecosystem as new avenues of opportunity for young innovators.
On the research front, Modi referred to the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship and the Anusandhan National Research Foundation, which has been backed with funding of up to Rs1 lakh crore. He also mentioned the “One Nation One Subscription” scheme, which provides access to global research journals in smaller cities at no additional cost.
Cautioning students against the pressures of social media comparison, the PM advised them to prioritise mental and physical well-being over comparing salaries, placements or achievements with peers. “Life is not a leaderboard,” he said, urging students to compete only with themselves.
The PM concluded his address by congratulating the students, their families, faculty and the broader IIT Delhi support system for guiding them to this milestone.
