PM addresses Valedictory Ceremony of Centenary Celebrations of University of Delhi

Newdelhi30/6/23:The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the Valedictory Ceremony of Centenary Celebrations of the University of Delhi at the Multipurpose Hall of Delhi University Sports Complex today. He also laid the foundation stone of the building for the Faculty of Technology, Computer Centre and Academic Block, to be built in the North Campus of the University. The Prime Minister released Commemorative Centenary Volume – Compilation of Centenary Celebrations; Logo Book – Logo of Delhi University and its colleges; and Aura – 100 Years of University of Delhi.

The Prime Minister took a metro ride to reach University of Delhi. He also interacted with the students during the journey. Upon arriving, the Prime Minister took a walkthrough of the exhibition – Journey of 100 Years. He also witnessed Saraswati Vandana and University Kulgeet presented by the Faculty of Music and Fine Arts.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister asserted that he had firmly decided on taking part in the Valedictory Ceremony of Centenary Celebrations of University of Delhi and said that the feeling is like a homecoming. Referring to the short movie played before the address, the Prime Minister said that the contributions of the personalities which have emerged out of the University give a glimpse of the life of Delhi University.  The Prime Minister expressed happiness to be present at Delhi University on a festive occasion and in a festive spirit. Underlining the importance of the company of colleagues for any visit to the University, the Prime Minister expressed happiness to have the opportunity to travel by Metro to reach the event.

“The Industry 4.0 Revolution is knocking on India’s doors”, the Prime Minister remarked as he noted that technologies like AI, AR and VR which could only be witnessed in the movies have now become a part of our real lives. He noted that Robotics has become the new normal from driving to surgery and said that all these sectors are creating new avenues for the young generation of India. In the past years, the Prime Minister continued, India has opened its space and defence sector and made huge changes in the policies related to drones which have provided a chance to move forward for the youth.

The Prime Minister explained the impact of the growing profile of India on the students. He said now people wish to know about India. He mentioned India’s help to the world during the corona period. This created a curiosity in the world to know more about India that delivers even during the crisis. He said growing recognition through events like the G20 presidency is creating new avenues for students such as Yoga, Science, culture, festivals, literature, history, heritage and cuisine. “The demand of Indian youth is increasing, who can tell the world about India and can take our things to the world”, he said.

The Prime Minister said that Indian values like democracy, equality and mutual respect are becoming human values, creating new opportunities for Indian youth at fora like government and diplomacy. He also emphasized that the focus on History, culture and heritage is also creating new opportunities for the youth. He gave the example of tribal museums being set up in different states of the country and the development journey of independent India being presented through the PM Museum. He also expressed delight that the world’s largest heritage museum – ‘Yuge Yugeen Bharat’ is also going to be built in Delhi.

The Prime Minister also recognized the growing recognition of Indian teachers and mentioned how world leaders have often told him about their Indian teachers. “This soft power of India is becoming a success story of the Indian youth”, he said. He asked the universities to prepare their mindset for this development. He asked them to prepare a roadmap for this and asked Delhi University that when they celebrated 125 years, they should figure among the top-ranking universities in the world. “Future making innovations should be done here, world’s best ideas and leaders should emerge from here, for this you will have to work continuously”, the Prime Minister said.

Concluding the address, the Prime Minister emphasized the need to prepare our minds and hearts for a goal that we set for ourselves in life. He underlined that the responsibility of preparing the mind and heart of a nation has to be fulfilled by its educational institutions. The Prime Minister expressed confidence that Delhi University will fulfill these resolutions while taking this journey forward. “Our new generation should be future-ready, have the temperament to accept and face challenges, this is possible only through the vision and mission of the educational institution”, the Prime Minister concluded.Union Minister for Education, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan and Vice Chancellor of University of Delhi, Shri Yogesh Singh were present on the occasion.

Background

The University of Delhi was established on 1st May 1922. In the last hundred years, the University has grown and expanded immensely and now has 86 departments, 90 colleges, and more than 6 lakh students and has contributed immensely towards nation-building.