Text of the Vice President’s speech – 37th Convocation of Indira Gandhi National Open University

I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the graduating Students ,their family members and their teachers. Your hard work, dedication, and perseverance have brought you to this significant milestone, and I commend each one of you for your achievements.

Friends, convocation is much beyond a ceremony. It is a milestone in all your lives. An unforgettable moment. It marks the culmination of years of dedication, hard work, and sleepless nights.

You will move beyond this chapter, leaving behind the familiar charm of student life and embrace the exhilarating life of adulthood.

I am sure a lot of emotions stir within you – pride in all that you have achieved, anxiety about the future, and heartache of saying goodbye to an institution that you have been a part of for the past few years.

Friends, you are fortunate to step into  adulthood at an exciting time- our अमृत काल where there  is hope and possibility of all kinds.

There is in place an ecosystem that is wholesome for exploring your talent and realising your aspirations.

Let me advert to the launchpad that all of you are presently standing on – and this is a very significant launchpad in the history of this great nation that has a civilisational depth of 5000 years. You are henceforth part of the marathon march to Viksit Bharat@2047.

Friends, Governance, once shrouded in shadows, now embraces transparency and accountability. Corruption once bane of the system has now yielded to rule of law. Now all, without exception, are subject to accountability before law. All this has paved the way for your aspirations to truly take flight and dreams to fructify.

On the economic front, our story is one of remarkable dynamism. Negotiating difficult terrain and tough challenges we have traversed from being a “Fragile Five” global economy to the glorious status of being the fifth-largest economy, with ambitions set firmly on the third position in global economy within a few years.

The World Bank applauds our meteoric rise in financial inclusion, achieved in just six years when others projected decades.

The IMF hails India as a global investment hotspot, acknowledging the immense opportunities we offer.

And hence, our projected GDP growth is double the global average, speaks volumes about our economic vitality and its robust premise.

Friends- our strength transcends mere numbers. It lies in the power of collective action. We are now the third-largest powerhouse in terms of purchasing power, showcasing the combined potential we hold.

Our resilient financial ecosystem, fuelled by an inclusive digital payment system, has become a global model. Not only do we use it, we export it.

Indians can now transact using UPI in seven countries, and UPI transactions alone, in 2022, accounted for nearly half of all global digital transactions.

We are not just consumers, we are innovators and leaders in this domain. We even surpass the per capita mobile data consumption of China and the US taken together. This is mobile magic!

Our aspirations extend beyond the Earth’s boundaries. The momentous success of Chandrayaan-3, marking our historic soft landing on the Moon’s South Pole, exemplifies our relentless pursuit of scientific and technological advancements. We now celebrate August 23 as Space Day.

Gone are the days, mark my words, people of my age know it when a bicycle was used to carry parts for our first rocket launch. Today, we have launched over 400 satellites for other countries, developed countries including USA and Singapore.

Friends- reflect and take pride in what truly makes our Bharat so special!

Firstly, we stand tall in the community of nations with a civilizational legacy of over 5000 years, a rich tapestry of knowledge and wisdom that guides our present and shapes our future.

Secondly, we are the largest and most functional democracy in the world, demonstrating our commitment to inclusivity and participation.

I am not taking you to figures but imagine 500 million people have opened their bank accounts for the first time. This is financial inclusion of the highest order ever on the planet. A hundred million gas connections have been given to the needy households. These are just two figures, there can be many.

This spirit of inclusivity resonates globally. The unprecedented G20 Summit held in New Delhi stands as a testament to our leadership. Imagine, G20 footprint was in all the states and in all the Union Territories of the country. It is a remarkable geographical achievement other nations can only look up to.

From engaging all states and union territories across the nation to inducting the African Union as a member of the G20 and launching the Global Biofuel Alliance, India emerged as the voice of the Global South for the first time. Such an important segment of the planet was not being noticed and now it is now being noticed day in and day out.

So dear friends, you are not just entering life but rocketing towards it. All of you are graduating into an India on the rise, India that has shaken off the label of the “sleeping giant”, India’s rise is continual, incremental and unstoppable.

We are no longer the nation defined by its potential. We are a nation realizing its potential. We are a nation enabling global powers to realize their potential. We are a nation that is defining how human resource potential can be exploited.

Seize this incredible momentum, harness the transparency, leverage the economic boom, and turn the opportunities into your personal masterpieces. What do young minds need? They need a system which is free from corruption. Corruption has gone for good. Corruption is no longer a password to a contract or to a recruitment process. It helps all of you.

All are equal before law. Some thought at one point of time that they are above law, law cannot reach them, they have immunity from law. They are now feeling the heat of law day in and day out because democracy cannot survive, democracy cannot breathe unless there is equality before law. Now equality before law is a ground reality for one and all.

Friends, as we navigate the contemporary scenario, we are witnessing an extraordinary infrastructural growth, widespread technology penetration, rapid pace of digitization and a commitment to transparent and accountable governance. Imagine if you choose to work from home, your house in the village is as well equipped as your house in a modern metro. All the facilities that you look for are available in the villages, that is the kind of development this country has seen in the last decade.

These are not mere buzzwords; they are ground reality, as we can all witness today!

Our scientific prowess has not only earned India laurels, but has transformed the lives for ordinary citizens and has fuelled our aspirations for a brighter and more sustainable future.

We stand at a new dawn, an Amrit Kaal where India soars to even greater heights. Our government has sown the seeds of opportunity and growth, pouring its heart and resources into nurturing fertile ground for our collective future and particularly for our young minds, boys and girls who are before me today in large numbers virtually and physically.

As India strides towards becoming the world’s third-largest economy, our young minds should engage to explore a vast landscape of possibilities, unburdened by the shackles of narrow definitions of success.

I appeal to young minds, don’t be killed by competitive mechanism, obsession to hold a government position. Enormous opportunities are available to you, you just have to look and explore. You will be extremely successful, these will be rewarding for you. Grab these opportunities, they will suit your aptitude, they will fulfil your inclinations, Go ahead in that direction.

We should now have enabling policies and initiatives for creating a space where every dream holds value, where individuality thrives, and where success is measured not by societal yardsticks, but by deep, personal fulfilment.

Let me just divert and indicate to you, Examine our startups, they’ve created wonders at global level, they have changed the economic landscape of the country. Their contribution in the economy is immeasurable, they are setting new trends. You have to take the lead when you step out in the larger world.

Let go of the obsession with traditional paths.

Let us think out of the box, If you have an idea in your mind. Don’t fear failure, Failures are natural, failures are success steps towards further success. A failure is a success story, it is not a failed attempt. It’s an essential attempt to secure success. Just reflect that Chandrayaan-3 would not have been there if Chandrayaan-2 wouldn’t have gone to that extent. Chandrayaan-2 was not a failure, it was majorly a success, Chandrayaan-3 fructified it.

Embrace the untapped potential that lies within all of you – the entrepreneur, the innovator, the changemaker.

Instead of competition, let collaboration be our guiding principle. Let us support each other, share our talents, and lift each other up as we embark on this exciting journey.

The world has to be changed when you avail opportunities that are absolutely novel and innovative. I would like to invite your attention to disruptive technologies that will dominate our lifestyles, these are fresh areas. India is one of the few nations in the world which is focusing heavily on Quantum computing, green hydrogen mission, artificial intelligence, blockchain and machine learning. All these are the areas where young minds have to contribute, if you take the lead you will make yourselves a successful person and your family proud. You’ll contribute to the nation as never before and you will be true footsoldiers of Bharat taking its march to 2047.

Friends, you are stepping into a world that is increasingly driven by dynamic and new trends in disruptive technology. You have to be extraordinary, innovative, you have to be on your own. You have to be driven by your own creation, your own thought process. Do not be guided by old age concepts, things have dramatically changed. Take note of it.