PM’s speech at 38th Convocation of Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirapalli
Speaker: Narendra Modi
Date: 02 Jan, 2024

Governor of Tamil Nadu, Thiru RN Ravi Ji, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Thiru MK Stalin Ji, Vice Chancellor of the Bharathidasan University, Thiru M Selvam Ji, My young friends, Teachers and support staff of the University, Vanakkam! एनदु माणव कुडुम्बमे, Being here at the 38th Convocation ceremony of the Bharathidasan University is special for me. This is my first public interaction in 2024. I am happy to be in the beautiful state of Tamil Nadu and among young people. I am also glad to learn that I am the first Prime Minister to have the privilege of coming to a convocation here. I congratulate the graduating students, their parents and teachers on this important occasion. एनदु माणव कुडुम्बमे, Often, the creation of a university is a legislative process. An Act is passed and a university comes into being. Later, colleges are started under it. Then the university grows and matures into a hub of excellence. However, with Bharathidasan University, the case is slightly different. When it was created in 1982, many existing and prestigious colleges were brought under your university. Some of these colleges already had a track record of producing great people. So, Bharathidasan University started on a strong and mature foundation. This maturity has made your university impactful in many domains. Whether it is humanities, languages, science or even satellites, your university makes a unique mark! एनदु माणव कुडुम्बमे, Our nation and civilization have always been centred around knowledge. Some of the ancient universities such as Nalanda and Vikramashila are well known. Similarly, there are references of places like Kanchipuram housing great universities. गंगई-कोण्ड-चोलपुरम् and Madurai were also great seats of learning. Students from across the world used to come to these places. एनदु माणव कुडुम्बमे, Similarly, even the concept of a convocation is very ancient and well known to us. For example, take the ancient Tamil Sangam meeting of poets and intellectuals. In Sangams, poetry and literature were presented for the analysis of others. After analysis, the poet and their work were recognised by larger society. This is the same logic used in academia and higher education even today! So, my young friends, you are part of a great historical tradition of knowledge. एनदु माणव कुडुम्बमे, Universities play a crucial role in giving direction to any nation. When our universities were vibrant, our nation and civilisation were vibrant too. When our nation was attacked, our knowledge systems were targeted immediately. In the early part of the 20th century, people like Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya and Sir Annamalai Chettiar started universities. These were hubs of knowledge and nationalism during the freedom struggle. Similarly, one of the factors behind the rise of India today, is the rise of our universities. India is setting records in economic growth as the fastest growing major economy. At the same time, our universities are also entering global rankings in record numbers. एनदु माणव कुडुम्बमे, Your university has awarded degrees to many of you today. Your teachers, family, friends, everyone is happy for you. In fact, if you are seen outside wearing your graduation gown, people will congratulate you even if they don’t know you. This must make you think deeply about the purpose of education and how society looks at you with hope. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore said that the highest education does not give us just information. But it helps us to live in harmony with all existence. The whole of society, including the poorest of the poor, played a role in bringing you to this important day. Therefore, giving back to them, creating a better society and country is the true purpose of education. The science you learnt can help a farmer in your village. The technology you learnt can help solve complex problems. The business management you learnt can help run businesses and ensure income growth for others. The economics you learnt can help work on reducing poverty. The languages and history you learnt can help work on strengthening culture. In a way, every graduate here can help contribute to creating a developed India by 2047! एनदु माणव कुडुम्बमे, I am confident in the ability of young people to make the years till 2047 the most important in our history. Great poet Bharathidasan said पुदियदोर् उलगम् सेय्वोम्. This is also your university’s motto. This means let us create a brave new world. Indian youth are already creating such a world. Young scientists helped us ship vaccines to the world during COVID-19. Indian science is on the world map through missions like Chandrayaan. Our innovators took the number of patents from around 4,000 in 2014 to almost 50,000 now! Our humanities scholars are showcasing the India story to the world like never before. Our musicians and artists are continuously bringing international awards to our country. Our athletes won a record number of medals in Asian Games, Asian Para Games and other tournaments. You are stepping into the world at a time when everyone is looking at you with new hope in every sector. एनदु माणव कुडुम्बमे, Youth means energy. It means the ability to work with speed, skill and scale. In the last few years, we have worked to match you in speed and scale, so that we can benefit you. In the last 10 years the number of airports has doubled from 74 to nearly 150! Tamil Nadu Has a vibrant coastline. So, you would be happy to know that the total cargo handling capacity of major ports in India has doubled since 2014. The speed of road and highway construction in the country has almost doubled in the last 10 years. The number of registered start-ups in the country has grown to almost 1 lakh. This was less than one hundred in 2014. India has also sealed a number of trade deals with important economies. These deals will open up new markets for our goods and services. They also create countless new opportunities for our youth. Whether it is strengthening institutions like the G20, fighting climate change, or playing a bigger role in the global supply chain, India is being welcomed as a part of every global solution. In many ways, due to the local and global factors, this is the best time to be a young Indian. Make the most of this time and take our country to new heights. एनदु माणव कुडुम्बमे, Some of you may be thinking that today is the end of university life for you. That may be true, but it is not the end of learning. You will not be taught by your professors any more but life will become your teacher. In the spirit of constant learning, it is important to proactively work on un-learning, reskilling and up-skilling. Because, in a rapidly transforming world, either you drive change or change drives you. Once again, I congratulate the young people graduating here today. I wish you all the best for a bright future! मिक्क ननरी