Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged graduating students at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi to remain curious, challenge accepted ideas and develop the courage to find solutions. Addressing the institute’s 57th convocation ceremony on Saturday, he said the students were not merely receiving degrees but taking forward a larger dream for the country.

Congratulating the graduates, their families and faculty members, PM Modi said the ceremony represented the culmination of a demanding academic journey and the beginning of a new chapter. He offered special praise to medal recipients and welcomed the launch of new artificial intelligence initiatives at the institute, describing the campus atmosphere as vibrant and filled with ambition.

Highlighting the achievements of young Indian engineers, the prime minister said they were building launch vehicles, sending rockets into space and accomplishing feats achieved by only a few countries. “Somewhere, a young engineer proudly says: ‘First in my bloodline to build a rocket,’” he remarked, using internet-influenced language to underline the changing aspirations of India’s younger generation.

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PM Modi advised students to preserve their instinct for continuous learning as they entered professional life. He encouraged them to question assumptions but stressed that criticism alone was insufficient. “Question things that are accepted without a thought, but don’t just stop at questioning; have the courage to also find their solutions,” he said, adding that an empowered youth population would strengthen the country as a whole.

Referring to rapid technological advances and changes in the global geopolitical and strategic environment, PM Modi said the present era offered both significant challenges and unprecedented opportunities. He told the graduates that those who continued learning would ultimately succeed. An IIT degree, he added, represented more than a strong cumulative grade point average or an attractive placement offer, serving as recognition of a graduate’s ability to solve difficult problems.

The prime minister encouraged students to approach major life challenges in the same way they handled complex academic or laboratory problems—by breaking them into smaller, manageable components. He acknowledged that graduates would pursue different ambitions, including securing their first salaries, building startups and preparing for competitive examinations. Linking their future contributions to India’s development, he said greater economic, technological and industrial self-reliance would form a strong foundation for the country’s goal of becoming a developed nation.

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