Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday drew laughter at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi convocation ceremony with a light-hearted reference to spiritual leader Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, popularly known as Baba Bageshwar. While addressing graduating students, Modi said he was not Baba Bageshwar but suggested that, like the spiritual leader's audiences, the students too must have many thoughts running through their minds about their future.
“All of you are gathered here today, but there must be something going on in your hearts. Now, I am not Baba Bageshwar, but there must be something going on,” Modi said. He then referred to the different concerns likely occupying the graduates, including future careers, salaries, moving to new cities and launching start-ups, before encouraging them to reflect on their journey from orientation to convocation.
More than 3,000 students, including 587 PhD scholars, received their degrees during the ceremony. Congratulating the graduates, Modi said their achievement represented more than simply receiving academic qualifications and urged them to carry forward the aspiration of contributing to the country. He also expressed pride in the students and acknowledged the role of their families in supporting their educational journey.
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The Prime Minister presented IIT Delhi's academic honours to students who had demonstrated outstanding performance. The awards included the President's Gold Medal, Director's Gold Medal, Shankar Dayal Sharma Gold Medal and Perfect Ten Gold Medal. Modi also reflected on campus life, encouraging students to remember their friends, teachers and support staff, whom he described as people who had become like family during their time at the institute.
In another light-hearted moment, Modi remarked that it would have been even better if some of the meritorious students were daughters, before immediately correcting himself and adding that there were many such students. He encouraged the graduates to cherish the occasion and remember the experiences that shaped them during their years at IIT Delhi as they move into the next phase of their lives.
Modi also virtually inaugurated 'Param Pragya', an AI-powered high-performance supercomputing facility at IIT Delhi's Sonipat campus. The facility is expected to strengthen the institute's capabilities in artificial intelligence, data science and advanced computing, while supporting interdisciplinary research. The inauguration added a technology-focused dimension to a convocation ceremony centred on the academic achievements and future ambitions of the graduating students.
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