Prime Minister Narendra Modi used a light moment at IIT Delhi’s 57th convocation to speak about the ambitions students carry beyond their degrees. Referring to the campus’s artificial-intelligence initiatives, he told graduates that he was not Baba Bageshwar, but could still sense that every student had a future plan running through their mind.
The remark drew laughter, but the larger message concerned the transition from campus to public life. Modi said graduates were leaving with dreams of doing more for the country, while congratulating students who received medals for their achievements.
The ceremony also placed emphasis on technology in the institute’s next phase. New AI-related initiatives were introduced at IIT Delhi, and the Prime Minister extended his best wishes to the students involved in them.
He also expressed the hope that more daughters would be represented among students receiving academic honours. For the graduating class, the speech combined celebration with expectation: a degree marks an achievement, but its value will be measured by how students apply knowledge, judgement and innovation after leaving the institute.