President Ram Nath Kovind stated that the top three girls in the civil services examinations and three female toppers at IIM Jammu showed that India is heading toward greater women empowerment and women-led empowerment. He added as he handed medals to IIM toppers Sonali (gold), Shraddha Shukla (silver), and Raafeeq Dawara (bronze) at the fifth annual convocation of IIM Jammu, “The future of our country depends on good education of our young population.”
He said, “The National Education Policy seeks to position India as a ‘Knowledge Hub’ in today’s knowledge economy. It seeks to make our youth equipped for the world of the 21st century while preserving our ancient values, which remain relevant even today. For India to become a global knowledge hub, our institutes of learning have to be globally comparable.”
The President stated that one of the important elements in the country having one of the strongest start-up ecosystems in the world is the mindset of being a job-creator rather than a job-seeker. He also exhorted students to be rapid learners and re-learners throughout their lives. “Convert challenges into opportunities. You have to be ‘pro-changers’ and yet be sensitive to ‘no-changers’ so as to convert them into supporters of change", he stated, “they have to look at tomorrow while learning from yesterday."
“I hope that each one of you would strive to make our nation proud and make a positive contribution to development of society and nation," Kovind said, advising students to retain an open mind, open heart, and a strong will.
