President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday called for a multidisciplinary approach to address critical challenges of current times as in today’s world, the solution to any problem is not confined to a single discipline.
She was addressing the 75th annual convocation ceremony of the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda at Vadodara, Gujarat.
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The President said “we need the curiosity of a scientist, the sensitivity of an artist, the perspective of a historian, the insight of an economist, and the consciousness of a sociologist” to address the challenges.
Mrs Murmu asked graduating students to reflect on the purpose of their education and knowledge. She said that when they move ahead in their professional field by prioritizing the interests of the nation and society, they will also progress, and that progress will bring them immense satisfaction.
The President said that education will be meaningful only if it benefits the country and society. She advised students that as engineers, they should develop technologies that improve people’s lives; as doctors, they should view medicine not merely as a profession but as a form of service and as scientists, they should find solutions to problems in the interest of humanity.
Artists or writers should enrich the sensitivity of society; entrepreneurs should create not just wealth, but also employment and opportunities, while teachers should focus on nurturing a young generation that embraces both heritage and progress, the President said.
She said students should be careful while adopting new technology. Artificial Intelligence can provide a solution but only when right questions are put. Data provides information but how its ethical advantage is to be taken has to be decided by the user, she said.
The President said that universities and youth have to play an important role towards achieving the national goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
She said Viksit Bharat will be a country where quality education and healthcare facilities will reach everyone; science and technology will be utilized for human welfare; there will be equality of opportunity and full potential of women and the youth will be harnessed.
