Roorkee (Uttarakhand) [India], September 19 (ANI): Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General NS Raja Subramani on Saturday urged graduating students of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee to adapt to a rapidly changing world, saying that "Bharat is not a geography but a responsibility" carried by generations.
Addressing the IIT Roorkee Convocation, CDS Raja Subramani said, "Bharat is not a geography. It is a responsibility which generations before you have carried, and you will carry as you navigate this world."
Speaking about the changing global landscape, the CDS introduced the acronym "DHARA" to describe the transformations shaping the world.
"I want to speak about the changing world, and I'll give you an acronym for that. That is Dhara. What I mean by Dhara is D - disruptive; H - hyper-connectedness; A - asymmetry; R - realignment; and A - autonomy," he said.
"The world is undergoing enormous disruption. Technology is changing faster than we can catch up. You, as graduates, will have to learn, unlearn, relearn, adapt, and remain curious throughout if you want to keep up with the changing world," General Raja Subramani said.
Highlighting the impact of growing interconnectedness, he said, "We are hyperconnected not only in terms of WhatsApp and social media but also in terms of our financial systems, our airlines, our networks, and our energy systems. This interconnectedness also carries vulnerability with it."
He urged future engineers and technologists to focus on developing resilient systems.
"You, as the future engineers and technologists, need to develop systems that have resilience," he said.
Calling on graduates to become problem solvers, the CDS said, "As graduates, you have to be tenacious to confront the obstacles that are going to be in front of you—tenacious to solve problems. Be problem solvers, not problem creators. Build something. Use your mind to further what the country needs. All of us can complain, but there are very few who take the initiative to do something about it. Be a doer; be a problem solver."
The two-day convocation ceremony of IIT Roorkee began on Saturday, where degrees were awarded to 2,701 students. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval attended the event as the chief guest, while CDS General NS Raja Subramani was the guest of honour.
Addressing the graduates, NSA Ajit Doval said they belonged to the "luckiest generation in the last 1,000 years", entering a world filled with unprecedented opportunities driven by technology.
"You may not be conscious of the fact that, in the last 1,000 years, you are the luckiest generation, which is going to have so many opportunities," Doval said.
Senior Advocate Harish Salve also addressed the students and highlighted the changing global order, saying the graduating batch would have a key role in shaping a technology-driven future.
The convocation was also attended by IIT Roorkee Director Prof KK Pant and other dignitaries. (ANI)
"Bharat is not a geography; it is responsibility": CDS General Raja Subramani shares ‘Dhara’ vision at IIT Roorkee convocation
