Vice-President, Jagdeep Dhankhar today emphasized the transformation potential of new emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and said that the world is on the cusp of a technological revolution. According to a PIB report, he stressed that AI will “fundamentally alter the way we live, work and interact” and that it is an opportunity as well as a challenge. Dhankhar remarked on the emergence of AI as one of the most significant production shifts since the Industrial Revolution.
While interacting with the students at IIT, Bombay, the Vice-President called upon them to engage in research and innovation and urged them to use technology for societal causes that can enable ease of living for the people of the country and humanity at large.
He also urged the premiere institutions like IIT to be in synergy with industry and government so that technology can be democratized and universalized.
Highlighting the changing nature of warfare and penetration of technology in strategic domains, the Vice-President stated that “the best defense is that you are capable of extreme offense.”
Calling knowledge as the supreme power that alone has the capability to define the place of any individual, organization or nation in the world, he exhorted the students to engage in cutting-edge research in areas like Quantum Computing, artificial intelligence, 6G, Cryptography, Cyber security, and Green Hydrogen.
Reflecting on the demographic dividend and role of youth, the Vice-President called them the greatest stakeholder in governance. He expressed confidence in the capacity of youth to craft the “destiny of Bharat” and called them as the foremost engines of growth.
Expressing concern over “movement of our nation’s raw material to other countries without value addition,” the Vice-President remarked that it is high time that “we all must develop a deep sense of economic nationalism.” He said, “Raw material leaving our shores without value addition deprives our youth of employment and opportunity of entrepreneurship.”
The Vice-President termed corruption as the greatest enemy of democracy as it impedes growth of ordinary man and makes people hopeless.
Addressing the students, Dhankhar underlined the need to create synergy among premiere institutes like IIT, industry and the government so that technological development can act as a catalyzing agent and ensure “emergence of Bharat as a global leader.”
In his address, the Vice-President also acknowledged the rich alumni of IIT Bombay and their immense contribution made in varied disciplines and proposed the idea to create a body comprising alumni associations of all IITs so that their experience, expertise and exposure can be utilized in policy making and execution.
Ramesh Bais, Governor of Maharashtra, Prof. S Sudarshan, Deputy Director (AIA), IIT Bombay, Prof. KVK Rao, Deputy Director (FEA), IIT Bombay, students, faculty members and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.