- Prime Minister Modi attended IIT Delhi’s 57th convocation ceremony.
- He highlighted low female representation among academic medal recipients, urging change.
- Modi inaugurated new AI supercomputing facility at IIT Sonipat campus.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the 57th convocation of IIT Delhi as the chief guest on Saturday, congratulating graduating students and presenting some of the institute’s highest academic honours. During his address, Modi drew attention to the limited number of women among the medal recipients and urged students to ensure that the gender gap in academic achievement is narrowed in the years ahead. He also inaugurated a new artificial intelligence-focused supercomputing facility at IIT Delhi’s Sonipat campus.
Modi Flags Low Number Of Women Among Top Achievers
While congratulating the students who received medals for their academic performance, Modi observed that the number of women among the awardees was relatively small.
PM Modi said: “Many students have received medals for their achievements. I extend my heartiest congratulations to all of you. However, it would have been even better if there were a few more girls among them. Sorry. Why just one or two? There should have been more. Just as your families are feeling proud today, I, too, am proud of all of you.”
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The Prime Minister’s remarks put the spotlight on women’s participation among India’s top academic performers, encouraging the graduating students to work towards greater representation for women in both education and their future careers.
IIT Delhi’s Top Academic Honours Presented
The convocation also saw Modi confer several of IIT Delhi’s most prominent academic distinctions on outstanding graduates.
Among the honours presented were the President’s Gold Medal, Director’s Gold Medal and Shankar Dayal Sharma Gold Medal. The institute’s Perfect Ten Gold Medals were also awarded to students who achieved exceptional academic results.
The ceremony marked an important milestone for the graduating batch as they prepare to enter different professional and academic fields.
PM Inaugurates AI Supercomputing Facility
Modi’s visit to IIT Delhi also featured the inauguration of Param Pragya, an AI-powered high-performance supercomputing facility at the institute’s Sonipat campus.
The facility is intended to expand IIT Delhi’s computing capabilities and support research in areas including artificial intelligence, data science and advanced computing. It is also expected to facilitate interdisciplinary research requiring significant computational resources.
The new infrastructure comes as India places increasing emphasis on building domestic capabilities in artificial intelligence, computing and technology-driven research.
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Modi Speaks About Life After IIT
The Prime Minister also used the convocation platform to acknowledge the uncertainty and anticipation that often accompany graduation.
He noted that students leaving IIT Delhi would be heading in different directions, with some preparing to enter the workforce, others moving to new cities, launching businesses or pursuing further competitive examinations.
“Today, all of you and all the students are present in this program. But in some corner of the mind, something else might be going on. Every student will have their own picture of tomorrow in their mind. Many students might be waiting for their first salary, someone might be preparing for a new beginning in a new city, many companions might be dreaming of their new startup, someone might have set the goal of the next competitive exam. Everyone’s path is different, everyone’s dream is different. But even after all this, there is one feeling that will be the same in all of your minds,” Modi said.
