Jammu: Asserting that “excellence and ethics go together”, the President of India Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday asked the students to move beyond “their comfort zones to the areas of uncertainty to convert challenges into opportunities.”
He was addressing the 5th annual convocation of Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Jammu here this evening at the Convention Centre.
Lauding the prevailing education ecosystem in J&K, President Kovind, who was the chief guest on the occasion, said, “A new era of higher education is flourishing in Jammu and Kashmir and the education ecosystem is getting better.”
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and the Union Minister of State in PMO Dr Jitendra Singh were the guests of honour on this occasion.
Urging students to positively contribute to the development of a stronger nation, the President said, “The education sets mind and soul free from ignorance and negativity and the youth are catalysts of a future and stronger India.” He said, “A really good entrepreneur, good manager or a good business leader is one who believes in doing well by doing good. Excellence and ethics go together.”
Commending girls for bagging three gold medals, the President also referred to the recent result of Civil Services examination where top three ranks were also secured by the girls.
“In the results of the Civil Services examination announced recently, our daughters have captured the top three ranks. These happy developments related to the excellence of our daughters indicate that India is moving not only towards greater women empowerment but also towards women led empowerment. I hope that each one of you will strive to make our nation proud and make a positive contribution in the development of society and the nation,” he said.
He asserted that to deal with a scenario where the shelf life of technologies, management and leadership styles was shorter, the students would have to move from the mindset of “utilising the known to the approach of ‘exploring the unknown’.” He advised them to keep an open mind, an open heart and a strong will.
Describing education as the greatest enabler, the President said, “The future of our country depends on the good education of our young population. Institutes like IIM Jammu are nurturing our youth. These talented young people are going to build the India of the future. They are going to make the lives of the people, better and the country, stronger.”
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.”
President Kovind stated that for India to become a global knowledge hub, the institutes of learning would have to be globally comparable. He was happy to note that the number of Indian institutions in the global ranking was gradually increasing. He said that new institutions like IIM Jammu should quickly adopt global best practices and aspire for higher ranking.
The President said that aided by convergence of technologies and opportunities, many start-ups had become very successful and were being described as the emerging mainstay of the Indian economy. “Unicorns, most of which are set up by young people, must be a source of inspiration for all students,” he added.
He said that the mindset of being a job-giver and not a job-seeker among the youth of India was one of the key factors in the country having one of the best start-up ecosystems in the world. He lauded that IIM Jammu, in collaboration with DICCI and CII, was setting up a special diversity cell for helping potential entrepreneurs from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. He appreciated everyone concerned with this initiative to promote entrepreneurship and inclusion.
The President advised students to remain “quick learners and re-learners throughout their life.” He said, “The role of fast paced technological changes is going to be disruptive. The shelf life of technologies is getting shorter. Therefore, the shelf life of management and leadership styles is also going to be shorter. To deal with such a scenario, the students will have to move from the mindset of ‘utilising the known’ to the approach of ‘exploring the unknown’. They have to move beyond their comfort zones to the areas of uncertainty. They have to convert challenges into opportunities.”
“You have to be ‘pro-changers’ and yet also sensitise yourself to ‘no-changers’ for converting them as supporters of change. The students will have to look at tomorrow while learning from yesterday. They have to create their future based on the relevant learning from the past,” President said.
A total of 214 students were conferred with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree this year. The main highlight of the convocation was that 77 female students were awarded their degrees.
President conferred the chairperson’s gold medal, director’s silver medal and chairperson MBA bronze medal to the meritorious students for their scholastic performance.
LG Sinha and Dr Jitendra Singh also addressed the gathering.
Director General, Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Dr Chandrajit Banerjee and the President Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce (DICCI) Ravi Kumar Narra were the special guests on the occasion. The event was presided over by the chairman Board of Governors, IIM Jammu, Dr Milind Kamble. Director IIM Jammu Prof B S Sahay presented the Director’s report highlighting the achievements of the Institute.
On this occasion, the President also inaugurated the Diversity Cell at IIM, Jammu.
Earlier, President Kovind along with his family arrived in Jammu this afternoon on a two-day visit to Jammu amid multi-layered fool proof security arrangements. The Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha received him at Jammu airport. They directly drove to the Raj Bhawan from where in the evening he went to the Convention Centre to attend the IIM Jammu convocation programme. He will have a night halt at Raj Bhawan. The President is likely to be apprised about the J&K situation, development projects and other important issues being confronted by the UT.
President Kovind along with his family will visit Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine at Katra in Reasi district tomorrow morning. After paying obeisance there, he will leave for the union capital in the afternoon.
