- Those who have the courage to find new solutions to challenges will turn challenges into opportunities, says PM
- ‘Keep your curiosity alive, keep your learning instinct’: Modi urges graduates to become lifelong learners
- Question what the world accepts without thought—and have the courage to find solutions, PM tells IIT Delhi cohort
- From space and semiconductors to AI, quantum computing and critical minerals, new sectors are opening doors for young talent
- ‘Your degree tells the entire world that you know exactly how to solve highly difficult problems,’ Modi says
- As India pursues economic, technological and industrial self-reliance, PM asks graduates to align ambition with national needs
NE EDUCATION BUREAU
NEW DELHI, AUG 8
The real examination begins after graduation—and, unlike an IIT examination, it will come without a syllabus. That was the thought-provoking message Prime Minister Narendra Modi carried to the graduating students of IIT Delhi on Saturday, challenging them to look beyond degrees, placements and conventional career milestones and become problem-solvers capable of turning India’s toughest challenges into opportunities.
Addressing the 57th Convocation Ceremony of IIT Delhi, Modi said the courage to seek new solutions would determine who ultimately converts challenges into opportunities, while urging the graduating generation to keep learning, questioning and innovating throughout life.
“Those who have the courage to find new solutions to challenges, for them, the challenges will become opportunities,” he said.
Reflecting on the emotional significance of the occasion, Modi recalled his earlier virtual participation in an IIT Delhi convocation during the COVID pandemic and said being physically present with the graduating class was special.
“Sharing this incredible experience with you on this campus today is very special for me too,” he said.
Congratulating the graduates and their families, he said their degrees represented more than academic achievement and carried a responsibility to contribute to the nation.
“You are stepping out from here with a dream of doing a lot for the country,” he said.
Life’s biggest examination has no syllabus
Recalling the students’ journey from their first day on campus to convocation, Modi noted that their next chapters could take them towards first salaries, startups, higher studies or competitive examinations.
But he urged them not to mistake academic success for the end of learning.
“Keep your curiosity alive in life, keep your learning instinct,” he said, stressing that continuous learning would be indispensable in a world undergoing rapid technological and geopolitical transformation.
“Amidst all this rapid change, remember my words: the one who continuously learns is the one who will win,” he said.
The Prime Minister offered a distinctive definition of an IIT degree, arguing that its real value lies not merely in a high CGPA or a lucrative placement.
“Your degree tells the entire world that you know exactly how to solve highly difficult problems,” he said.
He urged the graduates to approach life’s difficult challenges by breaking them down into manageable components, much as complex academic problems are tackled step by step.
Question the question—then solve it
The most striking challenge of his address was his call to graduates to move beyond solving problems that are already identified.
“Question things that are accepted without a thought, but don’t just stop at questioning; have the courage to also find their solutions,” Modi said.
Unlike university examinations, he pointed out, life presents problems that are “Out of Syllabus”.
According to him, many successful IIT alumni made their mark because they identified questions that society had stopped asking.
“The fundamental reason for the success of many alumni was that they boldly identified those crucial questions which the world had stopped considering as questions,” he said.
For the graduating engineers, the message was clear: the biggest opportunities may lie precisely where conventional thinking sees none.
India’s new opportunity map is expanding
Modi said India is pursuing self-reliance across multiple fronts, including the economy, technology and industry, describing this as a strong foundation for Viksit Bharat.
“Today, India is working towards becoming self-reliant in every sector; whether it is economic self-reliance, technological self-reliance, or industrial self-reliance; this forms the strong foundation of Viksit Bharat,” he said.
He pointed to the opening of newer sectors to young talent, particularly the space sector, where private participation has enabled young engineers and entrepreneurs to design and launch rockets.
“Today, that same Space Sector has beautifully become a sky of new opportunities for thousands of our youths,” he said.
He also highlighted the growth of semiconductor manufacturing, citing the emergence of a new generation of young Indians participating in chip production.
“Somewhere a youth is proudly saying with full self-confidence: ‘First in my bloodline to make a chip in India’,” he said.
Drones, too, are creating opportunities across agriculture, healthcare, delivery services and defence.
“Today, highly motivated youths in this sector are actively creating incredible new possibilities,” Modi said.
From startups to quantum: The next frontier is wide open
The Prime Minister credited India’s youth with driving the country’s startup, digital payments and FinTech revolutions, saying these developments had created unprecedented opportunities for entrepreneurship and innovation.
“All these revolutions have given millions of youths of the country an incredible opportunity to do something completely new for the first time,” he said.
He identified Artificial Intelligence, data centres, critical minerals, deep-sea exploration, quantum computing and energy security among the emerging areas where India’s young talent could make a decisive contribution.
“Many such cutting-edge fields are eagerly waiting for your immense talent, your bold innovation, and your strong leadership,” he said.
Research must become India’s next great engine
Calling for a major national research push, Modi referred to initiatives including the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship and the Anusandhan National Research Foundation, with a funding target of up to ₹1 lakh crore.
“Today the country desperately needs new research, and our administrative focus is equally and firmly on research,” he said.
He also highlighted One Nation One Subscription, aimed at making global research journals accessible to students and researchers across the country.
“This monumental work regarding research can only happen through the unwavering commitment of you all,” he said.
‘Your real race is with yourself’
Amid the excitement surrounding placements, salaries and startups, Modi delivered a message particularly relevant to young graduates navigating the social-media era.
He cautioned them against comparing their salaries, placements or entrepreneurial achievements with those of their peers and urged them to focus on their own physical and mental well-being.
“Remember, life is absolutely not a leader-board; your real race is not with anyone else, it is with yourself,” he said.
He also reminded students to cherish their campus memories, friendships, professors, mentors and support staff, describing them as lifelong assets who had helped shape their journey.
As the graduates stepped beyond IIT Delhi, Modi’s message placed the responsibility—and opportunity—squarely before them: India does not merely need graduates who can answer difficult questions. It needs a generation courageous enough to discover the questions nobody has yet asked—and determined enough to solve them.
He concluded by congratulating the graduates, their parents, teachers and the entire institutional support system.
“May your future be incredibly bright, and may you continuously and boldly touch new heights,” he said.
