Shri Pinarayi Vijayan, Hon’ble Chief Minister,
Prof. C. Raveendranath, Hon’ble Minister for Education,
Dr. E. Sreedharan, Principal Advisor to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation
Dr. Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, All India Council for Technical Education,
Dr. Kuncheria P. Issac, Vice Chancellor, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technological University,
Shri M. Sivasankar, IAS, Secretary to Government, IT Department
My beloved Students, Dear Parents,
Sahodaree Sahodaranmaare,
Ellaavarkkum Ente Namaskaaram,
I am very happy to inaugurate ‘Sankethapravesham,’ the Induction Programme for the first year students of various Engineering Colleges in Kerala.
Let me first of all wish all the young and bright future Engineers assembled here and in various college halls, a very promising campus life. Like your parents and teachers, I also hope to see all of you emerging as successful engineers, technocrats and above all, citizens with a commitment to society.
I should also congratulate the A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technological University for having taken the initiative to conceive this Induction Programme, which aims to give students a clear idea about the study of Engineering and Technology. Besides, the emphasis on the concept of Start-Up is expected to provide our upcoming engineers a sense of direction in their future activities.
Today is a very important day in your lives. You are taking the first step towards your future career. The four years of your Bachelor's Course would be a race against time with assignments, projects, class tests, Lab work and examinations making demands on your time. But, never lose heart; these academic difficulties would only empower you to take up future challenges that could eventually benefit society.
Living in Kerala, we are aware of how education has helped in paving the way for a better standard of life. It was the spread of education that once enhanced our people's capacity to demand better living conditions and strengthened our sense of equality and our faith in social equity. Therefore, it is not surprising that our expectations from the educated class is also very high. As you move ahead in your career, you should keep in mind that society is investing its resources in you with the hope that this education would empower you to bring in social change.
Society expects a lot from students of Engineering and Technology since we are living in a global village and in a knowledge society, both driven by Technology. Besides, the movement of knowledge and technology across international borders has underlined the need for ensuring international standards both in technology and in technological education. Therefore, as students, you belong to a global society and have an obligation to make use of this global advantage in your education and thinking.
But, we cannot ignore some recent realities related to Engineering education in our country. It was just a year ago that some surveys noted that out of 1.5 lakh students who graduated in Engineering, almost 80% were found unsuited for employment. It called for urgent action to fine-tune the employability skills of our students. The Skill India Mission is now in full swing to take advantage of the Demographic Dividend which is now projected as a beacon of hope for India in the coming years. I am glad that Kerala has made headway in entering the list of the States with highly employable graduates.
But, is mere employment enough? I would stress on the need for Innovation rather than just employment. With nearly 65% of the population under the age of 35, India is now brimming with innovative ideas, especially in Technology. Unfortunately, many such youngsters with exciting business ideas had left Kerala to engage in successful Start-Ups outside the State. It was to arrest this trend that we initiated the Kerala Start-Up Mission in tune with the Start-Up Mission of the Government of India. Today, we also realize that we must include Entrepreneurship as a subject in our Engineering and other courses. Our decision makers in Education should also find ways to improve the business incubation facilities for students with innovative ideas.
Students of Engineering and Technology should, therefore, dream of being masters of their own innovative ideas. With fifty of our cities getting ready to set up Metro Rail Systems and the nation trying to build fifty million houses, thousands of miles of roads and railways, the prospects for Engineers are certainly bright. But, it will be brighter for those whose innovations would help the nation meet these targets with better efficiency and lesser costs. It will be the brightest for those whose innovations would ensure a more diffused pattern of social development that extends to the lives of the most ordinary people in our society.
It is true that human innovation and technological progress have transformed our society and even the way we approach different social issues. But, as professionals who would create and handle technology in future, you should never let technology efface the humanism that life has bestowed on you. The technology you create should benefit not just the industry, but the farmer, the laborer, the toiler, the tiller, the sanitation worker and the unknown and unseen people around us.
I would also urge you to consider the Energy aspect of Technology. Every technology requires the use of energy, but how much of technology is used to conserve Energy which is the most important resource in the world? Personally, I would love to see Start-Ups that come up with the most innovative solutions for conservation and Eco-friendly production of Energy. In spite of being the most literate society, we still do not have the best Waste Management Systems or the most effective recycling facilities that could also be Energy production units. I hope that at least some of you would keep these issues close to your heart as you surge ahead in your education.
I would end with a final request; do not be afraid of your ideas meeting with initial failure. Remember that Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, after whom this University has been named, expanded the word FAIL as First Attempt In Learning. In every success, he had thanked his past failures, because every failure served as a learning process.
I quote the following passage from Kalam’s ‘Wings of Fire”
“A Nation needs both economic prosperity and strong security for growth and development. Our Self Reliance Mission in Defence System 1995-2005 will provide the Armed Forces with a state-of-the-art competitive weapons system. The Technology Vision – 2020 plan will put into place certain schemes and plans for the economic growth and prosperity of the nation. These two plans have evolved out of the Nation’s dreams. I earnestly hope and pray that the development resulting from these two plans – Self Reliance Mission and Technology Vision – 2020 – will eventually make our country strong and prosperous and take our rightful place among the ranks of the “developed” nations”.
I would also remind you of a question that a Class X student in Etawah of Uttar Pradesh had asked Dr. Kalam during his visit to that place. He asked: Villages are also full of talent but facilities are available only in the towns/cities. Have you planned something for these children so that they can get good education in the village?I believe that future technologists also have a role to play in addressing this issue. And I hope this too will remain in your minds as something to work on in future as a true homage to the dreams of Dr. Kalam.
I wish the students as well as the teachers all the best.
Ellaavarkkum Ente Aashamsakal
Nanni
Jai Hind
