THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, DELHI

• Hon’ble CM, Atishi Ji, 

• Vice-Chancellor, Delhi University, Prof. Yogesh Singh Ji, 

• Vice-Chancellor, IGDTUW, Prof. Ranjana Jha Ji,

• Deans, Members of Faculty, Parents and most of all Dear Students. 

It is with great joy and pride that I stand before you today, as Chancellor of Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women. Today indeed, is a momentous occasion - the convocation of the Class of 2024. 

Dear Friends, 

02.  We are here not only to celebrate your academic achievements but also the strength, determination, and resilience that have made you reach this important milestone. Convocations are not just ritual, they are a reflection of your journey so far.  They are that symbolic portal out of which lies the path to real life away from academia. 

03.  At the outset, I would like to congratulate all of you upon reaching this significant milestone in your lives. Graduation from an institution like the IGDTUW is definitely a remarkable achievement. It is the result of years of hard work, perseverance, and dedication not only on your part, but also on part of your teachers, your parents and the society at large. 

04.  As you receive your degrees today, know that you are not only graduates of one of India's finest technical universities but also ambassadors of its values, its mission, and its vision for the future. Today is a day of triumph. It's a day to celebrate, not just for you, our bright-eyed graduates, but for your families, professors, and others, who supported you throughout this time. 

05.  You have all had your struggles, met the demands of rigorous academic training, and cultivated skills to last you for years to come. It's now time to bask in this glorious triumph. You deserve each of those ovations and admiration. However, today also marks the day, when you have to get into retrospection and realization. 

06.  You have acquired not only the technical skills and theory necessary for your chosen fields, but also valuable lessons in resilience, teamwork, leadership, and critical thinking over the course of the last few years. You have learned how to overcome obstacles, to push through difficulties, and come out stronger with each challenge.

07.  As you move ahead, you have, to my mind, four guiding stars as you navigate further.  The first is your responsibility towards yourself.  The second is your responsibility towards your parents and family.  The third is your responsibility towards the society and nation building as a whole. The fourth, my dear graduates, is a much onerous responsibility.  That is, the responsibility to prove yourself as women, who have broken the glass ceiling of gender to stand at par with others in fields, that were till just a few years back, considered to be the exclusive domain of men.

08.  You stand at a powerful and unique intersection. You are one of those, like Madam Curie, Sandra Moore Sanders and Kalpana Chawla, who broke barriers and redrew stereotypes.  You are testimony to the fact that women are not only there to play second fiddle in areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, but front liners themselves. 

09.  While much has been achieved in this direction, there's much more that needs to be done to ensure absolute gender balance.

10.  Today, you have proven that women can and will lead in these important areas. Your achievements attest to your abilities, and you are here today as proof of the role women are going to play in shaping tomorrow's world of technology and innovation. You are the forerunners, and the pioneers who will inspire later generations of women to stand on your shoulders. You are tomorrow's leaders, engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs - the world needs your talent, vision, and dedication.

11.  Be it the spirit of innovation or being at the helm of affairs in whatever you do, that you would have gained by studying at this university, carry these forward into your life and work. Let your ideas be bold and fearless in pursuit, so that no one ever tells you that you are not strong enough to do something simply because you are a woman. 

कौन बताता है समंदर का रास्ता नदी को,

जिसे मंजिल का जुनून है, वो मशविरा नहीं लेते I

Dear Students, 

The future of technology shines bright, and you shall lead it.

12.  One of the most valuable lessons you have learned here is that of lifelong learning. The world of technology is every evolving, and the knowledge you have acquired today, will need to be continuously updated, to keep pace with the rapid advancements in your field. The skills you possess now are only a foundation upon which you will build your future expertise. 

13.  As you move on in your careers, never lose that sense of curiosity and the willingness to change. Always look for learning as part of growth. The truly successful are those, who are flexible, open-minded, and willing to learn from experience and from others.

It is rightly said: 

“Never stop learning, because life never stops teaching”.

14.  Technology is changing at a pace never witnessed before. Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Biotechnology, Renewable Energy, and Digital Innovation are transforming industries, economies, and societies like never before. You, as graduates of a Technical University, are positioned to be at the cutting edge of these changes. But to stay there, you have to stay committed to lifelong learning. Lifelong learning is no longer an option in today's world-it is a necessity.

15.  As you move ahead, let integrity of purpose and a strong moral compass of ethics guide you.  You will be hands on with unprecedented disruptive technologies that have the power of positive as well as negative transformation. These technologies have immense power and to utilize them, would require an immensely powerful moral – ethical compass.  Let your actions only be for the betterment of the society, nation and the world and not for their destruction.   

Young Ladies, 

16.  Leadership is not only management but inspiration, innovation, and impact. As you go on to occupy high positions and hefty packages in future, I urge you to be always led by compassion and encourage those around you to thrive in spaces that are collaborated and foster creativity. An education or a career that does not bring happiness to others, indeed the last person on the margins of the society, is to my mind, not a successful one. 

Remember:

“Positions are temporary,

Ranks and titles are limited.

But the way treat people and serve the society,

Will always be remembered”.

17.  As women leaders, you bring a special voice, a voice that will  combine empathy, inclusion, and resilience. The world needs more female leaders, especially in high-tech industries, where having a diverse thought and experienced set of people is absolutely important for humane progress.

18.  As we celebrate today, I would be failing in my duties as the Chancellor, if I do not commemorate the role that Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women has played in leading you to this point in your life. More than an institution of learning, it has been a place to learn, develop talents, pursue one's dreams and passions, free of restriction. 

19.  It is your obligation to the University to carry forward what it gave to you.  I would also like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere gratitude to the faculty and staff of this university, which has dedicated itself to fostering talents in outstanding young women. Your guidance, mentorship, and support have been instrumental in shaping the future of graduates, and for that, we are deeply thankful.

20.  I would like to extend my warmest congratulations and gratitude to the families and loved ones of our graduates. It is your unrelenting support, encouragement, and sacrifices that have shaped the success of these graduates. Today is as much your celebration, as it is theirs. You have been their pillars of strength, and your belief in them has brought them to this moment.

21.  As Chancellor, I am well aware that behind each graduate stands a family, providing love, guidance, and motivation in order to be where you are now. Thank you for believing in their potential and for having a part in their process.

22.  As I close my address, let me emphasize that the world needs you now, more than ever. We are in a moment of tremendous technological, social, and environmental changes. Concerns of climate change, inequity, and ethical challenges that new technologies raise, represent some of the most complex problems. Still, every challenge presents the opportunity for innovation, leadership, and change.

23.  It is you, the graduates of Class of 2024 and your peers in different other universities, who will have to take on these challenges, head on. You have the opportunity and the responsibility of shaping not only the present, but the future as well, for generations to follow. Never shy away from hard work and taking bold decisions in your life. 

कहा गया है : 

“पानी से नहाएगा तो सिर्फ लिबास बदलेगा,

पर पसीने से नहाएगा तो इतिहास बदलेगा I”

24.  It is with these words, that I once again congratulate you on your achievements and wish you a fulfilling journey ahead. 

Thank you. 

Jai Hind.