I came here as a professional at the Dharwad bench of Karnataka High Court. I therefore know the big change that has taken place in this area.

I have a deep connection with Karnataka. I’ll tell you why: in Rajya Sabha, I am chairman by virtue of being the Vice-President of this country. When I look right, it is Shri Pralhad Joshi. When I look left, it is Shri Mallikarjun Kharge ji.

Boys and girls, I was amazed when I was introduced to the faculty. I have been to several IITs, IIMs. That’s my way to connect with young impressionable minds because you are the most vital stakeholders in the governance and in democracy. You will bring about the change that the nation needs.

Distinguished members, faculty, staff, and my young friends, students, I am delighted to be here. This is the first IIT of Karnataka, and being the youngest IIT, seven and eight years are not much in the life of an institution like IIT. These are institutions of excellence. However, when I saw and gathered information, your infrastructure is world-class, developing incrementally. With your large land area, you have enough potential to grow, and I am sure in times to come, IIT Dharwad will march up to the top level. It is a matter of time. I have no doubt about it.

My appeal to alumni, your number at the moment is small. Structure into an organisation, give back to your IIT, give back to your IIT in every form and every month. This connect will help the alumni and help the students. I am sure alumni will take note of it.

Before I proceed further, I invite faculty and students of IIT Dharwad to be my guest at New Delhi and visit the new building of the Indian Parliament. Your stay will be very productive and you will come to know how in a short span of thirty months, in the phase of COVID Pandemic, a miracle has been brought about in the shape of the new building of Parliament.

I will direct my office to be in touch with the Director, and I wish to seek a promise from you that you will come in batches and the first batch would make it in the month of March itself. I will direct the Director of Indian Council of World Affairs to come over to IIT Dharwad, Have an MOU with you so that there is a connect. Indian Council of World Affairs will be your window to the world.

Inauguration and foundation stone laying ceremonies in this country are routine. We have seen our Hon’ble Prime Minister, a visionary leader, who will inaugurate a project and lay the foundation stone. Then, he will also inaugurate the project for which he has laid the foundation stones.

Today, I have the privilege and honor to do so. The main gate complex, knowledge resource and data center, and Central Learning Theatre – I have inaugurated them. They carry huge potential, providing opportunities for you to be innovative, use your talent, and unleash it. It was a delight to lay the foundation stone of the rooftop solar panel facility, which would further strengthen the green energy ecosystem.

Let me tell you, boys and girls, India is the international headquarters of the International Solar Alliance. The International Solar Alliance came into being at the initiative of our Prime Minister. Yesterday, a significant decision has been taken by the Union government, that by 2025, all government buildings on rooftops will have solar panels. It is a big change.

India’s solar capacity has surged 25 times and it has reached 72000 MW. Imagine you are students of a Technical Institute, you are getting one of the best education. 72000 MWs being so generated, so clean, so green, is a great step by Bharat home to one sixth of humanity.

Friends, you are living in times that are very different from the times I and my generation experienced. We faced tough challenges and didn’t have the opportunities for good education. It was only through a scholarship that I could attend the Sainik School of Chittorgarh. However, you are in a prestigious institution, and the scenario around you is quite different. What do young minds want these days? They desire three things in particular. First, they want equality before the law. No democracy is complete unless there is equality before the law. If some people think they are more privileged than others, there is no equality before the law.

Without equality before the law, your dignity is compromised. We have suffered for too long when some people thought they were privileged, above the law, or beyond its reach. Some used to think, “कानून हमारा क्या कर लेगा” However, look at what has happened now. Those people are being held accountable and are learning the hard way that equality before the law is the ground reality today. Every young boy and girl must be proud because today equality means we don’t have a privileged section of society. All are equal, all are amenable to the law, and everyone is accountable to the law. Anyone engaging in the transgression of the law will suffer severely and is being made to suffer in these times.

Secondly, they don’t want corruption to be there, corruption has been a bane for too long. Nothing was possible a few years ago without corruption. Corruption was the only passage to secure a government contract, a government job or avail an opportunity. Liaison agents infested power corridors but a big change has come now. Power corridors have been sanitised of all such people who leveraged decision making extralegally. These elements have been neutralized and eliminated which means not favouritism, not patriotism and not nepotism but only merit alone will dictate the outcome of your efforts. Nothing can be more rewarding for young minds that your merit will be rewarded. This is the big change boys and girls, you are facing.

The third big change your facing today which is very wholesome for you is an ecosystem if you have an idea in your mind you can unleash your energy you can exploit your talent and potential to realise your dream and aspiration and this is the big thing that is happening and this is why I am saying so before boys and girls of a prestigious IIT that India has made a name for itself in startups look at our numbers our unicorns happened to be number one in the world which means when you will step out of this university this institute you will be stepping out of world where you will have new Vista of opportunities new vistas to find proper passage for your expertise and talents that ecosystem was not obtaining earlier it is there.

We are at the moment, where the world is focusing on technology that is known as disruptive Technology. We are among the few nations in the world who are working on it. Let me put it to you, Quantum computing, we are amongst a few countries focusing on it. The Government of India already has a Quantum computing Commission. 6000 crores has been earmarked. I have inaugurated a centre here. You can scratch your brains. Do something significant. It will be remarkable. Green hydrogen mission, 19000 crores already committed by the government. We are among the 6-7 countries of the world to be so engaged. It has potential boys and girls before 230 of 6-7 lakh crore investment and 6-7 lakh jobs that will go to people like you.

You will have to come out of your silos you will have to think out of box if you need any certification look at what Global institution international monetary fund World Bank world economy forum they are saying about India they are saying in categorical terms India is the nation that is on the rise and the rise is unstoppable India is a favourite destination of investment and opportunities when it came to our digital penetration the World bank president said what India has done in 6 years others cannot do in 4 decades and more and why not there are results for us to be proud of our digital penetration our digital transaction our UPI which is accepted by several countries even last year our digital transaction happened to be nearly 50% of global transaction can you ever imagine I am son of a farmer only last week it has appeared the direct transfer to the farmer which is record in world more than 3 lakh crore have been given to 11 crores farmers in our country boys and girls what is important is not the government has given 3 lakh crore what is the significant is that the farmer in the village is prepare to receive that amount directly that is on account of historic, epochal banking inclusion that took place imagine 10 years ago more than 500 million people in the country did not have bank account these people were brought into banking mechanism

We are on a rise in our Amrit Kaal, 75th year of Independence as a Republic, is a Gaurav kaal. Let me take you back only a few months back, 26 January 2024, 75th Republic Day parade. What did you see full explosion of our women power in Army, Defence, Air Force, and Paramilitary forces. They dominated and the world was stunned. Our women’s power has emerged. Roll back in 2023, September 20 and 21 Parliament passed a historic legislation, constitutional provision and that was one third reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state legislatures. Imagine when it will be fructifying before 2030, 1/3rd women will be there in Parliament. They will be there in state Legislatures, they will be part of policy making, they will be defining our growth trajectory. That is a big change that has come into place.

Boys and girls, the country is in an epic mood. We are progressing in everything. Vikrant, the great warship with an air freight, is also made by our country. We have frigates made in our country, and we have placed Tejas, made in our country. We have helicopters made in our country. We are a country that is not only making defence equipment but also exporting it—a situation which is a big change.

Look at ISRO, it has opportunities for all of you. There was a time when on bicycle parts of the rocket were being taken. People of my age have seen those photographs and now ISRO is putting into space satellites from the US, UK, Singapore and other countries. Look at where we are in this country. The world is looking at us. We put their satellites in space because technologically we are sound and we give good value for money.

इसीलिए मैं कहता हूं, भारतीयता हमारी पहचान है। भारतीयता में हमारा अटूट विश्वास होना चाहिए। हम इस महान देश के नागरिक हैं। We must be proud of our exponential and phenomenal growth

कुछ लोगों को भारत की प्रगति हजम नहीं हो रही है। उनकी संख्या कम है।
I am in pain and disturbed when for petty political gains, anti-national narratives are set afloat deliberately by forces within the country and outside. Let me tell you boys and girls we have to believe in our nation, we have to believe in our nationalism, our commitment to our nation cannot be compromised whatsoever. We will always keep the interest of the nation first.

We must have only one thing in mind, and I am quoting Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, “You should be Indian first, Indian last, and nothing else but Indian.” He says it all I find some people not believing in this concept

When Doctor B.R. Ambedkar made his last speech in the constituent assembly that is November 25 1949 and he said I quote “what what perturbs me greatly is the fact that not only India has much before lost her independent but she lost it by the infidelity and treasury of some of her own people”.

Friends, we cannot afford to countenance that infidelity from any quarter whatsoever. That has to be neutralised, that is our Rashtradharm, that is our constitutional obligation
We must be 24×7 vigilant about the infidelity and treachery of some of our own people as spoken by Dr. Ambedkar.

We were the number one nation in the world centuries ago. We will be number one in 2047 gear up for it, Unlock it, the key is with you.
Best of luck to all of you.