Gandhinagar, Oct 24 (IANS): Earning a degree is not merely about building a career but also an opportunity to contribute to nation-building, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said on Saturday, addressing the first convocation ceremony of K.N. University at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar University.
Urging graduates to look beyond securing good jobs or establishing businesses, Patel said: "Young people should combine knowledge with humility, success with compassion and strength with responsibility."
He emphasised that education should help build character, strengthen the nation and allow people to serve society.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the Chief Minister said education had increasingly become a means of empowering young people in the 21st century, extending beyond the pursuit of degrees.
Quoting PM Modi, he said: “In university examinations, questions are asked from the syllabus, but in the examination of life, everything is ‘out of syllabus’.”
"While academic progress is measured through grades and marks, success in life depends on continuous hard work and perseverance," he added.
Highlighting PM Modi's 25 years of public service, the Chief Minister said the Prime Minister had worked tirelessly for the country and its people.
Drawing a lesson from his life, Patel said: “Hard work does not make you tired; rather, the satisfaction of working hard is a reward in itself.”
Patel expressed confidence that many of the graduates would pursue their own start-ups or business ventures. "Initiatives promoting start-ups, science and skill development had helped create opportunities for young people to become entrepreneurs," he said.
Referring to the state's higher education sector, the Chief Minister said education, research and skill development had emerged as key pillars of the state's development under PM Modi's guidance.
"The emphasis on higher education during PM Modi's tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister had helped private universities, including K.N. University, provide quality education," he said.
Around 110 universities are currently operational in Gujarat, according to Patel. He said the National Education Policy placed emphasis on India's knowledge traditions, the mother tongue and modern science.
"Emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, robotics, space technology and green energy were opening up new opportunities for graduates to become 'job creators' rather than merely 'job seekers'," he noted.
Patel urged young people to play an active role in realising PM Modi's vision of "Viksit Bharat @ 2047".
During the ceremony, 22 meritorious students were awarded 22 medals across various disciplines, comprising nine gold, six silver and seven bronze medals. A total of 94 students received degrees in different disciplines.
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This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.