Text of the Vice President’s speech – 37th Convocation of Indira Gandhi National Open University

It is truly an honour to be part of the 37th Convocation of the prestigious Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). Degrees are being awarded to 3 lakh students. This three and a half million student population is unprecedented at global level.

I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the graduating Students ,their family members and their teachers. Your hard work, dedication, and perseverance have brought you to this significant milestone, and I commend each one of you for your achievements.

Friends, convocation is much beyond a ceremony. It is a milestone in all your lives. An unforgettable moment. It marks the culmination of years of dedication, hard work, and sleepless nights.

This moment is also a turning page in the chapter that has, so far, been your life at this university.

You will move beyond this chapter, leaving behind the familiar charm of student life and embrace the exhilarating life of adulthood.

I am sure a lot of emotions stir within you – pride in all that you have achieved, anxiety about the future, and heartache of saying goodbye to an institution that you have been a part of for the past few years.

My young friends- Let us not solely fixate on the endings, for today is also a beginning. Today, we celebrate not just the completion of a journey but the ignition of new aspirations. Always bear in mind that your learning never stops.

Friends, you are fortunate to step into adulthood at an exciting time- our अमृत काल where there is hope and possibility of all kinds.

There is in place an ecosystem that is wholesome for exploring your talent and realising your aspirations.

Let me advert to the launchpad that all of you are presently standing on – and this is a very significant launchpad in the history of this great nation that has a civilisational depth of 5000 years. You are henceforth part of the marathon march to Viksit Bharat@2047.

Friends, Governance, once shrouded in shadows, now embraces transparency and accountability. Corruption once bane of the system has now yielded to rule of law. Now all, without exception, are subject to accountability before law. All this has paved the way for your aspirations to truly take flight and dreams to fructify.

On the economic front, our story is one of remarkable dynamism. Negotiating difficult terrain and tough challenges we have traversed from being a “Fragile Five” global economy to the glorious status of being the fifth-largest economy, with ambitions set firmly on the third position in global economy within a few years.

The World Bank applauds our meteoric rise in financial inclusion, achieved in just six years when others projected decades.

The IMF hails India as a global investment hotspot, acknowledging the immense opportunities we offer.

And hence, our projected GDP growth is double the global average, speaks volumes about our economic vitality and its robust premise.

Friends- our strength transcends mere numbers. It lies in the power of collective action. We are now the third-largest powerhouse in terms of purchasing power, showcasing the combined potential we hold.

Our resilient financial ecosystem, fuelled by an inclusive digital payment system, has become a global model. Not only do we use it, we export it.

Indians can now transact using UPI in seven countries, and UPI transactions alone, in 2022, accounted for nearly half of all global digital transactions.

We are not just consumers, we are innovators and leaders in this domain. We even surpass the per capita mobile data consumption of China and the US taken together. This is mobile magic!

Our aspirations extend beyond the Earth’s boundaries. The momentous success of Chandrayaan-3, marking our historic soft landing on the Moon’s South Pole, exemplifies our relentless pursuit of scientific and technological advancements. We now celebrate August 23 as Space Day.

Gone are the days, mark my words, people of my age know it when a bicycle was used to carry parts for our first rocket launch. Today, we have launched over 400 satellites for other countries, developed countries including USA and Singapore.

Friends- reflect and take pride in what truly makes our Bharat so special!

Firstly, we stand tall in the community of nations with a civilizational legacy of over 5000 years, a rich tapestry of knowledge and wisdom that guides our present and shapes our future.

Secondly, we are the largest and most functional democracy in the world, demonstrating our commitment to inclusivity and participation.

I am not taking you to figures but imagine 500 million people have opened their bank accounts for the first time. This is financial inclusion of the highest order ever on the planet. A hundred million gas connections have been given to the needy households. These are just two figures, there can be many.

This spirit of inclusivity resonates globally. The unprecedented G20 Summit held in New Delhi stands as a testament to our leadership. Imagine, G20 footprint was in all the states and in all the Union Territories of the country. It is a remarkable geographical achievement other nations can only look up to.

From engaging all states and union territories across the nation to inducting the African Union as a member of the G20 and launching the Global Biofuel Alliance, India emerged as the voice of the Global South for the first time. Such an important segment of the planet was not being noticed and now it is now being noticed day in and day out.

So dear friends, you are not just entering life but rocketing towards it. All of you are graduating into an India on the rise, India that has shaken off the label of the “sleeping giant”, India’s rise is continual, incremental and unstoppable.

We are no longer the nation defined by its potential. We are a nation realizing its potential. We are a nation enabling global powers to realize their potential. We are a nation that is defining how human resource potential can be exploited.

Seize this incredible momentum, harness the transparency, leverage the economic boom, and turn the opportunities into your personal masterpieces. What do young minds need? They need a system which is free from corruption. Corruption has gone for good. Corruption is no longer a password to a contract or to a recruitment process. It helps all of you.