At IIT Kanpur Convocation, PM Tells Students, ‘Choose Challenge Over Comfort’

Kanpur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday advised students of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Kanpur to avoid shortcuts in life and choose “challenge over comfort”.

“Once you step outside the college, a lot of people will come to you with shortcuts to success. But when asked to choose between comfort and challenge, I would advise you all to go for the latter. The one who faces challenges and overcomes them with efficient solutions is the one who scales the greatest heights,” he said, addressing the 54th convocation ceremony of IIT-Kanpur, the ANI reported.

Reciting Swami Vivekanand’s statement, he said, “Every nation has a message to deliver, a mission to fulfill and a destiny to reach”.

“If we will not be self-reliant, then how will our country fulfill its goals, how will it reach its destination,” he asked.

“Even though we are surrounded by technology today, we must not forget that we are humans. We should not turn into robot versions of ourselves. While we all must explore Artificial Intelligence, we must not neglect human intelligence,” Modi said.

“In this 75th year of Independence, we have more than 75 unicorns, more than 50,000 start-ups. Out of these, 10,000 have come only in the last six months. Today, India has emerged as the second largest start-up hub in the world and this was achieved by the contributions made through students of IIT,” he said.

The PM also launched blockchain-based digital degrees. All the students at the convocation were issued digital degrees through blockchain technology.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also attended the event.