VP Radhakrishnan Urges Graduates to Embrace Lifelong Learning and Nation-Building

As Chief Guest, he extended his greetings and commended the graduates for reaching a pivotal milestone that ushers in a new phase of responsibility, opportunity, and service.

The Vice-President of India, Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan, delivered the convocation address at the 34th Convocation Ceremony of Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute in Chennai, marking an inspiring start to the New Year for thousands of graduating students. As Chief Guest, he extended his greetings and commended the graduates for reaching a pivotal milestone that ushers in a new phase of responsibility, opportunity, and service.

Congratulating the students, the Vice-President said that convocation is not merely a ceremonial conclusion to academic life but a gateway to purposeful engagement with society. He expressed confidence that the students, equipped with professional competence, compassion, and integrity, would make meaningful contributions across diverse fields.

Reflecting on Tamil Nadu’s historic legacy, Shri Radhakrishnan highlighted the state’s long-standing role as a global knowledge hub and a centre of maritime trade. He noted that merchants from Tamil Nadu once carried India’s ideas, ethics, and culture across continents — a testament to India’s confident civilisational identity and its open, inquisitive engagement with the world. This heritage, he said, should inspire today’s youth to contribute to India’s growth with pride and global outlook.

Addressing India’s long-term development blueprint, Viksit Bharat@2047, he said the ambitious vision laid out by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi demands nationwide participation. He emphasised that young graduates, as the primary drivers of innovation and change, must play a central role in shaping a prosperous, inclusive, and technologically advanced India.

Speaking on the transformative impact of technology, the Vice-President noted that Artificial Intelligence, automation, and emerging technologies are reconfiguring every sector — from healthcare and agriculture to industry and governance. To remain relevant in the rapidly evolving landscape, he urged students to adopt a lifelong learning mindset, upskill continuously, and engage with new technologies even beyond their core disciplines. Curiosity, adaptability, and digital readiness, he said, are indispensable to future success.

Shri Radhakrishnan underscored the importance of value-based education, reminding graduates that academic excellence must rest on the foundations of ethics, integrity, social responsibility, and commitment to the larger good. Technical knowledge alone, he emphasised, cannot substitute for character and moral judgement.

Offering guidance for life beyond the university, the Vice-President noted that success and failure are both essential components of personal growth. He encouraged students to cultivate balance, resilience, and mental strength, and to avoid shortcuts or unhealthy comparisons. Instead, he advised them to set clear goals, progress steadily, and recognise their unique strengths and potential.

In his concluding remarks, he called on the graduates to lead lives grounded in purpose, compassion, and service — contributing not only to their own advancement but to the nation’s collective progress.

The ceremony was attended by Shri Ma. Subramanian, Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Government of Tamil Nadu; Dr. A. C. Shanmugam, Chancellor of Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute; and other distinguished guests.

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