President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday, 23 September 2026, called on graduating students at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (MSU) in Vadodara, Gujarat, to channel their education and professional skills toward societal and national benefit — not personal gain alone. Addressing the university's 75th convocation, she said education becomes meaningful only when it translates into wider social good.

The Core Message: Beyond Personal Success

President Murmu challenged the graduating class with a direct question: 'What will you do with your education and knowledge? Only for yourself? For your family? Or for society and the nation as well?' She argued that students who kept national and social interests at the forefront of their careers would ultimately advance both collective and personal progress.

Her address drew a clear line between financial ambition and social purpose. 'Earning money is necessary for life but should not be regarded as everything,' she said, adding that 'service could provide satisfaction alongside financial success.'

Profession-by-Profession Call to Action

President Murmu tailored her appeal to graduates across disciplines. Engineers, she said, should develop technologies that tangibly improve people's lives. Doctors were urged to regard medicine not merely as a profession but as a service — 'In service lies reward, peace and satisfaction,' she said. Scientists were asked to direct their work toward solving problems for the benefit of humanity, while artists and writers were urged to enrich society's sensitivity through their creativity.

For entrepreneurs, she drew a pointed distinction: the goal should not be wealth creation alone, but the generation of employment and opportunity for others. 'Live and let live. Move forward with this thought,' she said, in what became the defining line of her address. Those entering teaching were asked to prepare a generation capable of carrying India's heritage and development forward together, while those entering public life were told to regard their positions as responsibilities rather than authority.

Gratitude, Roots, and Resilience

The President urged graduates not to lose sight of the people and communities that had supported them. 'When you are climbing the ladder of success, do not forget to look behind. Remember your parents, teachers and those leaders who stood by you during difficult times. Remember the society that gave you opportunities,' she said.

She described the 'most beautiful form of success' as one in which a person rises without becoming disconnected from their roots. On the question of failure, she urged students to respond with 'questions, reflection and experimentation' rather than treating setbacks as the end of their journey.

Viksit Bharat 2047 and the Role of Youth

President Murmu linked the graduates' responsibilities directly to the national goal of building a developed India by 2047. She said this objective encompassed access to quality education and healthcare, the application of science and technology for human welfare, equality of opportunity, and the empowerment of women and young people. 'An India where every citizen gets the opportunity to live a life with equal dignity,' she said.

Noting that 65 per cent of India's population is young, she said universities and youth had a critical role in realising these goals. The 75th convocation saw a total of 229 PhD, 2,857 Master's, 8,863 Bachelor's, and 657 Postgraduate Diploma candidates declared qualified for their respective degrees and diplomas.

The address comes at a moment when graduate employability and youth unemployment remain prominent national concerns, lending her remarks a topical urgency beyond the ceremonial setting.