President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday, 21 June attended the 36th Convocation Ceremony of Rani Durgavati University in Jabalpur as chief guest, urging graduating students to channel their education toward nation-building and the realisation of a Viksit Bharat. Her address centred on equity in education, tribal empowerment, and the responsibility of universities to drive innovation.

Tribal Empowerment at the Core

President Murmu placed particular emphasis on the inclusion of tribal communities in India's development story. She stressed that tribal youth must be given equal access to modern opportunities without being forced to abandon their cultural identity or traditional knowledge systems.

'Educational institutions like Rani Durgavati University should make special efforts in this direction,' she said, adding that a thorough study and wider dissemination of tribal knowledge and crafts would benefit the entire nation. Murmu herself is India's first tribal President, lending particular weight to her advocacy on this front.

Universities as Hubs of Innovation

The President called on higher education institutions to move beyond their conventional role as centres of learning and become engines of research and entrepreneurship. She urged universities to cultivate creative thinking, a scientific temper, and an entrepreneurial spirit among students.

She also advocated for a harmonious blend of modernity and tradition, encouraging institutions to instil pride in Indian culture, languages, and heritage while preparing graduates to compete globally.

Research Priorities for National Progress

President Murmu encouraged universities to direct research toward areas of pressing national importance — including environmental conservation, women's empowerment, the upliftment of marginalised communities, cleanliness, and social harmony. She argued that such focused academic inquiry would directly strengthen the country's development planning.

Message to Graduating Students

Addressing the graduates directly, the President urged them to ground their lives in what she described as the eternal values of Indian culture: truth, non-violence, compassion, service, and honesty. 'Use your education and talent not only for personal success, but for the greater good of society,' she said.

She highlighted emerging sectors — digital technology, start-ups, green energy, space research, and modern infrastructure — as areas where young graduates can establish themselves on the global stage while also fulfilling responsibilities toward sustainable development and environmental protection.

The Viksit Bharat Vision

Describing the students as architects of the nation's future, President Murmu linked their individual journeys to the broader national goal of a developed India. She called upon them to understand the challenges faced by underprivileged and rural communities and work actively toward bringing them into the mainstream of development. The convocation comes at a time when India's higher education sector is undergoing significant reform, with institutions increasingly being assessed on research output and industry linkages.