Technology is not only a byproduct of science and engineering but also has a social and political context, President Droupadi Murmu said on Tuesday as she stressed that all will have to move forward with the thought of "technology for social justice".
Addressing the 18th convocation of National Institute of Technology (NIT) Kurukshetra, she said, "Today the whole world is going through a phase of rapid change. Due to the technological revolution, the nature of jobs as well as the basic needs of the people is changing."
"These changes are also challenging the existing methods of engineering. In view of changes taking place due to the technological shift, it becomes very important that our technical institutions including NIT Kurukshetra become 'future-ready'," he said.
Murmu, who was on a two-day visit to Haryana, said NIT Kurukshetra which was established in 1963 has played a very significant role in spreading the scientific temper in the region. Over the past six decades, it has carved a niche for itself among technical institutions of higher-learning in the country and abroad, she said.
The region of Haryana and Punjab has made a very important contributions in the development of Indian agriculture, she said. The progressive farmers of this region have made the green revolution possible by using modern technology and provided food security to the country, she said.
"But today, increasing air and land pollution and depleting ground water level in the region have emerged as a major problem. It is the responsibility of NIT Kurukshetra to find technical solutions to these problems," Murmu said.
The president said during the Covid-19 pandemic, it became clear that the common citizens of India are technology friendly. If technology is for the betterment of the society, then it gets full cooperation from the public. The success of digital payment is an example of this, she said.
"I feel that technology is not just a byproduct of science and engineering, but it also has a social and political context. We all have to move forward with the thought of 'technology for social justice'. We should make efforts so that the deprived class is not left behind in this and it (technology) should be used for building an egalitarian society," the president said.
Pointing towards the trend of making salary packages as the criteria for success in education, the president said getting more salary packages is a good thing, but it does not mean that the student who does not get a good salary package is less qualified.
She advised students to never judge their success on the basis of the salary package. She said they do not need to be limited by traditional notions of success and societal pressures.
"You have to decide what you want to do in your life," Murmu said and urged them to choose a career that gives them satisfaction and a sense of meaning in life. She also urged parents to motivate their children for excellence. She said that in striving for excellence, achievements will automatically come their way.
(With PTI Inputs)
