PRESIDENT OF INDIA GRACES THE 13TH GRADUATION CEREMONY OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH AT BHUBANESWAR

The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu graced the 13th Graduation Ceremony of the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) at Bhubaneswar, Odisha today (July 9, 2024).

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that NISER's journey has been only for a few years but in a short period, it has made an important place for itself in the education world. She was happy to note that this institution is moving forward by synchronising the rationality of science and the values of tradition.

Addressing the students, the President said that meaningful education and knowledge is only that which is used for the betterment and upliftment of humanity. She expressed confidence that wherever they would be working, they would achieve the best levels of excellence in their field. She hoped that along with their achievements in their field of work, they would also discharge their social duties with full accountability. She said that Mahatma Gandhi has defined seven social sins, one of which is merciless science. That is, promoting science without sensitivity towards humanity is like committing a sin. She advised students to always remember this message of Gandhiji.

The President advised students to always maintain humility and the spirit of inquiry within them. She said that they are expected to consider their knowledge as a social enterprise and use it for the development of society and the country.
The President said that along with the boon of science, there is always the danger of its curse. Today, very rapid changes are taking place in the field of Science and Technology. New technological developments are providing capabilities to human society, but at the same time, they are also creating new challenges for humanity. Like CRISPR-Cas9 has made gene editing very easy. This technology is a huge step towards solving many incurable diseases. However, problems related to ethical and social issues are also arising due to the use of this technology, Similarly, due to the advances in the field of Generative Artificial Intelligence, the problem of deep fake and many regulatory challenges are coming to the fore.

The President said that experiments and research in the field of Fundamental Science often take a lot of time to get the results. Many times breakthroughs have been achieved after facing disappointment for many years. She told students that they may go through such a phase at times when their patience is tested. But they should never be discouraged. She advised them to always remember that developments in fundamental research prove to be extremely beneficial in other areas as well.