Pan IIT movement can help realise dream of Aatmanirbhar Bharat: PM Modi

Published By : Admin | December 4, 2020 | 22:35 IST
QuoteOur aim is to ensure that our youngsters get an international platform to showcase their skills: PM
QuoteThe world sees India as a trustworthy and promising partner: PM Modi
QuoteCollective force of the Pan-IIT movement can add momentum to Aatmanirbhar Bharat: PM
QuotePost Covid-19 order will be about re-learning, re-thinking, re-innovating & re-inventing: PM

Shri Sundaram Shrinivasan,

President

Pan  IIT USA,

Distinguished alumni,

Friends,

I am delighted to join you all today. I have had the opportunity to address convocations at IITs in Chennai, Mumbai, Guwahati and most recently, at Delhi. I am always impressed after interacting with students from IITs. I also come back refreshed and reassured about the future of India and our planet.

Friends,

You are sons and daughters of India, who are serving humanity. Your spirit for innovation is helping the world dream big. It is also among your greatest strengths. Perhaps it comes second  only to your technical and management skills. Someone should calculate  the cumulative contribution of IIT alumni to economic value across the planet. I am sure it would compare with the GDP of a nation that has a reasonable size.

 Friends,

There was a time, when a gathering like this would have included alumni  from just five or six IITs.That number is growing now, and is close to two dozen. The number of students and alumni have also grown. At the same time, we have ensured that the brand of IITs has only become stronger. We in India are strongly committed  to promote science and technology education in India. You would have noticed  that in recent times, a culture of hackathons is developing in India. I have also had the opportunity  to be a part of some of these hackathons. In these hackathons, I see young minds giving out-standing solutions to national and global problems.

We have been working with many countries in South East Asia and Europe in this area. Our aim is to ensure  that our youngsters get an international plat-form to showcase their skills. And, learn from best  practices globally. Starting 2nd October, on Gandhi Jayanti, India hosted the Vaibhav Summit.

Lasting for nearly a month, this Summit brought together  top-quality talent in the fields of science and innovation. The number of participants was about Twenty-three thousand. There were 230 panel discussions. Almost 730 hours of discussions. This Summit was productive and it sets the tone for future collaborations in science and innovation.

Friends,

India is witnessing a sea change in the way it works. Things we thought could never happen are being delivered at great speed. Let me give a small example from a field you know well. Earlier, when IITs produced aero-space engineers, there was not a strong domestic industrial eco-system to employ them. Today, with our historic reforms in the Space sector, the last frontier before humanity has opened up to Indian talent.

That's why new space tech startups are coming up every day in India. I am sure some of you will boldly go where none have gone before"! Cutting edge and innovative work is happening across many sectors in India. Ours is a Government fully committed to the principle of "Reform, Perform, Transform".

There is no sector left out from our reforms. Agriculture, Atomic Energy, Defence, Education, Healthcare, Infrastructure, Finance, Banking, Taxation. The list goes on. We have brought path-breaking reforms in the labour sector, assimilating 44 Union labour laws into just 4 codes. Our corporate tax rate is one of the lowest in the world.

A few weeks ago, the Indian Cabinet cleared a  path-breaking Production Linked Incentive Scheme in ten key sectors. This decision was taken to enhance exports as well as manufacturing. The sectors include Battery, Electronics, Pharma, Automobiles, Telecom, Solar energy and others. Each of these sectors is related to technology.These are opportunities waiting to be utilised.

In these testing times of COVID-19, India has got record investment. Much of this investment has come in the tech sector. Clearly, the world sees India as a trustworthy and promising partner.

Friends,

The collective force of the PanIIT movement can add momentum to our dream of becoming an Aatmnirbhar Bharat or self-reliant India. At some critical turning points in the history of independent India, Indian diaspora across the world put their faith in a resurgent India. They became Ambassadors of a New India. And, their voice was critical in ensuring that the world understood India's view-points in the right spirit.

Friends,

Two years later, in 2022 India marks 75 years since Independence. I urge the PanIIT movement to set an even higher benchmark on "Giving back to India.'' Your efforts for your alma mater are well known and inspiring. I know that many of you mentor your juniors in choosing the right career paths - whether in academia or industry. Today, many of them want  to start-up their own ventures. They are bright and confident youngsters trying to make a mark through their hard work and innovation.

Now, I invite you to mentor them in these efforts too. I urge you to share more of your ideas and inputs on how we can mark 75 years of our freedom. You could share your views MyGov. Or, you can share it directly with me on the Narendra Modi App.

Friends,

Our actions today will shape our planet's tomorrow. The post Covid-19 order will be about: Re-learning, re-thinking, re-innovating and re-inventing in almost every field. This, along with a series of economic reforms is what will re-energise our planet. It will ensure 'Ease of Living' and positively impact the poor as well as marginalised. We also saw how several innovations that came out during the pandemic emerged from collaboration - between the industry and academia. The world today needs viable  solutions to adjust to the new normal, And, who would be better than you to drive this dialogue? Today, a large number of IIT alumni are in global leadership positions. Your strong networks are spread across industry, academia, arts, governments. You are there in practically every sphere of human activity and excellence.I myself interact with one or more of your tribe every week, if not every day! I urge you to debate, discuss and contribute to solutions in the emerging New World Tech Order.The responsibility is heavy, but I know that your shoulders are capable.

With that, I extend to you my best wishes for this year's  conference, correctly themed as "the future is now". It certainly is.

Good luck.

And thank you.

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International Yoga Day 2025: 17 world records that show Yoga's global rise

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Let this Yoga Day mark the beginning of Yoga for Humanity 2.0, where Inner Peace becomes Global Policy: PM Modi
June 21, 2025
QuoteYoga has united the entire world: PM
QuoteYoga is for Everyone, Beyond Boundaries, Beyond Backgrounds, Beyond age or ability: PM
QuoteYoga leads us on a journey towards oneness with the world, It teaches us that we are not isolated individuals but part of nature: PM
QuoteYoga is a system that takes us from Me to We: PM
QuoteYoga is the pause button humanity needs, to breathe, to balance, to become whole again: PM
QuoteLet this Yoga Day mark the beginning of Yoga for Humanity 2.0, where Inner Peace becomes Global Policy: PM

Andhra Pradesh Governor Syed Abdul Nazir Ji, the popular Chief Minister of this state, my dear friend Chandrababu Naidu Garu, my colleagues in the Union Cabinet, K. Rammohan Naidu Ji, Prataprao Jadhav Ji, Chandrashekhar Ji, Bhupati Raju Srinivas Verma Ji, the state's Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan Garu, other dignitaries and my dear brothers and sisters! Namaskar to all of you!

Best wishes to everyone in the country and across the world on International Yoga Day. Today, for the 11th time, the whole world is doing yoga together on 21 June. Yoga simply means to connect and it is wonderful to see how yoga has connected the whole world. When I look back at the journey of yoga over the past decade, I remember many things. The day when India proposed in the United Nations that 21 June be recognised as International Yoga Day and then in the shortest time 175 countries of the world stood with our proposal. Such solidarity and support are not a common occurrence in today's world. This was not just support for a proposal, it was a collective effort of the world for the good of humanity. Today, after 11 years, we see that yoga has become a part of the lifestyle of millions of people around the world. I feel proud when I see that our Divyang friends read Yoga Shastras in Braille, scientists do yoga in space, young friends in villages participate in Yoga Olympiad. Look here, a very wonderful yoga program is going on in all the Navy ships. Be it the steps of the Sydney Opera House, or the peak of Everest, or the expanse of the ocean, the message everywhere is the same – Yoga belongs to all, and is for all. Yoga is for everyone, beyond boundaries, beyond backgrounds, beyond age or ability.

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Friends,

Today I am happy that we all are in Visakhapatnam. This city is a confluence of both nature and progress. The people here have organised this event so well. I congratulate Chandrababu Naidu Garu and Pawan Kalyan Garu, under your leadership Andhra Pradesh took a great initiative of YogAndhra Abhiyan. I would also like to specially praise the efforts of Nara Lokesh Garu. How should be the social celebration of yoga, how should every section of the society be connected, he has shown this in the YogAndhra campaign of the last one and a half months, and for this brother Lokesh deserves many congratulations. And I would also like to tell my countrymen that the work done by Lokesh brother should be seen as an example of how such opportunities can be taken deeply to the social level.

Friends,

I have been told that more than two crore people are associated with the YogAndhra campaign. This is the spirit of public participation which is the main basis of developed India. When the public itself comes forward and takes up a campaign, owns a goal, then no one can stop us from achieving that goal. This good will of the people and your efforts are visible everywhere in this event.

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Friends,

The theme of this year’s International Day of Yoga is ‘Yoga for One Earth, One Health’. This theme reflects a deep truth. The health of every entity on Earth is interconnected. Human well-being depends on the health of the soil that grows our food, on the rivers that give us water, on the health of the animals that share our eco-systems, on the plants that nourish us. Yoga awakens us to this inter-connected-ness. Yoga leads us on a journey towards oneness with the world. It teaches us that we are not isolated individuals but part of nature. Initially we learn to take good care of our own health and wellness. Gradually, our care and concern extend to our environment, society and planet. Yoga is a great personal discipline. At the same time, it is a system that takes us from Me to We.

Friends,

This sentiment of ‘Me to We’ is the essence of the soul of India. When a person thinks about the society above his own interests, only then the entire humanity is benefited. Indian culture teaches us, सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः, that is, the welfare of all is my duty. This journey from ‘Me’ to ‘We’ is the basis of service, dedication and co-existence. This thinking promotes social harmony.

Friends,

Unfortunately, today the entire world is going through some kind of tension. Unrest and instability are increasing in many areas. In such a situation, yoga gives us direction to peace. Yoga is the pause button that humanity needs to breathe to balance to become whole gain.

I would like to make a request to the world community on this important occasion. Let this Yoga Day mark the beginning of Yoga for Humanity 2.O, where Inner Peace becomes Global Policy. Where yoga is not just a personal practice but becomes a medium of global partnership. Where every country, every society makes yoga a part of lifestyle and public policy. Where we together give impetus to a peaceful, balanced and sustainable world. Where yoga takes the world from conflict to cooperation and from tension to solution.

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Friends,

To spread yoga in the world, India is further strengthening the science of yoga through modern research. Major medical institutions of the country are engaged in research on yoga. It is our endeavour to ensure that the scientific nature of yoga finds a place in the modern medical system. We are also encouraging evidence-based therapy in the field of yoga in the country's medical and research institutions. AIIMS, Delhi has also done very good work in this direction. AIIMS research has revealed that yoga plays an important role in the treatment of cardiac and neurological disorders and in women's health and mental well-being.

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Friends,

The mantra of yoga and wellness is also being promoted through the National Ayush Mission. Digital technology has also played a big role in this. Through the Yoga Portal and YogAndhra Portal, more than 10 lakh events have been registered across the country. Today, events are being organised at so many places in every corner of the country. This also shows how much the scope of yoga is expanding.

Friends,

We all know that today the mantra of Heal in India is also becoming very popular in the world. India is becoming the best destination for healing for the world. Yoga also has a big role in this. I am happy that a Common Yoga Protocol has been created for yoga. More than 6.5 lakh trained volunteers of Yoga Certification Board, 10-day yoga module in about 130 recognized institutes and medical colleges, many such efforts are creating a holistic ecosystem. Trained yoga teachers are being deployed in our Ayushman Arogya Mandirs across the country. Special e-AYUSH visas are being given so that people from all over the world can benefit from this wellness ecosystem of India.

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Friends,

Today on Yoga Day, I would like to draw everyone's attention towards obesity once again. Increasing obesity is a big challenge for the whole world. I had also discussed this in detail in Mann Ki Baat programme. For this, I had also started a challenge to reduce 10 percent oil in our food. I once again appeal to the countrymen and people across the world to join this challenge. We need to spread awareness on how we can reduce oil consumption in our food by at least 10 percent. Reducing oil consumption, avoiding unhealthy diet and doing yoga is the key to better fitness.

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Friends,

Let us together make Yoga a mass movement. A movement that takes the world towards peace, health and harmony. Where every person starts the day with yoga and finds balance in life. Where every society is connected to yoga and is free from stress. Where yoga becomes a medium to bind humanity together. And where 'Yoga for One Earth, One Health' becomes a global resolution. Once again, while congratulating the leadership of Andhra, congratulating the people of Andhra and congratulating the yoga practitioners and yoga lovers spread across the world, I wish you all a very Happy International Yoga Day. Thank you!