Cuttack: President Droupadi Murmu Tuesday said advanced technologies have brought about a vast change in people’s thinking and working style, but advised them to be careful about the misuse of inventions like artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Addressing the 13th annual convocation of Ravenshaw University here, Murmu said she was happy to note that the varsity was making good use of these technologies.
“This is the era of science and technology. Artificial intelligence, machine learning, 3D printing and cloud computing have brought about a vast change in our thinking and working style,” she said.
Murmu, however, “advised all to be careful about the misuse of these advanced technologies”.
Highlighting the rising academic performance of girl students – who topped 21 of 27 departments in the varsity this year – she said, “Over the last five years, girl students have consistently outperformed boys in academics at the institute. At the post-graduate level, the number of girl students who topped was more than three-and-a-half times that of the boys. This reflects India was moving from women empowerment to women-led development.”
She also expressed satisfaction over the university’s steady increase in enrolment of tribal students, and underprivileged and ‘divyang’ students.
Calling upon the graduating students to be more sincere and hardworking in future, Murmu said: “From today onwards, your life will take a new turn. You will move out of the academic university and step into a bigger university of life and society. I hope you will also achieve success and laurels in the university of life and society.”
The President said the educational institution was an active centre of the freedom struggle, and associated with the movement for the formation of the state of Odisha.
She also stressed the importance of entrepreneurship and societal contribution by not only getting a job, but providing jobs to others as well.
“If you desire, you can become entrepreneurs and set up your own ventures,” Murmu told the students.
“The sense of nation first is our biggest strength. Our soldiers, farmers, scientists, engineers, doctors and people active in various fields are working with the sentiment of increasing the pride of India,” she said.
During the occasion, Murmu also conferred honorary degrees on four noted personalities in recognition of their contributions to different fields.
Later, she laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of three buildings of Ravenshaw Girls’ High School in Cuttack.
In her brief remarks on the occasion, Murmu said during various convocation ceremonies, she noted that girls perform better when given equal facilities and opportunities.
She highlighted that women are contributing actively in every field – be it education and literature or science, technology, industry and commerce.
In the afternoon, the President attended the birth anniversary celebrations of Adikabi Sarala Das and presented the Kalinga Ratna Award-2024 to Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan. She also presented the literary award, ‘Sarala Samman’ to Bijaya Nayak.
“Our diversity is like a rainbow. Our unity has been very strong for ages. We have many languages, but the sentiment is one. The world remains amazed at how India remains united and integrated amidst so many languages and so many religions,” she said.
Stating that Indian languages have contributed immensely in enriching its educational tradition, Murmu said, “It is a matter of happiness that in the National Education Policy 2020, emphasis has been laid on imparting education in the mother tongue.”
The President returned to New Delhi in the evening after completing her two-day visit to Odisha.
PTI
