President Murmu Tells Graduates Education Must Serve Nation and Society

President Droupadi Murmu addressed the 75th annual convocation ceremony of the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda in Vadodara, Gujarat, on September 23, 2026, telling graduating students that education derives its meaning from the benefit it brings to the country and society.

In her address, the President noted that the university has spent 75 years advancing knowledge by bringing diverse streams of learning together. She observed that no single discipline can resolve the problems of the present day, and that a multidisciplinary outlook is essential to confront critical challenges.

She said meeting those challenges requires the curiosity of a scientist, the sensitivity of an artist, the perspective of a historian, the insight of an economist and the consciousness of a sociologist. Institutions of higher learning such as Maharaja Sayajirao University, she added, are expected to remain alert and dynamic in that direction.

The President asked the graduating students to reflect on the purpose of their education and knowledge. She said that when they advance in their professions while keeping the interests of the nation and society foremost, they will progress personally as well, and that such progress brings deep satisfaction.

Addressing the students by the roles they may take up, she said engineers should build technologies that improve people's lives; doctors should treat medicine as a form of service rather than merely a profession; scientists should seek solutions in the interest of humanity; artists and writers should enrich society's sensitivity; entrepreneurs should create employment and opportunities alongside wealth; teachers should nurture a young generation that embraces both heritage and progress; and those in public life should treat their position as a responsibility rather than a source of authority.

The President also spoke of the national goal of building Viksit Bharat by 2047 — a country where quality education and healthcare reach everyone, where science and technology serve human welfare, where opportunity is equal, where the full potential of women and the youth is harnessed, and where every citizen can live a life of dignity. Universities and young people, she said, have an important role in achieving these aims.