New Delhi: Increasing air and land pollution and depleting ground water level in the Punjab-Haryana region have emerged as a major problem, President Droupadi Murmu said on Tuesday.

The President, while addressing the 18th convocation of National Institute of Technology (NIT) Kurukshetra, acknowledged Punjab and Haryana’s important contribution in the development of Indian agriculture.

हरियाणा और पंजाब के इस क्षेत्र का भारतीय कृषि के विकास में अत्यंत महत्वपूर्ण योगदान है। आज, इस क्षेत्र में बढ़ता वायु और भूमि प्रदूषण तथा भू-जल का गिरता स्तर, एक बड़ी समस्या के रूप में उभरा है। pic.twitter.com/AccnAKczS5

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) November 29, 2022

---Advertisement---

“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, she said, maintaining that it is the responsibility of NIT Kurukshetra to find technical solutions to these problems.

“During the pandemic, it became clear that the common citizen of India is technology friendly. If technology is for the betterment of the society, then it gets full cooperation from the public,” she said, pointing towards the success of digital payment as an example.

Technology is not only a by-product of science and engineering, but it also has a social and political context, she added.

“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. Technology should be used for building an egalitarian society,” President Murmu said.

World going through phase of rapid changes

The President said that 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.

She said that these changes are 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’.”

She added that the institute is moving towards introducing futuristic-courses like artificial intelligence and data science, robotics and automation and industrial internet of things. “NIT Kurukshetra has established a state-of-the-art ‘Siemens Centre of Excellence’ in which special emphasis is being laid on smart manufacturing and automation designs and e-mobility.”

The President said that this is the first NIT in North India and second in the country to establish such a centre. “The establishment of this centre has led to increase collaboration with industry, academia and Research and Development organizations such as DRDO and BHEL.”

Salary package not a criteria of success

Pointing towards the salary packages as the criteria for success in education, the President said that 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.

“Students should not judge their success on the basis of the salary package. They have to not be limited by traditional notions of success and societal pressures. They have to decide what they want to do in their life. Choose a career that gives you a satisfaction and sense of meaning in life. Parents should motivate their children for excellence. In striving for excellence, achievements will automatically come your way,” the President said.

She added that NIT Kurukshetra, 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. More than 40,000 alumni of this institute have contributed in nation-building and have also played an important role in enhancing the reputation of India all over the world.”