The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that Science and technology should ultimately result in the betterment of human condition. He was addressing the gathering after inaugurating the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of National Institute of Technology (NIT), Warangal, Telangana today.Expressing his deep affection for the city of Warangal, the Vice President said that Warangal had a very unique character, that it is a smart city as well as a heritage city. He expressed hope that story of Warangal would serve as an example to all of us. It urges us to embrace modernity but hold on to all the good things that our ancient culture and traditions have given us. He congratulated NIT Warangal for being one of the top technology institutions in India and lauded the many new initiatives being taken up by NIT to further technological and scientific research. He insisted that technological institutions such as the NIT should focus extensively on innovation. He proposed that innovation be the one Mantra that leads the institution forward. He remarked that innovation was no longer a luxury for a country like India but an urgent necessity.The Vice President said that India is committed to build a five trillion-dollar economy by 2025, making India the 3rd largest consumer market in the world. He added that the world was watching India. The Indian growth story has taken the world by surprise and a number of foreign businesses wish to invest in India. He cautioned that for India’s growth to be sustainable we have to go on an innovation ‘overdrive’. He argued that India just cannot afford to be obsolete anymore.The Vice President opined that innovation today should keep the coming 20 years in mind. This innovation should be clean and green. He added that we should ‘plan’ and ‘plant’ for our children.
Appreciating Warangal’s Smart City status, he said that a smart city should be a livable, comfortable and happy place and that everything from offices to people to the utilities should be ‘smart’. He urged town planners and civic authorities to take measures to conserve the native architectural structures such as monuments, water flow systems and heritage sites in smart cities. He also asked them to keep spaces for construction of affordable housing for those who needed them badly. He stressed upon the need to create livable, eco-friendly urban spaces keeping in mind the growing demand of infrastructure requirements in mind.The Vice President expressed pride that India has always been known for its frugal innovations. Innovations help in combating corruption and pilferage of subsidies. Innovation makes it possible to overcome the most pressing problems of our time efficiently and effectively. He added that as India prepared to cut the red tape and lay the red carpet to invite the world, we have to focus on simplifying and making our procedures transparent. He observed that we would have to innovate to drive governance online so that we see no more long lines to avail services.The Vice President also spoke about the need for colleges such as NIT to have linkages with the industry as well as with the alumni. He complimented the proactive alumni base of NIT, Warangal for coming together to build a modern convention centre on the campus.The Vice President reaffirmed that in the present era of growing materialism, education must lay the foundations for building a society rooted in strong values and morals. Students must imbibe the values of tolerance, empathy, simplicity, honesty and generosity, he added. He expressed hope that engineers passing out of premier institutions like the NITs would use their knowledge and capabilities to solve problems related to drinking water, health, transportation and education and improve the lives of people, especially in rural areas.The Director of NIT, Warangal, Prof. Ramana Rao, the Dean, International Relations & Alumni Affairs, Prof. K.V. Jayakumar, the Registrar, Shri Goverdhan Rao, Deans, Faculty Members and Students of different branches of NIT were present on the occasion.