President Ram Nath Kovind urged IIT Delhi alumni to give back to the society by undertaking short teaching stints and sponsoring scholarships.
Speaking at the 48th convocation of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi campus, the President said all great universities of the world have a deep and thriving engagement between old students and the institution. “They invite alumni to contribute, not merely in terms of financial assistance but more in terms of knowledge sharing and time. The obligation is on the IIT Delhi authorities to involve and invite alumni, many of whom are well placed in other universities or in industry, to come back and teach here, even if for short periods or for specific courses.” Kovind said.
“Many of those who studied here in the past were fortunate to have their world class education heavily subsidised by the tax payer. There is a moral obligation to pay back, and to help those less privileged — in whichever manner the individual prefers,” Kovind said.
The President also said he was happy to know that the IIT Delhi now has more post graduate students than at the undergraduate level. “This is a healthy sign. We are moving towards research- based learning and churning out products and technologies for nation building,” he said.