The President Ram Nath Kovind, delivered an address at the University of Cyprus. The theme of the address was “Youth, Technology and Ideas: Shaping the Contours of the 21st Century”.
Addressing the gathering, the President said we live in a rapidly evolving world. The scale of change we are likely to see in a decade or so will be unprecedented in human history. The world of technology, start-ups, innovations, new ideas, digital assistants, clean energy and pasta straws would reorient our daily lives in an unbelievable manner. What is of deeper import is that perhaps for the first time in history, youth are directly involved in bringing about sweeping changes and on such a massive scale.
The President said that technology has opened a whole new world of learning. And it has also made it easier to accomplish our tasks. One should, however, not get carried away by the instant nature of technology. The pursuit of excellence should be the key factor that dominates the minds of future generations.
The President said the changing world demands greater collaboration among the global community. We must create open source platforms for communities and countries to access the fruits of science and technology. Access, equity and inclusion should remain key to developing and deploying technologies. The Indian experience is of relevance. Empowerment through digital access is an objective that the Government of India is committed to.
