The North News
Kota, July 12
Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, addressing the 4th Convocation Ceremony of the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Kota, delivered a strongly worded critique of India’s education coaching industry, calling them “poaching centres” and warning of their damaging impact on youth and innovation.
“These coaching centres have become black holes for talent in regimented silos,” said Dhankhar. “They are mushrooming across the country, and this is a menace for our youth — our future. We must address this malice with urgency.”
Expressing concern over the current obsession with grades, the Vice-President said that the race for perfect scores has “compromised curiosity,” adding that over-reliance on coaching institutes risks “robotizing” students and stymying their creativity. “Your marksheets will not define you,” he told graduates. “Your thinking mind will.”
Touching on the shifting nature of global power, Dhankhar warned against technological dependence on foreign powers. “Nations today are not colonized by armies, but by algorithms,” he noted, stressing that digital infrastructure has become a battleground of sovereignty.
“Our power now lies in code, cloud, and cyber. If we import defence tech, we risk paralysis. Sovereignty today depends on technological self-reliance,” he said.
Calling for a “new era of Nationalism,” Dhankhar proposed a vision of patriotism rooted in digital leadership. “We must become world leaders in technological innovation. Technological leadership is the new frontier of patriotism,” he said.
He urged India’s youth to become “conscious keepers of the tech world” by designing solutions tailored to Indian realities, including rural needs, regional languages, and accessibility for the disabled.
“A smart app that doesn’t work in rural India isn’t smart. An AI model that excludes regional languages is incomplete. A digital tool that excludes the disabled is unjust,” Dhankhar remarked.
Pushing for digital self-reliance, he encouraged Indian coders, data scientists, and AI engineers to rise as “modern-day nation builders.”
“India must not remain a passive user of borrowed technologies. We should lead the world — and export innovation, not just import it.”
