Giving an inspirational message to the youth, Delhi lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung on Friday exhorted students to strive for an inclusive society and ensure that the poorest of the poor find a voice. Addressing the 91st annual convocation of University of Delhi, Jung said the youth’s forthrightness and openness to accept viewpoints of others and an intrinsic belief in an inclusive society will lead the society to peace.
“Giving space to others materially or in thought is a big challenge. In a developing country such as ours, when the size of the cake is limited, we tend to first think of ourselves and of our own clan and kin,” he said. Noting that the country had been blessed with great leaders and thinkers, Jung said it was now a task of the youth to build the future of the country and for that they should not only dream big but achieve them as well. He also asked the students to embrace the values of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity ingrained in the Constitution of the country.
Over 350 PhDs were awarded besides other degrees in the coveted convocation ceremony. Eight medals were also presented on the occasion held at the university campus in North Delhi. Recalling his days as a student of Delhi University, Jung said his time at St Stephen’s College not only taught him to think but made him realise that there were several avenues in life to explore. “I left this university 41 years ago. What I am today is because of this university. You are the generation which will take us forward. You have to give voice to the souls of the poor,” he added.
In his address, Vice-Chancellor Dinesh Singh praised Jung for his contribution as an educator in his roles as Jamia Millia Islamia’s Vice-Chancellor and chairman of a core committee of V-Cs appointed by the Human Resource Development Ministry. He also appreciated Jung’s leadership skills and highlighted the various initiatives taken by him as the l-G of Delhi.
Making an apparent reference to the much-debated four-year undergraduate programme, Singh said it was Jung’s advice that gave the university the confidence to go ahead with education reforms that had caused ‘much debate, thunder and noise’ at a ‘critical time’ when it was not sure which path to take.