PM Narendra Modi’s new mantra for IIT students: Self-Three

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged students to move forward following the mantra of Self-Three. Addressing the 66th convocation of IIT Kharagpur in West Bengal virtually, Modi said, “ You will face many questions on the road you have chosen – is this the right path? Will there be a loss? Will there be a waste of time? The answer to these questions is Self-Three: Self-awareness, self-confidence and selflessness. Identify your capabilities and move forward with a selfless attitude.”

Modi said that India can become a major player in the field of science, technology, research, and innovation in the world. “In the fight against Corona, the software solutions developed by IIT are helping the country. You will have to work on health front. I am not just talking about gadgets. I am taking about an ecosystem. We have to give solutions to the nation starting from prevention to cure,” he said.

There is a huge market of personal health care equipment as people have started monitoring their blood pressure, sugar and oxygen levels at home, he said. “We also need to come up with technologies which can offer affordable and accurate solutions,” he added.

Floating the idea of a clean cooking movement based on solar power, the Prime Minister also said at least 250 million households in India still use chullah [traditional clay stove]. “If we get success here, then the search for cheaper batteries for electric vehicle can be cross subsidised. Who else can do this work if not the youths of IIT?” he asked.

Referring to the recent Uttarakhand glacier burst, Modi said the country needs to think how to make its infrastructure resilient, starting from small houses to big bridges.

“IITs should not just remain as Indian Institute of Technology but should work to become Institute of Indigenous Technology and take it to the next level. The more our IITs do research and come up with solutions to meet the challenges of India, the more they would become a medium of global application,” he said.