By PTI
NEW DELHI: India is the ‘only country’ in the world that has never attacked or usurped an inch of any other country’s land, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said during Delhi University’s 98th convocation ceremony on Saturday. India’s power is meant for the welfare of the world and not to scare anyone, he said in his address as the chief guest of the ceremony, during which 1,73,443 students were awarded digital degrees.
“Our dream is to make India Jagat Guru. We want to make the country powerful, rich knowledgeable and have values. India is the only country that has never attacked or occupied one inch of land of any other country,” he said.
Now, even the world believes that India was once a world leader in several areas, including knowledge and science, but there are many so-called progressives who ‘malign and question’ the cultural excellence of the country, Singh said.
“In this Amrit Kaal of Independence, as the country celebrates 75 years of freedom, we must recall the great tradition of equality, harmony and knowledge, and endeavour to overcome this poison that was filled in us under a conspiracy,” the minister said. He cited names of ancient sages, scientists and scholars to convey that India was the leader in the field of science, but many were unaware of this due to centuries of slavery.
“The concept of zero was given by India, Sridharacharya gave quadratic equation, Bodhayana came up with the Pythagoras theorem 300 years before Pythagoras did so, surgery was performed in this country before Jesus Christ, Aryabhata explained the shape of the Earth and that it rotated on its axis before Copernicus,” he said.
Talking about the spiritual power of the country, Singh said even people such as Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg visited Neem Karoli Baba at Kainchi Dham near Nainital for peace in their times of trouble. He called upon the youth to take a pledge to refrain from engaging in any activity that is against the interests of the country.
Citing the names of convicted terrorists Afzal Guru, Yaqub Memon and the attackers of the twin towers in the US, Singh said it was a misconception that poverty and lack of education were reasons behind terrorism.
‘Sanskaras and open-mindedness’ decide a person’s future, he stated. During the event, Singh also conferred 197 medals on students. A record number of 802 doctoral degrees were awarded.
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“I would like to congratulate the students and their families. Now, you will enter a world where the whole world will be your university. There will be a lot of changes in your life. There will be more responsibilities on you.I believe there is always an applied aspect of every education. Now, you will have to work in the world in applied mode with an acquired skill set,” he said.
Delhi University will release digital degrees with blockchain security through Samarth eGov, an initiative that aims at equipping Indian central universities and other higher education institutions with information systems for process automation and e-governance.
The university completes 100 years on May 1 this year, according to its Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh, who presided over the event. Last year, Delhi University became the first institution in the country to award digital degrees to 1,78,719 students.