Vice President Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan graces 22nd Convocation of SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai

Vice President Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan addressed the 22nd Convocation of SRM Institute of Science and Technology, urging graduates to use their knowledge for nation‑building and to adopt the principle ‘Nation First – Rashtra Pratham’. He highlighted the rapid expansion of higher education since 2014 – citing the establishment of 16 IIITs, 8 Central Universities, 8 IIMs, 7 IITs, 2 IISERs, 1 NIT and 12 AIIMS, and noting that India now has over 1,425 universities, 54,000 colleges and 16,850 standalone institutions. He pointed to a 42.2 % rise in women’s enrolment (from 1.57 crore in 2014‑15 to 2.24 crore in 2023‑24). The Vice President emphasized emerging fields such as Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Technologies, semiconductor research, robotics, biotechnology and sustainable development as drivers of future economies. He also condemned drug‑related violence, referencing a recent student murder in Tamil Nadu, and urged graduates to stay away from drugs.