Kolkata, Mar 23 (PTI) West Bengal Governor R N Ravi on Monday said India will become the world leader in 2047 in the domain of science, research and intellectual rights and Bengal, having a rich cultural and spiritual heritage, will play a significant role in that.
Addressing the Convocation of Calcutta University here, Ravi said for 2,000 years India occupied the number one position in the world in knowledge, research, medicine, culture, but since the 19th century went down the rankings, lagging behind other countries.
“All through centuries, we were a thriving civilisation. When there was no America and England. India was the powerhouse at that time for a period of 2,000 years,” he said.
Predicting that by August 15, 2047, India would again occupy the top spot in the world, Ravi told the graduating students and research scholars, “On that day, ask yourself what I did for this country, had I been part of its journey.” “Our country is now at the cusp of transformation, and this university, having a rich legacy, has a role to play in this journey”, he said, adding that from trailing behind other nations in the early 20th century, the transformative journey began in the past 12 years.
He asked Calcutta University to align itself with that journey.
Referring to Bengal, Ravi described it as the land of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, who had penned the national song Vande Mataram and the land of Rabindranath Tagore, who had gifted us the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana.
“Bengal is the land of Swami Vivekananda, whose Chicago address had dispelled the wrong notion about Bharat in the West and made the world aware about its rich spiritual, historical heritage and past,” Ravi, the Chancellor of the state university, said.
He recalled that Rishi Aurobindo had talked about Bharat getting back its past status and preeminence after Independence.
“Rishi Aurobindo had said when we become independent, we have to play our role as a beacon of knowledge and awakening in the world again,” he said, recalling luminaries of Bengal like Aurobindo were concerned about the ill effects of World War and the destruction at Hiroshima.
Asking those students not directly related to AI subject, he called upon them to align themselves with that fast-emerging stream, as India is now leading the world in Robotics and machine learning and allied fields.
“Bharat has to be stronger, Bharat has to be self-reliant and your role is important in that,” he said.
Underscoring how India led the world in practising yoga, Ravi asked the students to practise yoga every day “to be healthy.” “Make yoga an integral part of your life. See, I have been practising yoga for decades,” he said.
The University of Calcutta held its convocation after six years, at its College Street campus.
Around 1,100 research scholars who completed their doctoral studies between 2024 and 2026 received their degrees at the event.
The keynote address was delivered by Director of the Indian Institute of Technology (Kharagpur) Suman Chakraborty.
The university conferred honorary degrees on noted scientist Vijay Pandurang Bhatkar (DSc), educationist Ranajit Das (DLitt), and former vice-chancellor of Christ University, Father Thomas Chatamparampil (DLitt). PTI SUS RG
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