CDS General NS Raja Subramani urges graduates to adapt to a changing world

Chief of Defence Staff General NS Raja Subramani addressed graduating students at IIT Roorkee's two-day convocation on Saturday, urging young engineers and technologists to remain adaptable and develop resilient systems as the global landscape undergoes rapid technological and geopolitical change.

A total of 2,701 students are receiving degrees during the two-day ceremony. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval attended the first day as the chief guest, while General Subramani was the guest of honour.

General Subramani outlines the 'DHARA' framework

In his address, General Subramani described the changing global environment through the acronym 'DHARA', standing for 'Disruptive, Hyperconnectedness, Asymmetry, Realignment and Autonomy'.

"I will speak about Bharat a little later, but before that I want to speak about the changing world and I will give you an acronym for that. That is 'DHARA,' denoting Disruptive, Hyperconnectedness, Asymmetry, Realignment and Autonomy," he said.

Elaborating on the first two elements, General Subramani said the pace of technological change was making it essential for young engineers and technologists to continually update their skills. He also pointed to the vulnerabilities created by increasing interdependence between different systems, saying graduates would have an important role in building resilient technologies.

“The world is undergoing enormous disruption; technology is changing faster than we can catch up. You, as graduates, will have to learn, unlearn, relearn and adapt and be curious throughout if you want to keep up with the changing world... We are hyperconnected not only in WhatsApp and social media but also in our financial systems, airlines, networks, and energy systems. This interconnectedness also carries vulnerability with it. You, as the future engineers and technologists, need to develop systems which have resilience...”

He added, "Bharat is not a geography. It is a responsibility which generations before you have carried, and you will carry as you navigate this world."

Doval calls graduates the 'luckiest generation'

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, who attended the ceremony as chief guest, told the graduating students that they were entering an era of unprecedented opportunities. He described them as the “luckiest generation in a millennium”, pointing to the transformation of society from earlier periods marked by struggle and constraints.

"You may not be conscious of the fact that, in the last 1,000 years, you are the luckiest generation, which is going to have so many opportunities. Generations before you were struggling under slavery. And not only that, things have changed here, but globally too. Things have changed for the better for you,” Doval said.

Doval also recalled an incident from his early years in the intelligence service, when he was posted in Sikkim during the period surrounding its merger with India. He recounted a high-stakes border mission involving an intelligence team that failed to return as expected and was subsequently reported to have been captured and interrogated by Chinese forces.

According to Doval's account, an inquiry was initiated after the personnel returned. He initially feared the episode could end his career, but the inquiry found no fault on his part and attributed the incident partly to defects in maps and sketches supplied by headquarters.

Harish Salve highlights changing global order

Senior advocate Harish Salve also addressed the graduating students, focusing on the changing international order and the responsibilities facing the younger generation.

Salve said graduates were entering a period of significant global transformation and cautioned against taking freedom, democracy and the rules-based international order for granted. He also stressed the role technology would play in shaping the emerging world order and the responsibility of the graduating generation in helping build it.

IIT Roorkee Director KK Pant and other senior officials were also present at the convocation.

The two-day ceremony began on Saturday, with undergraduate students receiving their degrees on the first day. Postgraduate and PhD students are scheduled to receive their degrees on the second day.