Dr. P.K. Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, today addressed the Third Convocation of Nalanda University, at Rajgir, Bihar. He congratulated the 221 graduates representing 14 nations, marking their academic accomplishment as a milestone built on hard work and perseverance. While recognizing the ancient Nalanda Mahavihara as one of the greatest learning centres in history, Dr. Mishra said that “There are universities that are institutions. And then there are universities that are civilisational symbols. Nalanda belongs to the latter category”.

 

Highlighting the historical and geographical significance of the region, Dr. Mishra underscored Nalanda's core philosophy that knowledge must remain open to dialogue, connected across disciplines, and directed towards humanity's greater well-being. He praised the university's new Net Zero campus, inaugurated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, recalling Bodh Gaya, where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment. Dr. Mishra observed that “Indeed, the entire Asian continent has greatly benefited from the teachings of Lord Buddha. I am sure, the learning from this great University will spread far and wide across the continents”.

 

Addressing the broader context of the current era, Dr. Mishra pointed out the paradox of the 21st century, where humanity possesses unprecedented technological capabilities in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and quantum computing. However, this period also coincides with profound uncertainties, including climate change, geopolitical conflicts, and growing societal polarization. Dr. Mishra emphasised that “The central question before humanity is not merely whether we can generate more information or technology, but whether knowledge will remain connected to wisdom, ethics, compassion, and human responsibility”.

 

Reflecting on Nalanda’s foundational intellectual traditions, Dr. Mishra highlighted its interdisciplinary approach. He stressed the importance of cultivating vāda, rigorous dialogue and inquiry, as an antidote to modern intellectual passivity, cautioning that while technology provides instant answers, it cannot replace ethical reasoning and moral responsibility, or fully comprehend human meaning, suffering, dignity, or aspiration. “Civilisations decline not when they lose information, but when they lose the capacity for reflection and independent thought,” Dr. Mishra asserted.

 

Discussing the historical impact of colonial domination, Dr. Mishra explained how it altered intellectual frameworks and marginalized holistic indigenous traditions like Ayurveda, Buddhist epistemology, and the Arthashastra. He called for the 21st century to be a period of intellectual decolonisation, urging the recovery of civilisational self-confidence to contribute homegrown ideas and knowledge systems to the global discourse. “The revival of Nalanda University reflects India’s belief that openness, pluralism, dialogue, and inquiry remain essential to the future of humanity,” he noted.

 

Detailing India's commitment to democratising learning, Dr. Mishra outlined the National Education Policy's focus on multidisciplinary education, multilingual instruction, and the formal integration of Indian Knowledge Systems. He also showcased the country's monumental digital public infrastructure initiatives, such as the National Mission for Manuscripts and the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library, which actively document millions of ancient texts and protect traditional medicine systems from international misappropriation.

 

Further elaborating on the effort to reduce barriers to knowledge, Dr. Mishra mentioned AI-driven initiatives like Bhashini for indigenous language translation and the One Nation One Subscription program designed to democratise access to global research journals.

 

Examining the profound and widespread impact of Artificial Intelligence, Dr. Mishra raised crucial questions regarding ethics, bias, privacy, and human agency. He warned that AI models trained predominantly on English-language and Western datasets may not adequately capture the agricultural, medical, or climatic realities of Asia and the Global South, risking a dangerous gap between technological models and local realities.

 

In response, Dr. Mishra highlighted the necessity of initiatives like the IndiaAI Mission to build domestic technological capabilities and ensure knowledge sovereignty.

 

Positioning Asia at a critical global inflection point, Dr. Mishra recognized the rapid economic growth of region’s nations, highlighting India’s transition into a bright spot in the global economy. Echoing the Prime Minister's mission for India to once again be recognized as the world's most prominent knowledge centre, he advocated for a development model rooted in coexistence, balancing economic competition with sustainability and social harmony.

 

Dr. Mishra advised the graduating students and the scholars to "work without walls," drawing upon Nalanda's true lesson of openness by taking the best from everywhere and giving back even more to solve global challenges like climate change.

 

In his concluding remarks, Dr. Mishra reminded the graduates that they inherit a multi-disciplinary civilisational legacy rooted in open inquiry and the understanding that learning without ethics can become dangerous. He quoted an elegant shlok from the Hitopadesha to illustrate that knowledge leads to humility, worthiness, wealth, right conduct, and contentment.

 

Reflecting on ancient graduation traditions, Dr. Mishra invoked the Taittiriya Upanishad, highlighting the enduring relevance of the 11th anuvaka of the Shiksha Valli, which provides the Guru's golden rules for an ethical life, including speaking the truth, abiding by dharma, and never being idle in studies. Dr. Mishra also said that "Education is not simply the acquisition of knowledge or professional competence. It is cultivation of judgment, character, and ethical responsibility," he concluded.

 

Lt. Gen. Syed Ata Hasnain, Governor of Bihar, Prof. Sachin Chaturvedi, Vice-Chancellor, Nalanda University, Shri Rudrendra Tandon, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs, members of the Governing Board, members of the Academic Council, faculty members, distinguished representatives of the Embassies and High Commissions of our partner nations were present on the occasion.

 

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