India Must Become AI Creator, Delhi CM Rekha Gupta Tells VIT Graduates

India must become a creator of artificial intelligence rather than remain just a consumer, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said while addressing students at the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) on Saturday.

Delivering the 41st convocation address at the institute in Vellore, the Chief Minister highlighted that the Union government has been investing substantially across several critical sectors, including semiconductors, computing infrastructure, defence, and robotics through the India AI Mission.

She noted that the primary objective of these initiatives is to transition the country beyond using imported technologies to actively developing them domestically. She emphasized that making this shift will be one of the most significant contributions that new graduates can deliver for their respective states and the nation as a whole.

Speaking to the graduating batch, the Delhi Chief Minister also observed that numerous societal challenges could be addressed effectively if the government and educated youth collaborate closely. She encouraged the students to pursue roles and careers that actively assist and improve their cities.

During the convocation ceremony, degree certificates were conferred upon the graduating students. Her son, Nikunj Gupta, was among the graduands receiving a degree at the event.

Sharing key insights on the country's higher education landscape during the event, VIT Chancellor G Viswanathan pointed out that India's Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education currently stands at around 30 percent. He noted that the Union government's National Education Policy aims to elevate this figure to 50 percent.

Addressing the distribution of academic streams, the chancellor remarked that while India has built an extensive capacity of more than 50 lakh engineering seats, the country continues to lag behind in medical education capacity.

He pointed out that approximately 22 lakh students appear for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) every year, competing for only around 1.3 lakh medical seats across the country, which leaves barely 2,000 to 3,000 seats vacant following the completion of seat allotments.