‘Don’t fear failure, keep pushing boundaries, inspire future generations’

New Delhi, July7
India is a country of hope and possibility said Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday, calling on students to keep pushing boundaries and inspire future generations.

Speaking at the 12th Convocation of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) - Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, the Vice President said India has the potential, knowledge, and wisdom repository.

He urged the students to “keep pushing boundaries and inspiring future generations to achieve new milestones in science and technology” and also to “bring about a change good for the nation, a change you have dreamt of”.

Noting that “many things related to space and science are abstract and enigmatic,” he asked the students “to make it tangible and ensure it adds to the betterment of the lives of a billion people in our country or more.”

“Your projects in combustion analysis, climate studies, AI applications, satellite imagery, and battery technology exemplify India's innovation prowess.”

Stating that “India is a country of hope and possibility”, and that the “world recognises it”, he appealed to the students “to look around at the vistas and opportunities.”

While every moment things are changing, he reminded them to “take the command of the technology, be in innovative mode, and to think out of the box.”

Importantly, Vice President Dhankhar called on the students to never fear failure.

“Never have tension, never have stress, never fear failure; failure is just a further step to success.”

Citing the example of Chandrayaan-2’s failure to soft-land, he said that “it was not a failure, but a stepping stone to the success of Chandrayaan 3.”

“Therefore, never fear failure. If you put your entire mind into a parking place due to the fear of failure, you are doing injustice not only to yourself but to humanity. So never stop trying.”

He also called on students to not work in silos.

“The best is outside the silos. Be fully cognizant of the best. Opportunities are challenging, but the gains will be geometric,” the Vice President said.