Union Minister urges youth to prioritise nation and take up responsibility to lead

Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday urged the Gen Z never to give up the country and to take up the responsibility to lead.

Delivering the address at the 36^th convocation of Dr. MGR Educational and Research Institute, she urged the youth to put the country first. “Whether you belong to Gen Z or Gen Alpha, we are all ready to listen to what you have to say,” she said.

Ms. Sitharaman said that as educated individuals, the young need to understand and analyse what is happening in their area and why, recognise their role and the contributions they can make to the nation. “You need to assess whether the situation calls for you to step up as leaders, take charge and guide those around you in a disciplined manner,” she noted.

“Study, earn your degrees, take up jobs or start your own businesses, but also accept the responsibility of leadership and understand what must be done to guide the country forward,” she emphasised. A home exists only if the nation exists, she said, urging the students to take a pledge to accept this responsibility and prioritise the nation.

To the graduating students, she said some might be planning to pursue higher education, while the others who are planning to look out for jobs or to take up self-employment, need to be aware of the country’s current situation.

“You may have read in history books about the global uncertainty that prevailed during the first and second World Wars. The same level of uncertainty prevails today; three major conflicts are under way — Ukraine-Russia, Israel-Iran, and Iran-US-Middle East. In the midst of these wars, we import crude oil and agricultural fertilisers from regions affected by these conflicts,” the Union Minister said.

She added: “Amid this global uncertainty, our country stands out as a centre of stability compared to others. Furthermore, we are growing at a rate of 7.8%. When I visited North America two weeks ago, this was the very topic that other nations inquired about. They expressed astonishment at how India — a highly populous nation — achieved a 7.8% growth rate at a time when the rest of the world is struggling.”

 Global Capability Centres (GCC) are being set up across the country. Tamil Nadu has 350 GCCs, which is 10% of all GCCs in India. In Coimbatore alone, there are 80 GCCs. A total of 12,000 young persons are employed. Clusters are coming up in Madurai and Tiruchi. There are significant employment opportunities, Ms. Sitharaman said.

The university’s chancellor A. C. Shanmugam, president A.C.S. Arunkumar and vice chancellor S. Geethalakshmi were present. BJP State president Nainar Nagenthran also took part.