The President Smt. Droupadi Murmu has emphasized on greater participation of women in the field of R&D. ' It is important not only for the social and economic development of the country but also for improving the quality of life of our daughters," said the President while gracing the 18th convocation of Malaviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT) at Jaipur on Wednesday 

While conferring the Medals and degrees to the students she noted that the enrollment of girls in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine and expressing her happiness she said that it is encouraging in this convocation, out of the 20 gold medals, 12 have been won by female students, even though only about 29 percent are girls among the total graduating students. She said that this proportion of girls among medal winners is proving that if girls are given equal opportunities, they can achieve greater excellence.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that NITs were established to promote quality technical education and research in the country, and they are playing a major role in providing skilled and capable human resources. She was happy to note about 125 start-ups have been registered in the Incubation Centre of MNIT, which are also creating new employment opportunities.

Terming the NITs a symbol of national unity, the President said that half the students in the NITs come from the home state, while the other half come from other states based on the India ranking. Thus, while on the one hand, this system allows local talent to flourish, on the other hand, it also works to strengthen the country's 'spirit of unity in diversity'.

Giving her best wishes to the graduating students for their new phase of life, Murmu said that in this era of the fourth industrial revolution, along with challenges, new opportunities are also coming. The role of our technical institutions is crucial in taking advantage of these opportunities and making India a leading nation in the field of technology. She stated that the establishment of the Department of Artificial Intelligence and Data Engineering in MNIT reflects its commitment to adapt itself to the demands of the times.

The Governor of Rajasthan Haribhau Bagde and CM Bhajan Lal Sharma also graced the occasion.