Evaluate before idolising, VP Dhankhar urges youth at Gurugram convocation
Calling for critical thinking and cautious respect, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar urged the youth to evaluate and question before idolising or iconising anyone. He was addressing the 4th convocation ceremony of Masters’ Union, a business school in Gurugram, where he emphasised the importance of analytical thinking and democratisation in shaping the country’s future.
“Believe in yourself. No living mortal is entitled to your respect unless you see virtue in them,” Dhankhar said. “It is a very simple thing in our country. We idolise and iconise quickly, and we never ask why is somebody a great lawyer or a leader or any other achiever. Democracy is all about questioning, analysing and then forming a fully aware opinion.”
He encouraged the youth to take the lead in transforming India’s economic, industrial and business sectors. “Today, you're taking a huge leap forward — mark my words, you don’t need lineage, you don’t need a family name, you don’t need family capital, you need an idea and that idea is not the exclusive domain of anyone,” Dhankhar said.
The Vice-President also lauded India’s bureaucracy, describing it as one of the nation’s greatest assets. “The greatest advantage Bharat has is its bureaucracy. We have the finest human resources and bureaucracy that can bring about any transformation if led by the right executive in the right frame —an executive that facilitates and does not obstruct,” he said.
Dhankhar highlighted India’s economic progress over the past decade, citing milestones such as banking inclusion for 500 million people, gas connections for 170 million households and toilets for 120 million households.
“Now they seek more and if the dream to make Viksit Bharat at 2047 has to be realised, our economy has to grow eight-fold. That's a big challenge and only the youth can beat it,” he said, urging the younger generation to take on this responsibility with determination and innovation.
The event concluded with Dhankhar encouraging the graduates to pursue their ideas with conviction and to contribute meaningfully to the nation’s growth story.