Earning high salary not enough, students must work for society: Prez

Students graduating from premier institutions like IITs and NITs should not restrict themselves to merely earning good salaries and leading a comfortable life but should take steps to help their communities based on sound knowledge, President Pranab Mukherjee said on Wednesday.

Delivering the first convocation address of National Institute of Technology (NIT), Delhi, he said the success of these young men and women would be measured by the amount of good solutions they provide to their community and nation once they step out in the outer world.

"I would like to advise you that the skills which you have acquired, the knowledge which has been instilled in you...that need not necessarily be settled for a comfortable life or a high salary package to promote the product of a particular multi-national company where salesmanship is important.

"But surely, an engineering graduate from institutions like NITs and IITs are something more than that. Your success will be measured not merely by how much you are earning and providing comfort to your family and to other members of your family but much more," he said.

"How many papers you are reading, what initiatives you are taking in research, what benefits and facilities you are providing to your community based on scientific and technological knowledge. That will be the measurement (of success) of the students coming out of first grade engineering and technical institutions," he said.