‘I am not Baba Bageshwar, but…’: PM Modi’s light-hearted remark draws laughter at IIT Delhi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday drew laughter and applause when he mentioned Baba Bageshwar while congratulating the students during the Convocation Ceremony of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi.

Baba Bageshwar, widely known as Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, is the head priest of the Bageshwar Dham Temple located in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district. He draws large crowds for his spiritual discourses and “divine courts” (divya darbar).

Addressing the gathering, PM Modi said, “All of you are gathered here today, but there must be something going on in your hearts. Now, I am not Baba Bageshwar, but there must be something going on. Some must be thinking of their future, some about their salaries, some must be preparing for a new start in a new city, some must be thinking of start-ups… Everyone has a different path and dreams, but one feeling must be mutual — recalling the first day in IIT Delhi and today. You must be feeling satisfied by your journey from orientation to convocation… You all should cherish this moment.”

A total of 3,000-plus students, including 587 PhD scholars, were conferred their degrees during the ceremony. He congratulated the students, wishing them all the best for their futures, adding that they aren’t just taking degrees but taking forward a dream of doing something for the country.

He expressed his joy in attending the convocation ceremony and said, “The way your families are feeling proud today, I am also proud of you all. You are not just taking a degree, but taking forward the dream of doing something for the country.”

The Prime Minister also presented IIT Delhi’s prestigious academic honours to meritorious students in recognition of their outstanding performance. The awards include the President’s Gold Medal, Director’s Gold Medal, Shankar Dayal Sharma Gold Medal and Perfect Ten Gold Medal.

On a lighter note, PM Modi said, “If some daughters were meritorious students, then it would have been much better. Sorry, not just some but many.”

“Whenever life gives you a reason to look back, then this campus life, your friends, teachers and support staff — the ones who have become your families and home — you will remember all this and be thankful for everyone,” he added.

PM Modi also virtually inaugurated ‘Param Pragya’ — an AI-powered high-performance supercomputing facility at the institute’s Sonipat campus.

The facility is expected to strengthen the institute’s capabilities in Artificial Intelligence, data science, advanced computing and interdisciplinary research.

IANS