Doval Calls IIT Roorkee Graduates Luckiest Generation
Doval Calls IIT Roorkee Graduates Luckiest Generation
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Key Points
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Doval contrasted the graduates’ prospects with earlier generations that had “struggl[ed] under slavery,” adding that conditions had improved both in India and globally: “things have changed for the better for you.”
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The intelligence team’s disappearance unfolded over an extended period: it was expected back after about eight days, but Doval said five, 10 and then roughly 15 days passed without its return, intensifying his concern.
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Chief of Defence Staff General N.S. Raja Subramani attended the ceremony as guest of honour, while Senior Advocate Harish Salve was among the other dignitaries at the two-day convocation.
India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval told 2,701 graduates at IIT Roorkee that they are the "luckiest generation in a millennium." NDTV reported that Doval credited unprecedented opportunities from technological and global progress. He contrasted their prospects with earlier generations that "struggled under slavery," saying conditions had improved both in India and globally for them.
Doval urged the graduates to recognize technology's critical role in driving economic growth and societal advancement. Outlook India noted that Chief of Defence Staff General N.S. Raja Subramani attended as guest of honour, alongside Senior Advocate Harish Salve and other dignitaries at the two-day convocation.
A Young Spy's Border Mission Gone Wrong
During his speech, Doval recounted a harrowing moment from his early career as an intelligence officer in Sikkim during its integration with India. The Hindu reported that Doval had sent a team to monitor border areas and Chinese military activity. The team was expected back after roughly eight days, but five, then 10, then about 15 days passed without their return.
Outlook India revealed that the team was reportedly captured and interrogated by Chinese forces before being released after negotiations. Doval said he feared the incident would destroy his career entirely. However, an official inquiry found the team's disappearance resulted from flawed maps and sketches provided by headquarters, not from any misconduct on his part.
From Career Crisis to Top Security Post
Doval's account highlighted how a grave mistake by his superiors nearly ended his career early. The inquiry cleared him of wrongdoing after determining that bad cartography, not poor judgment in the field, had caused the team's capture. This experience shaped his understanding of institutional accountability and intelligence operations.
Outlook India noted that Doval's resilience through that crisis foreshadowed his rise to become India's National Security Advisor, one of the nation's most powerful security positions. He used the story to illustrate to graduates how setbacks can redirect one's path rather than end it.
Why This Generation Stands Apart Historically
Doval emphasized that the 2,701 IIT Roorkee graduates possessed advantages no previous generation had enjoyed. He pointed to global improvements in living standards, education access, and technological capability. NDTV reported his message that graduates should seize the moment and apply their talents to India's continued advancement.
By framing the graduates as historically fortunate, Doval positioned them as inheritors of a more stable, prosperous world than their predecessors. He challenged them to recognize this privilege and use it to drive innovation and solve pressing challenges facing India and the world.
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