Want to make India superpower, says Rajnath Singh at IIM Ranchi; makes equation-God remark

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday that "India has the potential to become a superpower and it needs significant achievements in the fields of education, health and industry to make the cut". He also mentioned the country's glorious history including major discoveries by ancient scientists like Aryabhatta ahead of their western counterparts.

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Rajnath Singh addresses IIM Ranchi

During an online address at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) at Ranchi convocation, Rajnath Singh talked about India's rich contribution in the field of scientific research in the classical age of Indian mathematics and astronomy and how Aryabhatta confirmed 1,000 years before famous German astronomer Copernicus, about the round shape of the Earth and its rotation about its axis'.

"We want to make India a superpower. To make the country a superpower, we need even bigger achievements in the fields of education, health and industry, etc. The potential in these areas is within our country. It is not yet fully utilised". Singh said.

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"When we talk about making India a superpower, then we also have to take care of the development potential in all the states of the country". The Defence Minister said the youth of the country has the ability to face any challenge and can turn them into opportunities with the help of 'invention, innovation and ideas'.

To play a key role in making of a 'New India', Singh encouraged students and said modern education should not deter them from taking inspiration from the country's glorious history, adding it set new standards of knowledge and discovery for centuries in the fields of physics, social science, spiritual knowledge and economics.

"Modern education should not be a hurdle in taking inspiration from your glorious past. Just like studying science does not mean that you do not believe in God", Singh said.

"Today, when we are all working for the creation of New India, it is important for all of us to understand our heritage", as the Defence Minister said the list of India's achievements in science is very long. He also added that the country was not behind in other fields like economics, history, political science and public administration.

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Talking about the coronavirus pandemic, Singh said India effectively confronted the crisis despite having limited resources and that the country turned the disaster into an "opportunity" under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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"Equation is meaningless to me unless it expresses a thought of God'', he claimed also mentioning mathematician Ramanujan. As he concluded his address he asked students to work hard to achieve their goals. Singh said, "We have to understand that the road to success often passes through the streets of failure. There will be no successful person in the world who has never faced failure."