Viksit Bharat Ambassador Campus Dialogue at IIT Guwahati

The Dr Bhupen Hazarika Auditorium at IIT Guwahati was filled with excitement and energy on March 14, 2024, as it hosted the Viksit Bharat Ambassador—Campus Dialogue. This gathering, the 15th event organized under the banner of Viksit Bharat Ambassador, attracted over 1,400 students and faculty, providing a platform for an engaging discussion.

The gathering was honoured by the presence of Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Hon’ble Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Government of India. In her insightful discussion with the audience, she emphasized India’s significant strides towards Viksit Bharat over the past decade and discussed the roadmap ahead. She urged the audience to embrace the transformative journey and become catalysts for change.

Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman also highlighted some trailblazing achievements in the Northeast under the Modi Govt., including introducing broad-gauge trains and establishing the first sports university in Manipur. She listed recent infrastructure developments in Northeast India that have brought significant connectivity improvements. Broad gauge trains now reach Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and Tripura, with Manipur also receiving goods trains for the first time in 2022. Meghalaya welcomed electric trains in 2023, and Nagaland celebrated its first railway station post-independence in the same year. Other milestones include Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh gaining air connectivity for the first time, the establishment of India’s first national-level Sports University in Manipur, and ongoing projects like a ship repair facility in Guwahati and an International Multi-Modal Logistics Park in Assam. The establishment of India’s first Gati Shakti Research Chair at IIM Shillong in 2024 also highlights the region’s growing focus on logistics development and innovation.

The speaker emphasized that the North-East region has received significant attention from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has personally visited the region over 65 times in the past decade. The Union Council of Ministers has also made around 850 visits since 2014. An important event occurred in 2016 when a Prime Minister chaired a North East Council meeting for the first time in 40 years, indicating a renewed focus and commitment to addressing the region’s developmental needs.

During the Viksit Bharat Ambassador Campus Dialogue event, the minister gave replicas of Chandrayaan 3 to seven government school students from Guwahati, igniting their interest in space exploration.

Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also highlighted the significance of Assam’s achievement in securing a part of the semiconductor value chain. She emphasized that while many countries aspire to have such a presence, Assam has attracted this critical industry, underscoring the state’s growing importance in high-tech sectors and its potential for economic development.