India's Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan emphasized the importance of questioning and critical thinking for societal and national development at the 3rd Shri Arun Jaitley Memorial Debate.
On September 25, 2026, Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan graced the Award Ceremony of the 3rd Shri Arun Jaitley Memorial Debate at Shri Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi. He presented awards to winners and felicitated distinguished SRCC alumni for their exceptional achievements.
In his address, the Vice-President stressed that questioning is an essential pillar of democracy. He urged students to exercise independent judgement before supporting any cause. The Vice-President said: 'Before supporting anyone, you should ask whether it will be beneficial for society and the nation.' If this mindset is adopted, India will become a developed country before 2047.
The Vice-President also highlighted the legacy of Shri Arun Jaitley, remembering him as a distinguished SRCC alumnus, political leader, organizer, and accomplished orator. He emphasized that democracy is strengthened when disagreement is engaged through reason, evidence, and dialogue.
Moreover, the Vice-President pointed out the need for democratic discourse, which requires freedom of expression, respect for opposing viewpoints, evidence-based argument, and parliamentary conduct. He appreciated the organizers for selecting contemporary issues for debate, including the right to disconnect, universal basic income, employee representation in corporate governance, and human capital for Viksit Bharat @2047.
In addition, he stressed the importance of reasoned and responsible public discourse in the context of the contemporary information environment of social media, algorithms, instant reactions, and short-form content. The Vice-President urged students to adapt constantly and learn continuously, citing the evolution of computers from a perceived threat to jobs to a major driver of India's growth in the IT sector as an example.
He also highlighted the potential of AI to address challenges in a diverse country like India and referred to real-time language translation as a significant example. The Vice-President noted that the Rajya Sabha is working towards introducing AI-enabled translation in all languages listed in the Eighth Schedule.
Source:
Press Information Bureau
