Michael Debabrata Patra: The dawn of India's age

Inaugural address by Dr Michael Debabrata Patra, Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR) Alumni Conference, Mumbai, 10 May 2023. 

The views expressed in this speech are those of the speaker and not the view of the BIS.

Dr. Basanta Kumar Pradhan, Director, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research or IGIDR, Prof Subrata Sarkar, Convenor of the Conference Committee, Faculty Members of IGIDR, Distinguished Alumni of the Institute, Ladies and Gentlemen, Namaskar and Good Afternoon!

I am deeply honoured to be invited to inaugurate the IGIDR Alumni Conference which, perhaps for the first time, brings together former students, current students and faculty under the mantle of the alma mater. Some of you are well on your way in charting life's journey in diverse fields; others prepare to commence their own tryst with the future. It is truly heartening to observe how loyally you have all responded to the IGIDR's maternal call – after all, as the Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins puts it, an alumnus is one who is nourished.

The cornerstone of building a great nation is the nurturing of its human capital. The IGIDR has groomed some of the brightest and most driven scholars in the country. Their professional successes intrinsically define the institution. Alumni are receivers and also givers. In the words of Albert Einstein, "It is every man's obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it." While you reflect on your journey through these arches, do ponder on how you could enrich the journey of others that follow in your footsteps. I see you as rays of light illuminating the terrain you traverse while also reflecting the incandescence of the sun – your alma mater. The rich diversity of your accomplishments is our asset, worthy of emulation, with externalities to reap by those who join you today.