Science and technology are indispensable for growth of countries, says VIT Chancellor

G. Viswanathan, chancellor of VIT, emphasized the critical role of science and technology in the development of nations during the concluding day of Gravitas 26, a three-day event organized by VIT. He highlighted that only 75 out of 193 countries are considered developed, primarily due to their advancements in science and technology over the past few centuries.

Viswanathan stressed that countries excelling in these fields have become global leaders. He attributed this success mainly to providing education, particularly higher education, to the populace. Currently, India boasts a population of over 150 million individuals in the 18-23 age group. However, only about 30% of this demographic has access to higher education.

Viswanathan pointed out that around 4% of students receive government scholarships for further studies, underscoring the need to extend this opportunity to the poor and middle-class segments who often rely on parental financial contributions. To achieve this, private companies and institutions should provide support through scholarships and internships for students, he asserted.

Gravitas 2026 registered 39,049 participants across 227 events at VIT's campus, focusing on science and technology to hone the skills and technical expertise of budding engineers. The festival also featured a special session on technology by Aman Gupta, co-founder of boAt, and recognized winners of various competitions with prizes.

Renowned attendees included Atul Sahgal, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Talent Acquisition at Cognizant, Hemant Sahal, a VIT alumnus and CEO of Digii, and VIT vice presidents Sankar Viswanathan and Sekar Viswanathan.