Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday urged graduating students of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi to remain curious and keep learning as rapid technological change reshapes the world, telling them that those who adapt to new challenges will be best placed to succeed.Addressing IIT Delhi’s 57th convocation, Modi said it was impossible to predict what the world would look like two or three decades from now, making curiosity and a willingness to learn essential qualities for the future.“Today, the world is changing rapidly. Nobody can say what will happen 20-30 years from now. Keep your curiosity alive in life… Keep your learning instinct alive. Those who learn, win,” he said.Modi said people who remain open to new situations and challenges can turn difficulties into opportunities, adding that this was among the lessons students had learned at IIT Delhi.The prime minister also pointed to the changing balance of global power, saying that the speed of technological development was a major force behind it. He highlighted emerging opportunities for young Indians in areas including space technology, semiconductors, drones, artificial intelligence, data centres, critical minerals, quantum computing, electric mobility and energy storage.“Today, new sectors are emerging in the country for our youth,” he said.India, he said, was working towards becoming self-reliant across sectors. Referring to the semiconductor industry, Modi recalled that some had questioned whether India could establish domestic production when the government began taking steps in the sector.Story continues below this ad“But today, production has begun at the first semiconductor unit. I firmly believe that from chips to ships, everything will be made here by your hands,” the prime minister said.During his visit, Modi also inaugurated Param Pragya, an artificial intelligence-powered high-performance supercomputing facility at IIT Delhi’s Sonepat campus.Also Read | A 10-minute meeting, a 2027 signal? Modi-Sukhbir meet fuels Punjab alliance buzzDrawing a distinction between academic examinations and the uncertainties graduates would encounter after leaving IIT, Modi said the students had spent years preparing for tests whose syllabus was known. Life, he suggested, would offer no such certainty.He said that while examinations at IIT have a defined syllabus, “in the examination of life, everything is out of syllabus.” He encouraged the graduates to question established ideas, remain curious and have the courage to find new solutions.Story continues below this adResearch, he said, would be another major opportunity for young Indians. He referred to the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship, the Research, Development and Innovation Scheme and the Anusandhan National Research Foundation, and called for greater commitment from young researchers to strengthen India’s research ecosystem.Modi also asked the graduates to view their careers as part of India’s broader journey towards becoming a developed nation and to keep the national interest in mind while making important decisions.Towards the end of his address, the prime minister cautioned the graduates against measuring their careers against those of their peers, particularly through comparisons on social media.“Life is not a leaderboard. Your real race is not with someone else; it is with yourself,” Modi said.Story continues below this adHe urged the graduates to focus instead on their own growth, continue learning and preserve their curiosity as they begin their professional lives.More than 3,000 students, including 587 PhD scholars, were conferred degrees at the convocation.