VP Radhakrishnan Presents Awards at Arun Jaitley Memorial Debate

• Radhakrishnan presented awards at the 3rd Arun Jaitley Memorial Debate.
• He called questioning essential to a functioning democracy.
• The Vice-President urged students to use AI as a tool, not a substitute for intellect.
• SRCC was congratulated on completing 100 years.

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 25th Sept: Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan on Friday presented awards to the winners of the 3rd Shri Arun Jaitley Memorial Debate at Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), University of Delhi, and urged young Indians to question, think critically and act with responsibility towards society and the nation.

Addressing the award ceremony, Radhakrishnan said questioning was an essential pillar of democracy but stressed that questions should be used to develop rather than disrupt.

“Without asking questions, there is no democracy. But questions should be asked wherever required, not to disrupt, but to develop,”

He called upon students to exercise independent judgment and assess whether their support for any issue or person would benefit society and the nation.

Democracy needs reasoned disagreement
The Vice-President said democratic institutions are strengthened when disagreements are addressed through reason, evidence and dialogue rather than avoided.

“Democracy is not strengthened by avoiding disagreement. Democracy is strengthened when disagreement is engaged through reason, evidence, and dialogue,” he said.

He appreciated SRCC for choosing contemporary subjects for the debate, including the right to disconnect, universal basic income, employee representation in corporate governance and human capital for Viksit Bharat @2047.

Radhakrishnan also highlighted the importance of responsible public discourse in an era dominated by social media, algorithms, instant reactions and short-form content.

Congratulating the participants and award winners, he said their participation demonstrated the importance of intellectual engagement and the power of words.

Tribute to Arun Jaitley’s legacy
Describing the debate as a fitting tribute to former Union minister and SRCC alumnus Arun Jaitley, Radhakrishnan recalled his contributions as a political leader, organiser and accomplished orator.

He highlighted Jaitley’s legal expertise, political understanding, economic perspective and communication skills. The Vice-President also recalled his interactions with Jaitley during the tenure of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Radhakrishnan referred to Jaitley’s contribution as Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs and mentioned reforms including the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, taxation and fiscal reforms, as well as measures related to India’s financial and economic architecture and financial inclusion.

“What better tribute to this great person than a debate,” the Vice-President said while appreciating SRCC for commemorating its distinguished alumnus through an intellectual forum.

AI challenges can become opportunities
Radhakrishnan also addressed the growing influence of artificial intelligence and encouraged students to adapt continuously and keep learning.

Recalling the transformation brought about by computers and India’s IT sector, he said technological challenges could similarly be converted into opportunities through adaptation and innovation.

“AI is giving us challenges, but we can make AI challenges into opportunities,” he said.

He cited real-time language translation as an example of how AI could help address challenges in a linguistically diverse country.

The Vice-President said the Rajya Sabha is working towards AI-enabled translation in all languages listed in the Eighth Schedule.

At the same time, he cautioned students against allowing technology to replace human reasoning and creativity.

“Never let algorithms become a substitute for your intellect. Human creativity can never be replaced by AI.”

SRCC marks centenary
Congratulating Shri Ram College of Commerce on completing 100 years, Radhakrishnan, who is also Chancellor of the University of Delhi, said a century represented more than the passage of time.

He said institutions sustain their relevance when they remain rooted in their values while continuously adapting to changing circumstances and preparing for the future.

“Institutions become great when every generation leaves them greater than it found them,” he said.

The Vice-President also felicitated distinguished SRCC alumni for their achievements and contributions across various fields.

Prof. Yogesh Singh, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Delhi; Ajay S. Shriram, Chairman of the SRCC Governing Body; Prof. Simrit Kaur, Principal of SRCC; Sangeeta Jaitley, wife of late Arun Jaitley; faculty members, alumni and students were present at the event.