Copyright deccanchronicle
Chennai:Students must use technology to serve society and help close the gap between generations, Racha Aribarg, consul-general of Thailand in Chennai, said on Friday.Speaking at the inauguration of TechnoVIT’25 at VIT Chennai, the 10th annual edition of the university’s international technology festival, Aribarg said the digital divide between the young and the old was growing, and engineers could play a key role in bridging it.“Many elderly people struggle to use basic technology. Spend time with them, teach them, and make sure they are not left behind,” he said. He also urged students to use science and innovation to support communities and help tackle organised crime.More than 10,000 students from India and 10 other countries, including Thailand, Poland, Australia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Taiwan, and Uzbekistan, are taking part in the three-day event. It features 150 technical competitions, 40 workshops, and total prize money of `10 lakh, with crowd favourites such as Robo Race, Robo Sumo, and Rotor Rush. Student projects on renewable energy, robotics, and assistive technology were also on display.Dr G.V. Selvam, vice-president of VIT, who presided over the event, said that the trend of studying abroad was declining. “There’s been a 44 per cent drop in Indian students going to the US for higher studies. That shows growing trust in Indian universities. Study in India, Make in India is becoming a reality,” he said.Prince Jayakumar D, executive vice-president of HCLTech, said India was moving from an IT services hub to a global innovation centre. “The next decade will be India’s innovation decade,” he said. “Artificial intelligence and quantum computing will change how industries operate, and Indian engineers will be at the centre of it.”
