President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday said research at National Institute of Technology (NIT)-Patna should aim at resolving people’s problems.

Kovind, addressing students at NIT-Patna’s eighth convocation, urged graduates to partner with agricultural scientists and collaborate with farmers to help enhance productivity and incomes.

Speaking at an event at Gyan Bhavan of Samrat Ashoka Convention Hall, Kovind stressed that with changing technology, techies should focus on artificial intelligence, big data, robotics, biotechnology and other aspects. Kovind asked students and passouts to avail the facilities of various government schemes such as Make in India, Startup India, Mudra Yojana, Digital India and others through which technological advancements can be made.

However, Kovind was upset with fewer number of girl students opting for technical education. He said institutes such as NIT should focus on areas under which more and more girl students can pursue engineering studies. At the convocation, out of eight students (three postgraduate and five undergraduate students) who received gold medals, there was only one girl student — Akanksha Sachdeva, topper from the civil engineering branch (BTech).

Apart from eight gold medallist students, two other students, Amit Kumar Choudhary (MTech) and Chitranjan Kumar Jha (BTech), received the President’s Gold Medal for being toppers.

The convocation was also attended by Governor Lal Ji Tandon and chief minister Nitish Kumar, an alumnus of the institute earlier known as Bihar College of Engineering.

Nitish said: “My government is focused on promoting science and technology and towards this goal, work is on to set up engineering colleges at all districts to check students from Bihar going to other states to pursue higher studies.” The chief minister also asked NIT techies to use science and technology for development in society. Tandon addressed the passouts. NIT-Patna director Pradeep Kumar Jain and others were present.

The students were happy to receive their degrees from the President. Vinay Kumar, a passout from the mechanical branch, said: “Getting a degree from the President makes the convocation special.” Altogether 736 students received degrees and certificates.

Male students wore cream-coloured kurta and pyjama with cream-coloured jackets while girls wore cream-coloured sari or salwar kameez with cream-coloured jackets. All students and guests wore angvastrams.

Earlier in the day, the President visited Pusa, Samastipur, to address the first convocation of the Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University. He said there were opportunities for agricultural scientists to contribute in agro-development. He underlined the need to modernise agriculture to face emerging challenges on the climate and productivity fronts.

Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University was created in 2016 by converting the erstwhile Rajendra Agricultural University into a central university.

On the occasion, the President presented gold medals to 33 students. Altogether,

478 PhD, MSc and undergraduate course students were awarded degrees.