Udaipur (TIP)- Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday flagged what he described as a disturbing rise of “white-collar terrorism” in the country, warning that higher education without values can turn dangerous for society.
Speaking at the 104th foundation day of Bhupal Nobles’ University, Singh cited the November 10 car bomb blast near Delhi’s Red Fort to underline his point. He noted that the accused in the attack were qualified doctors, calling it a stark example of how education alone does not guarantee ethical conduct.
“Today, an alarming trend of white-collar terrorism is emerging in the country. Highly-educated people are working against society and the country. The perpetrators of the (Delhi) bomb blast were doctors – those who had degree in hand and RDX in their pockets. This highlights the need for knowledge to be accompanied by values and character,” he said.
The explosion involved an explosives-laden i20 car driven by Dr Umar-un-Nabi and resulted in the deaths of 15 people. Officials later uncovered a white-collar terror module, leading to the arrest of three doctors — Muzammil Ganai, Adeel Rather and Shaheena Saeed — among others.
“The purpose of education is not only professional success but also the development of morality, ethics and human character. Any education system that cannot fulfil this objective, which does not impart humility, a sense of character and ‘dharma’ (righteousness) along with knowledge, is incomplete,” the Defence Minister said.
Singh said terrorists are not necessarily illiterate and can hold university degrees, but often lack wisdom and values.
“When I talk about religion, it should not be associated with going to the temple, mosque or church for prayer. Religion is a sense of duty. Education devoid of religion and morality will not be useful to society, and sometimes it can even prove fatal. This is why educated people are sometimes found to be involved in crimes,” he added.
Singh also spoke about India’s economic and technological trajectory, saying the country is currently the world’s fourth-largest economy and is on course to become the third-largest by 2030. Universities, he said, have a critical role to play in this journey.
‘India to become fully self-reliant in weapons in next 15–20 years’
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said that over the next 15-20 years, India will become fully self-reliant in weapons.
Defence Minister praised the growing trend of startups in the defence sector.
“Today, many startups in the defence sector are doing remarkable work. Whatever our startups are building is close to the ground reality and also meets the global standards,” he said.
Rajnath Singh said that society has to remain informed about evolving innovations, which can help in country’s progress. Defence Minister also said that, “India has risen from 76th place in 2014 to 39th place in 2024 in the Global Innovation Index. The digital economy’s contribution to national income has also increased. Today, India has become the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem. Through public use of changing technology, we can give a new direction to India’s progress. We must stay continuously informed about rapidly evolving innovations. Today, the shortage is not of knowledge, data, or information, but of wisdom. Terrorists are not illiterate; they, too, have high degrees, but they lack wisdom. When there is knowledge without discernment, a person works in ways that are divisive for society,” he said.
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