JNU VC Prof. Santishree Pandit addresses students and faculty members at Assam Royal Global University”
GUWAHATI, May 29, 2025: Intelligence has become artificial, but stupidity is original. Machines are learning, humans are serving. Students, please don’t lose your talent to read, to write and to think independently. ChatGPT and AI dependence is making slaves. I am not against the use of technology, but your mind is far superior to technology. This was stated here Yesterday by Prof. Santishree Pandit, Vice Chancellor, JNU New Delhi while addressing students and faculty members at Assam Royal Global University (RGU). The JNU Vice Chancellor also planted a sapling as well as visited the university Museum and Central Sophisticated Instrumentation at the university campus.
Appreciating unity amidst diversity, Prof Santishree Pandit said, “Though the Assam Royal Global University is very young compared to JNU which is in its 57th year, it has a very vast trajectory from KG to PG and PhD, a university that mentors and holds students very well.” RGU stands as one of the leading private universities in Eastern India, serving the region with distinction—an aspect of great significance to the Government of India, especially in the context of the Act East Policy. “I commend RGU for its vision and mission in delivering quality higher education to the students of this region”, she added.
While interacting with students regarding the use of AI, she said, “Use technology as an instrument, not as a master, because finally human being should be known for original critical thinking. Diversity is important for universities like RGU, and the celebration of diversity is what leads to unity. I am against uniformity, because it makes you dull whereas unity is like colours of the rainbow. We need to bring the local to the national and connect it to the global.” Students must understand this. Learn from your teacher, nothing can replace the classroom, she further said.
Prof. Pandit also spoke about gender and equality, and said that Men are not enemies of women empowerment, rather than they have played the role of reformers. “It’s all about balance and harmony. I would rather say that India is a feminist civilization, and Draupadi (from The Mahabharata) is the first feminist. We need to have a much more comprehensive view of gender in India”.
Speaking on NEP 2020, the JNU Vice Chancellor stated, “NEP is a much-needed educational reform because in 36 years we had no reform. At JNU we are allowing every school to take whatever is very good as a framework. I would rather say, every 10 years, we should go for reforms because education is a very vital sector. India aspires to be a knowledge power.
