Human values, character crucial in AI era, says NIT Warangal

At NIT Warangal’s 24th Convocation, speakers urged graduates to prioritise human values, character and purpose alongside technical skills. They highlighted AI’s growing role, lifelong learning, social responsibility, research expansion and placement achievements at the institute

Warangal: Human values, judgement, honesty, character and reliability must be upheld rather than job titles and compensation, suggested the guests at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Warangal’s 24th Convocation.

Addressing the graduates at the two-day convocation that got underway here on Saturday, NITW Board of Governors Chairman Dr BVR Mohan Reddy highlighted the changing nature of engineering and the growing importance of artificial intelligence. He told the graduates that AI could process vast amounts of information, but human values, judgement and purpose remain essential.

---

He urged the graduates to work with AI, retain strong domain knowledge and remain lifelong learners, besides building trust, embracing failure, upholding values and giving back to society. Looking beyond their careers, the graduates should contribute to India’s development by addressing problems that matter to society, he noted.

The chief guest, Texas Instruments India Managing Director Santhosh Kumar, called upon graduates to build with character and purpose. Character serves as the hardware of an individual, while technical skills, degrees and resumes constitute the software.

Graduates must not measure themselves merely through indicators such as job titles and compensation, but also through invisible metrics such as honesty, reliability and how they treat people. They have to apply their knowledge to solve problems affecting people at the bottom of the socio-economic pyramid, he said.

NITW Director Prof Bidyadhar Subudhi, in his report, informed that the institute had introduced several new programmes for 2026-27, including M.Tech programmes in quantum technology, AI, electric vehicles, materials science and technology.

Similarly, B.Tech in electrical and electronics engineering with a focus on electric mobility and M.A. (English Language and Literature) have also been introduced. The institute made artificial intelligence and machine learning (ML) mandatory for B.Tech students from the 2025-26 entry batch.

Supported by agencies such as ANRF, DRDO, ISRO, MeitY and DST, the institute got 162 research projects worth Rs 53.63 crore sanctioned, besides securing seven externally funded research projects worth Rs 7 crore. Infrastructure expansion was underway, with projects worth Rs 900 crore, he noted.

In terms of placements, 666 out of 709 registered undergraduate students and 685 out of 848 registered postgraduate students were placed. The undergraduate average package was Rs 18.54 lakh, with a median package of Rs 15 lakh, while the highest domestic offer stood at Rs 1.27 crore per annum, the director added.