The stage was set at IIT Guwahati to welcome India’s own superhero, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Indian PM, who rose from rags to riches, was to arrive at the institute to lay the foundation stone of IIITG and deliver a speech for the students. PM Modi was accompanied by HRD Minister Smriti Irani, Assam CM Tarun Gogoi, Governor Janaki Patnaik, Education Minister of the state and the Minister of Youth Affairs in Assam.

Despite the dignitaries’ delayed arrival in the afternoon, slogans for the saffron team could be heard since early morning. With the state elections in Assam slated later this year, PM Modi’s decision to visit the IITG campus can be termed a well-timed move.

Soon after their arrival, HRD Minister Smriti Irani took charge, followed by the state CM Tarun Gogoi, to address the 6000 people gathered to witness the historic moment. But it was only when PM Modi held the mic that the crowd cheered the loudest. 

“We had speculated what the agenda of visit of the PM would be. Since government is making serious efforts to promote their ‘Start-up India’ campaign, it was expected that most of his speech at IITG would comprise of promoting new ventures in India. IITG, with a deferred placement system, expected innovations and launches at IITG by the PM, which would help the entrepreneurs. However, Modi stuck to his usual motivational speech, rendering no direct benefits to the students of the institute,” said Bhavin Mandalaywala, the Vice-President of Student Gymkhana Council at IITG. “Our inter-hostel sports competition was called off for the last 3 days sighting the visit of PM Modi, as the football field and cricket ground were made the arena for PM Modi’s visit,” he added.

However, the students at IITG feel that the decision of involving IITs and other engineering institutes with the ‘Startup India’ campaign is an excellent move by the government. They are also speculating that such a move will yield positive results for the economy and the engineering sector over a long period of time.