IAS Tukaram Mundhe addressing students as dignitaries Unmesh Wagh, Sandeep Tamgadge, Sachin Shende, and Dr Neeraj Bodhi look on. (Pic by Satish Raut)

 

 

 

Warning against what he described as an age of ‘vichar-shunyata’, the gradual loss of the ability to think critically before reacting — Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe on Sunday urged students not to get swayed with the crowd. He was addressing students at a scholarship distribution and career guidance programme organised by the Smrutishesh Madhukarrao Tamgadge Charitable Trust at Dr Vasantrao Deshpande Hall. “Knowledge has become very easy to obtain, but people are also getting influenced very easily by whatever they see online,” Mundhe said. “They do not stop to verify the source or understand the context before reacting or forming opinion. Many deliberately spread misinformation to provoke others,” he added.

 

The programme was inaugurated by Unmesh Wagh, IRS officer and Commissioner of Customs, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), Mumbai, and presided over by Sandeep Tamgadge, Additional Director General of Police, Nagaland. Dhananjay Wanjari, Income Tax Commissioner; Sachin Shende, Regional Director, Reserve Bank of India; Dr Neeraj Bodhi, Head of the Department of Pali and Buddhist Studies at Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University; and Trust President Kusum Tamgadge were present on the dais. Speaking on the influence of AI, Mundhe said, “AI is not bad. The way we use it is what matters. Some use it for the betterment of society, while others use it to create meaningless content.” He urged students not to become completely dependent on technology and instead develop the habit of questioning information and verifying facts.

 

“The question is not whether man is bigger than the machine. We must ask how these machines should be used, for what purpose, and to what extent.” Unmesh Wagh encouraged students preparing for competitive examinations to look beyond simply clearing the UPSC examination. “People believe life becomes easier once you crack UPSC, but that is far from the truth. Becoming a civil servant comes with even greater responsibilities and challenges. At the same time, if you perform your duties ethically, the work gives you immense fulfillment,” he said. Sachin Shende, RBI Regional Director, said AI and machine learning are no longer confined to engineering.

 

“These technologies have applications in banking, science, law and several other fields,” he said. Shende observed that while conventional jobs are gradually declining, the nature of employment is changing rapidly. Atharva Educational Scholarship was distributed to five students who had finished their 12th standard by the assembled dignitaries. Additionally, the trust awarded scholarships to 50 students who have only one parent. Sandeep Tamgadge proposed a vote of thanks.