‘Don’t Miss This’: NSA Ajit Doval shares his ‘unmissable’ IPS days story with IIT Roorkee graduate

Summary

NSA Ajit Doval, speaking at the IIT Roorkee convocation, congratulated the graduating students and highlighted the privilege of studying in a globally reputed institution. He also acknowledged the contributions of parents and teachers.

He traced IIT Roorkee’s evolution—starting as Thompson College, becoming India’s first engineering university in 1949, and later attaining IIT status in 2021—while pointing to its enduring legacy of prominent alumni and national honours.

Personal experience and the “map-reading” lesson

Drawing on his early career as a young IPS officer in the intelligence domain in Sikkim during the period of integration into India, Doval described a high-stakes intelligence operation involving cross-border complexity and Chinese custody. He said that an inquiry later concluded he was not at fault; however, errors in maps and situational guidance led to disastrous consequences. Although he was performing well professionally, this incident ended his original career trajectory.

Using this episode, he explained how failures often arise from “map-reading” mistakes—misunderstanding one’s position and misplotting the destination.

Life and decision-making framework for graduates

Doval then offered a broader philosophy for the graduates:

• “Know where you are”: One’s state of mind and circumstances change, so continuous self-assessment and introspection are necessary.
• “Know where you’re going”: Goals and aspirations evolve, so plans must be revisited and adjusted to new realities.
• Decision-making matters: Good outcomes are not guaranteed, but making an informed decision—through diligence, study, understanding the environment, and seeking experience—improves the likelihood of long-term success and helps correct course when outcomes go wrong.
• Be a decision-maker and leader: Effective leadership involves making decisions and developing guiding principles aligned with one’s capacities and life circumstances.
• Be audacious, but responsible: Referencing a mythological story of Vishwamitra choosing Ram over Bheem to take a hazardous route, he argued that audacity—the willingness to take difficult paths—is a trait of successful people. However, audacity must be matched with responsibility and unwavering values. He warned that abandoning values under adversity leads to moral collapse.

Closing message

He concluded by encouraging graduates to leverage India’s technology- and innovation-driven future. He referenced the country’s economic transformation (including projections tied to GDP growth and long-term development) and expressed confidence that youth will help shape a “great India” in the decades ahead.

Presenters / Contributors

• Haris Salvi (Chairman, Governing Council)
• General Raja Subramaniam (Chief of Defence Staff)
• Professor Pant (Director, IIT Roorkee)
• Professor Pravin Kumar (Dean of Academic Affairs)
• Professor Navani (Dean of Academic Affairs)
• Professor Kavind Kumar (Deputy Director)
• Shri Pashant G. (Pashant Gag) (Register)
• Professor/Doctor names referenced as part of alumni legacy:
  • Dr. Anil / “An Kosla” (as transcribed)
  • Professor J. Krishna
• NSA Ajit Doval