Doval urged the youth to think firmly, without hesitation, and unitedly in the national interest. Today, we are very fortunate to have such leadership and an environment where we can empower ourselves. The NSA, recounting his childhood memories from Pune, said, “My school used to have an assembly after morning prayers. During the assembly, teachers would spend 10 to 15 minutes discussing ethics, the lives of great figures, student duties, and other inspirational topics. One of our Hindi teachers, a very good speaker, gave a speech on the life of Bal Gangadhar Tilak. That was the first time I learned about Lokmanya Tilak, and I was about five years old at the time. I never imagined that 76 years later, I would return to the same city to receive an award instituted in Lokmanya Tilak’s memory. It is truly my good fortune.”
During the event, Amit Shah praised Ajit Doval, saying, “We know him as the NSA, but we don’t realize that a large part of his work is unpublicized.” The Home Minister said, “In the last 12 years, under the leadership of PM Modi, our security capabilities and offensive capabilities have undergone significant changes, and Ajit Doval has played a significant role in this.”