Nirmala Sitharaman to deliver Nitte Vinaya Hegde Oration on Viksit Bharat in Mangaluru tomorrow
Mangaluru, April 27
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will deliver the inaugural Nitte Vinaya Hegde Oration on the theme 'Viksit Bharat - Vision for 2047 in K.S. Hegde Auditorium at Mangaluru tomorrow.
"Pleased to welcome our Fin Min Smt @nsitharaman on her arrival in Mangaluru this evening. She will deliver the Nitte Vinaya Hegde Oration 2026 on "Viksit Bharat - Vision for 2047" on April 28, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. at K.S. Hegde Auditorium, Deralakatte, Mangalore," said BJP leader Captain Brijesh Chowta.
The Nitte Vinaya Hegde Oration has been established as a prestigious annual lecture series to honour the leadership and contributions of the late Justice K.S. Hegde
According to NITTE, the series aims to bring together distinguished national leaders, policymakers, and public intellectuals to engage with contemporary issues of national importance.
The program will be presided over by Justice N. Santosh Hegde, former Judge of the Supreme Court of India and former Lokayukta of Karnataka. The Guests will include Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker U.T. Khader and Captain Brijesh Chowta. The event will also be attended by Nitte University Chancellor Vishal Hegde, Pro-Chancellor Dr. M. Shantharam Shetty, and Vice-Chancellor M.S. Moodithaya.
Earlier, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman chaired a high-level meeting on April 23, along with Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, with Scheduled Commercial Banks and key stakeholders to assess the potential impact of emerging threats linked to recent developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) models, particularly the possibility of such technologies being misused to weaponise software vulnerabilities.
Sitharaman urged all banks to take all necessary pre-emptive measures to secure their IT systems, safeguard customer data, and protect monetary resources.
During the meeting, the Union Finance Minister appreciated the work done by banks so far in strengthening cybersecurity systems and protocols, the Finance Ministry said in a post on X
.She noted, however, that the nature of the emerging threat from the latest AI Model is unprecedented and requires a very high degree of vigilance, preparedness and better coordination across financial institutions and banks.
The Finance Minister advised the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) to develop a coordinated institutional mechanism to respond swiftly and effectively to any such threats.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As an outsider looking in, I'm impressed by India's long-term planning. The focus on AI security threats alongside development goals shows proactive governance. But implementation details are key - hope the lecture addresses how to balance growth with data privacy.
Nitte University consistently brings top minds to Mangaluru. Justice Hegde's legacy deserves such a platform. However, I wish the event would include more voices from civil society and academia beyond BJP figures. Viksit Bharat needs inclusive dialogue. 🙂
Cybersecurity warning from FM is timely - AI threats are real and banks need to step up. But I wonder if the oration will touch on digital inclusion for rural Karnataka. Mangaluru's tech ecosystem can contribute to that vision. 🏦🔒
Interesting to see India's finance minister focus on AI-specific threats. Other nations are just beginning to grapple with this. The 2047 vision is ambitious, but the real test will be sustained economic reform and infrastructure spending. Looking forward to the speech.
As a Mangaluru local, proud that our city hosts such a prestigious lecture. But the FM should also discuss challenges like coastal economy, fisheries, and port development. Viksit Bharat cannot ignore our region's specific needs. Hope the Q&A session is open to public. 🌊
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.