PM Narendra Modi at a convocation at AIIMS hospital
Addressing a captive audience of doctors and medical students at India's premier AIIMS hospital, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday quipped, "Why was I called? I am not a good patient - I don't plan to be one, and neither am I a doctor."
But PM Modi didn't have to be either a patient or a doctor to share some advice with a roomful of medical professionals.
"India is lagging behind in the field of medical research and much more needs to be done," he told students, adding, "We should focus on research, particularly on case history. This can be a big contribution to humankind."
Known for his oratory, Mr Modi, dressed in a blue graduation gown and cap, peppered his speech with jokes, some about his own school days.
"I was never a good student, nor did I have the chance to receive an award," he quipped to laughter and applause.
"You must keep the student in you alive. Do not think you ever stop being a student. That is the only way you achieve something," he urged.
The 64-year-old prime minister shared that people often commented on his "his boundless energy".
"There is nothing surprising about that. You are medical professionals...add some science and the fact that the need to do something always gives you energy," he said.