Sangareddy, Andhra Pradesh:
The first step toward improving governance was to vote for good candidates, said NR Narayana Murthy, co-founder and executive chairman, Infosys, at the second convocation of IIT Hyderabad near Sangareddy in Andhra Pradesh.
"For improving governance, first step is to vote for the best candidates," Mr Murthy said, adding that strong and enduring institutions of the state and effective watch dogs of the civil society were necessary for the democracy to succeed.
Patriotism involves voting for the best candidate irrespective of religion or caste, he said, delivering a convocation address.
Patriotism did not mean just singing the national anthem or draping oneself in the national flag, but it meant working ethically, honestly "with the interfaces of the state and central governments to make our public governance strong, robust and enduring", he said.
Patriotism was also about "enhancing the prestige of India abroad through our performance on international platforms", he added.
Mr Murthy recalled that when he left IIT Kanpur for Paris in the early seventies, India was seen by most foreigners as a pitiable place, but now the world expects India to be one of the leaders to solve global problems.
Speaking on the occasion, BVR Mohan Reddy, Chairman of Board of Governors, IIT Hyderabad, and Chairman Infotech, said that IITs had got a global recognition and IITians had made contributions to technology and research in the most advanced countries.