Patna: Principal secretary to the Prime Minister, P K Mishra, on Tuesday said Asia was emerging at a critical global moment and highlighted India’s rise as a bright spot in the world economy while calling for a development model rooted in sustainability, coexistence and social harmony.Addressing the third convocation of Nalanda University at the newly built Vishwamitralaya auditorium in Rajgir, Mishra said India must once again become a global knowledge centre.A total of 219 students from 14 countries received degrees during the convocation. Students from Vietnam, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar were among the graduates, while eight students, including seven women, received gold medals.Mishra urged students and scholars to “work without walls” and draw inspiration from Nalanda’s tradition of openness and multidisciplinary learning.“The central question before humanity is not merely whether we can generate more information or technology, but whether knowledge will remain connected to wisdom, ethics, compassion and human responsibility,” he said.He warned that despite rapid advances in artificial intelligence, biotechnology and quantum computing, the world continued to face climate change, geopolitical conflicts and rising social polarisation.Raising concerns over artificial intelligence, Mishra said AI models based largely on Western and English-language datasets often fail to reflect the realities of Asia and the Global South.He called for “intellectual decolonisation” and urged countries to revive their own knowledge traditions and contribute indigenous ideas to global discourse.“The revival of Nalanda University reflects India’s belief that openness, pluralism, dialogue and inquiry remain essential to the future of humanity,” he said.Mishra also stressed the importance of rigorous debate and independent thinking, cautioning that technology could not replace ethical reasoning or fully understand human dignity and suffering.“Civilisations decline not when they lose information, but when they lose the capacity for reflection and independent thought,” he said.Bihar governor Syed Ata Hasnain and Nalanda University vice-chancellor Sachin Chaturvedi were among those present.(With inputs from Farrukh Nadim in Biharsharif)