New Delhi, April 16 (IANS): President Pranab Mukherjee called on the youth of the country to lead India to the high table of the international community, a Rashtrapati Bhavan statement said.

Addressing the first batch of NIT scholars' "In-Residence" programme, the president said he was impressed by their willingness to take on challenges with courage and find solutions.

"If the youth of our country maintain this spirit, India will be able to overcome all the challenges that confront it," said Mukherjee.

The people of India have waited for long and the youth are impatient. There is a need to make haste and move forward towards our goals with confidence, he said

He described the current young generation as the new IT savvy generation.

The students expressed their dreams to the president and many hoped to see India as a developed nation and a leader in research and technology.

The 'In-Residence' programme for the NIT students entails staying at the Rashtrapati Bhavan from April 11-17.

The students interacted with the officials of the ministry of human resources, visited industries, IIT-Delhi, NIT-Delhi besides attending a workshop at the Rashtrapati Bhavan during the course of the ongoing programme.

Mukherjee announced the 'In-Residence' programme in October 2014 during the NIT directors' conference.

Similar programmes for writers, artists and grass-roots innovators have been designed. A similar programme is also being planned for central university teachers.