ITANAGAR, 21 Nov: Governor KT Parnaik on Friday called upon graduating students of the North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology (NERIST) near here to use their knowledge and skills to build inclusive technology for reducing disparities and uplifting communities.
Speaking at the institute’s 11th convocation ceremony, he said that the graduates’ contributions in infrastructure, energy, digital literacy and local innovation can transform lives.
Parnaik urged the youths to uphold their duties towards the society, the state and the nation.
He said that the NERIST must expand its academic scope by introducing programmes in sustainable development, environmental management, artificial intelligence, internet of things applications and by establishing centres of excellence in geospatial AI, remote sensing, artificial intelligence and data science.
The governor also called for proactive efforts to increase women’s participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.
The governor, who also serves as the president of the NERIST Society, encouraged the faculty members to embrace interdisciplinary research and teaching, link academic expertise with societal needs, and nurture an ecosystem where innovations move from classrooms to communities.
The governor underscored the importance of instilling practical problem-solving skills, leadership articulation and “perception management” among students.
Earlier, Parnaik presented gold medals to toppers across various engineering, postgraduate and undergraduate programmes. He also felicitated distinguished alumni, including Subrata Chakrabarti (ISRO scientist; 1990 batch), Dr Sarat Kumar Dash (scientist and head, quality assurance and control division, URSC, ISRO; 1994 batch), and entrepreneur Tage Rita (founder of Naara Aaba; 1996 batch).
Rubu Lucy of BSc forestry received the alumni-sponsored gold medal for the highest CGPA across all branches.
The convocation was attended also by IIT Guwahati Director Prof Devendra Jalihal, among others.
A total of 713 candidates received their PhD, postgraduate and undergraduate degrees. (PTI)
