Make NIT centre for research and inventions: Governor

Use knowledge for society: CM

YUPIA, Dec 18: Altogether 144 students were awarded degrees during the National Institute of Technology’s (NIT) 4th convocation which was held here on 18 December.
Eighty-three BTech degrees, 51 MTech degrees, Masters degrees, and seven PhD degrees were handed out.
Delivering the convocation address, Arunachal Pradesh Governor Dr BD Mishra said that the NIT Arunachal Pradesh should seek to become “a centre for research and inventions.”
“Use research work for the progress of the people, and make inventions for the development of the nation,” Dr Mishra said.
He urged the graduating students to contribute back to the society, and to work with integrity, “unmindful of the challenges you have to face.”
Reiterating that Google cannot replace a teacher, the governor advised the students to respect their teachers and be self-disciplined.
Commending the NIT’s faculty for their achievement at national and international conferences and awarding of patents, the governor advised them to move with the times and constantly update their knowledge.
He asked the teachers be “coach, friend, philosopher, and guide to their students.”
Earlier, the governor gave away the Tagore Gold Medal to Roshan Thomas for securing overall highest CGPA in Humanities subjects in the Bachelor of Technology programme. He also gave away the JC Bose Gold Medals to Avinash Nair and M Pothabathula Sai Kiran for ‘best hardware project; (titled ‘Design and implementation of ELC for micro hydropower plants’).
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Pema Khandu exhorted the students to put their degree and knowledge to use for the welfare of society. He said a degree can be useful “only when such achievements are put to use for welfare of mankind.”
He informed about Arunachal Pradesh having earned the distinction of being the best performing state in the education sector from the India Today Group.
He said smart classrooms and model schools are being implemented under the CM’s Adhunik Shiksa Yojana.
The CM also informed that the state government has done away with the no-detention policy, saying, “Students can perform well when their foundation in education in the lower classes is made strong.”
He said more than 1300 posts of school teachers have been created following the recent Cabinet decision, and that more than 180 faculty posts have been created for filling up vacancies in government colleges.
Noting that the NIT could not be shifted to its permanent site in Jote even after seven years of its establishment, the CM said “the state government is now taking steps in this matter,” and that work has started on the Jote-Poma road.
He expressed happiness, however, that the institute has finally got a permanent director.
The CM assured that mobile and internet connectivity at the permanent site would be “worked out by roping in the BSNL and private players.”
The NIT’s Board of Governors Chairman, Prof Anil Dattatraya Sahasrabudhe, lauded the hard work put in by the students and the faculty, and expressed hope that the institute would “come up at par with other best technical institutes of the country at its permanent campus in Jote.”
NIT Director, Prof Rajiv Kumar Garg also spoke.