RGU convocation
RONO HILLS, 30 Nov: As future educated leaders in their chosen spheres of profession, the graduating students of Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) will have tremendous opportunities for growth and progression, Governor KT Parnaik, who is also the chief rector of RGU, said in his address at the 21st convocation of RGU here on Thursday.
Altogether 6,186 undergraduate and 969 postgraduate degrees were awarded during the convocation. Twenty-eight MPhil and 120 PhD degrees were also awarded on the occasion. Thirty toppers in the undergraduate courses and 38 toppers in 38 postgraduation courses received gold medals. Fourteen MPhil, 77 PhD, and 21 gold medallists in the undergraduate courses, and 24 gold medallists in the postgraduate courses are female candidates.
Congratulating the graduating students, the governor said that, “as future educated leaders in your chosen spheres of profession, you will have tremendous opportunities for growth and progression,” and advised them to “create a new work culture that would adhere to values, ethics and morals in a world that is besieged with several conflicts and concerns.”
The governor urged the graduating students to contribute towards the cause of the society, the state and the nation.
He complimented RGU’s governing bodies, deans, professors and faculty members for “their vision, commitment, conviction and determination in the transformative journey of RGU since 1984,” and also commended them for their “contribution towards training the young and aspiring minds, which,” he said “is reflected by the growing stature of the university alumni and leadership roles they have imbibed over the years.”
“PhD degrees have enhanced exponentially over the past five years and have risen nearly 400 per cent over these years,” he said.
The governor, who participated in the Pink Constitution Day celebration, expressed delight that, “out of 110 PhD awardees this year, there are 70 female candidates, and female students securing UG gold medals are more than double their male counterparts.”
“The proportion for PG gold medallists also continues to be on the higher side in favour of women. The 82 per cent pass percentage of undergraduates and over 62 per cent for postgraduate candidates are equally worth acknowledging,” he added.
Emphasising that “higher educational institutes should adopt a multiple mode of education and skilling of students to enable enhancement of job opportunities,” he said that “the government of India has now come out with the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020, which weaves a comprehensive futuristic vision and makes concrete pragmatic stipulations.
“It highlights the need for full equity and inclusion as the cornerstone of all educational decisions to ensure that all students are able to thrive in the education system,” he said.
The governor said that NEP-2020 “envisions an education system rooted in Indian ethos that contribute directly to transforming India sustainably into an equitable and vibrant knowledge society by providing high-quality education to all, and thereby making India a global knowledge superpower.”
“The vision of the policy is to instill among the learners a deep-rooted pride in being Indian, not only in thought but also in spirit, intellect and deeds, as well as to develop knowledge, skills, values and disposition that support responsible commitment to human rights, sustainable development and global wellbeing, thereby reflecting a truly global citizen,” he said.
Underscoring “the requirement of special emphasis of education in human values,” the governor said that “value-based education must be included in the development of humanistic, ethical, constitutional and universal human values, which will enhance acceptance of cultural diversities and generate respect for others.”
Sharing his observation during his district tours, the governor said that “the tribal societies in the state are transiting through the third decade of the 21st century and aspiring to make a huge leap from tradition to development.
“Your villages and towns are in dire need of indigenous teachers, engineers, doctors and entrepreneurs. That is the gap you will be able to fill to take the state to new heights of achievement,” he said.
The governor urged the RGU fraternity to “resolve to play your vital role of developing character through education,” and added that the university “must strive to achieve global benchmarking, given the vastness and diversity of the global village we live in today.”
The governor, the chancellor, the vice chancellor and the convocation speaker presented the gold medals and the MPhil and PhD degrees.
The Chancellor’s Gold Medal for the postgraduate topper was awarded to Chandan Chetry (MTech in computer science engineering), and the Vice Chancellor’s Gold Medal for the undergraduate topper was awarded to Minam Yomso (BSc in physics) of JNC, Pasighat. The gold medal for MPhil was awarded to Manngam Wangpan, and the Pushpa Rani Mitra Gold Medal, instituted by former RGU pro-VC Amitava Mitra, for the topper among the girl students of the social sciences department was awarded to Hibu Mayur (MA in psychology).
Chancellor Dr J Suresh Babu, Vice Chancellor Prof Saket Kushwaha, and Dr NT Rikam also spoke.
Prof GD Sharma, a renowned academician and the president of the Association of Indian Universities, New Delhi, delivered the convocation address.
Local MLA Tana Hali Tara, members of the court, the academic council and the executive council, deans of faculties, heads of departments, directors of institutes, awardees of medals and degrees and their family members, as well as relatives, statutory officers, faculty members, staff, students, community members and other guests attended the ceremony. (Raj Bhavan)
