Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (JD)
Udupi, Nov 18: “The youth should innovate, develop new technologies, and set up companies, research establishments and start-ups in the country to realise prime minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a strong and self-reliant new India,” said Rajnath Singh, Defence minister of India in Manipal on November 18, 2022.
He was addressing the graduates and post graduate students of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) during its 30th convocation ceremony.
Addressing the young graduates, Rajnath Singh said, “I congratulate all the graduates who will receive the fruits of their hard work of many years today. Manipal group of educational institutions is highly reputed in the world, and also plays an important role in our nation’s education scenario. I am happy to learn that Manipal group of institutions has spread its wings not only in many states of India but also in Dubai and Malaysia. Their success represents the values of Dr TMA Pai, the values with which he initially built this institution. Dr Pai was a visionary who thought beyond his times and built Manipal institutions and established the Syndicate bank. He will be remembered forever for his contributions. Karnataka has given many great personalities to this nations like Basavanna, Akka Mahadevi, Madhwacharya and Kanakadasa and also Sir M Vishweshvarayya and Field Marshal K M Kariappa. We should have wisdom and not only knowledge. Life will be filled with many challenges like poverty, inability to use potential and others. Illiteracy is the main reason behind all these limitations. Education and values are the only medium which can change the world. Character building has been an integral part of our Indian culture. Education inspires a person to think about social and global welfare. India was number one in the field of science and innovation, but due to the long driven slavery many of us are not aware of our glorious past. Zero was a contribution of India. Quadratic equation was an invention of Swami Sreedhracharya of India. Pythagoras theorem was deduced by Bodhayan Rishi of India 300 years before Pythagoras.”
Speaking about the youth’s role in the economic development of the country, Rajnath Singh said “The quality and quantity of human capital plays a major role in the development of any nation. Human resource is an important factor for the development of a nation. Today’s world requires knowledge intensively. We need to upgrade our human capital. India has a very good younger population. Providing good education and employment opportunities are equally important and MAHE is making its important contribution in this regard. Google, Microsoft, Adobe and other major companies are today run by the individuals who studied in Indian universities. But we should also think that if Indian talents can run top companies of the world, why they can’t establish the same in India. In last seven to eight years the scenario of startup eco system in our country has completely changed. Before 2014, the number of Indian startups was just between 400 and 600. But today it has grown to more than 70,000 in which more than 100 are unicorns. Develop new technology, begin new startups and contribute to the nation. If MAHE has been able to produce a Satya Nadella to the world, I believe that hundreds of Satya Nadella’s will be coming out from this institution in the coming days. Satya Nadella is leading an American company named Microsoft, but I am waiting for that day on which you will be putting the foundation for a company brighter than Microsoft,” he said.
Rajnath Singh also inaugurated the new building for Manipal School of Architecture and Planning (MSAP) during his visit to MAHE, Manipal. With all the modern technology and state of the art facilities, MSAP is totally a GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) compliant energy-efficient Campus.
Students were feted for their achievements amidst a host of university dignitaries at KMC Greens. Dr H S Ballal, pro-chancellor Dr Ranjan R Pai, president, MAHE Trust & Chairman Manipal Education & Medial Group (MEMG), Lt Gen (Dr) M D Venkatesh, vice-chancellor, Dr Venkatraya Prabhu, pro-vice chancellor, Dr Dilip G Naik, pro-vice chancellor, Dr Pragna Rao, pro-vice chancellor, Dr Narayana Sabhahit, registrar and Dr Vinod V Thomas, registrar (evaluation) were present on the occasion.
The gold medal winners facilitated on day one were Himanshu (Kasturba Medical College, Manipal), Vinita Rosa Monis (Manipal College of Nursing), Satish Nayak (Manipal School of Information Sciences), Shah Diya Hemant Kumar (Manipal Institute of Technology), and Aahana Bhambhani (Welcome group Graduate School of Hotel Administration).
Speaking on the occasion, Lt Gen (Dr) Madhuri Kanitkar, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd), vice chancellor of Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, Nashik, said, “The pandemic has challenged teachers and students with physical limitations, changing the very fundamentals of learning. It has taught us resilience, and students have adapted and learnt beyond their books. Graduates are now ready to face a future built on sectors we’re discovering in response to the pandemic’s outcomes and the planet’s other concerns. Students with a positive mindset, a qualified skillset, and a curious attitude will succeed, while educators must focus on aligning education to the needs of society.”
Dr H S Ballal, pro-chancellor of MAHE, added, “The past few years have been especially difficult, but arriving at this occasion is a testament to our students’ grit and spirit. Our graduates truly deserve this moment—they have been exceptional alongside our teaching staff and college administrators. We’re excited to see how they will apply their learnings and impact society and beyond.”
Lt Gen (Dr) M D Venkatesh, vice chancellor, MAHE, said, “It is a moment of immense pride to celebrate our graduates’ accomplishments and acknowledge them as they set out to change the world through their dreams, verve, and expertise. We cherish the fact that we’ve been able to mentor and work with this fine group of individuals and watching their development at close quarters has been hugely satisfying and gives us the belief that the future is in good hands.”
Presenting the vote of thanks, registrar Dr Narayana Sabhahit thanked all the dignitaries present at the occasion and extended heartfelt gratitude to parents, students and others gathered.