A student receiving her degree from former President Ram Nath Kovind as Andhra Pradesh Governor S. Abdul Nazeer and university’s Chancellor Koneru Satyanarayana look on, at the 14th convocation of K. L. Deemed to be University at Vaddeswaram in Guntur district on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: G.N. RAO
Former President of India, Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday (November 30) encouraged the students to dream big, work hard and innovate while being resilient amidst life’s challenges.
Speaking at the 14th convocation of K.L. Deemed to be University at its campus at Vaddeswaram in Guntur district, Mr. Kovind emphasised the transformative power of education.
Sharing about his humble background, Mr. Kovind said his childhood was spent in a remote village in abject poverty. “My village had only a primary school and I had to walk 6 kms daily to go to a secondary school,” he said, adding that education helped him achieve greater heights, and he served in high offices, contributing to the society.
Citing the example of former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Mr. Kovind said it was the transformative power of education that enabled the later to prosper in his career.
He underscored the need to ensure women empowerment and quoted B. R. Ambedkar who had said, “Education is fruitless without educated women. I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress achieved by the women in it.”
Mr. Kovind said women today were not only taking an active part in every field of life but also were outshining their male counterparts. “This is an indication of a bright future, a glimpse of a new India,” he said.
The former President urged the youth to prioritise physical and mental fitness through yoga and use their education to address societal issues and uplift the underprivileged sections.
Cultural roots
Advising the students to strike a balance between embracing global innovations and staying connected to their cultural roots, he said they should become agents of positive change and contribute to a prosperous and equitable society.
He said Andhra Pradesh has a dynamic Chief Minister like N. Chandrababu Naidu who was capable of leveraging technology to usher in development. “Mr. Naidu exemplified how to think globally and act locally as he had proven in his earlier role as the Chief Minister of the undivided Andhra Pradesh,” Mr. Kovind said.
As many as 42 students received gold medals, 37 students received silver medals, 166 P.hD students, 604 post-graduate students and 3,936 graduate students received their degrees on the occasion.
Andhra Pradesh Governor S. Abdul Nazeer, K.L. Deemed to be University’s Chancellor Koneru Satyanarayana, Vice-Chancellor G. Partha Saradhy Verma, Registrar K. Subba Rao and others were present.
Published – November 30, 2024 07:27 pm IST
