2 days ago
Make Ganjam hub of wisdom, says Pradhan
Berhampur: When lakhs of Ganjam's sons and daughters are powering the economies of Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, why can't the same spirit transform their own homeland? This was the stirring question posed by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan while addressing the 26th Convocation of Berhampur University on Saturday.
'Berhampur University must not be a mere degree-awarding institution,' Pradhan asserted. 'It should be a fountainhead of research, innovation and recognition of the informal competencies of society. Let this be the new benchmark for our labour force. Berhampur must emerge as the hub of wisdom and the dream capital of the future.'
Pradhan said Ganjam has played a significant role in Odisha's language and literature movements and also in the labour sector. He said the district's hardworking people have strengthened economies not only in Odisha but also in industrial hubs like Surat in Gujarat.
The district is home to institutions such as IISER Berhampur, MKCG Medical College, Khallikote Unitary University, College of Arts and Crafts, Army Defence College and College of Fisheries.
Presiding over the ceremony, Chancellor and Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati urged the graduates to carry their vision forward. 'The university has a vital role in nurturing globally competent citizens,' he said.
Minister of State for Higher Education, Sports and Odia Language & Culture Suryabanshi Suraj lauded the university's role in providing a vibrant academic environment and announced that Odisha has sanctioned ₹74.05 crore for infrastructure, including a new science building, hostel, auditorium and boundary wall.
Berhampur MP Pradeep Panigrahi and Aska MP Anita Subhadarsini called upon students to become catalysts of societal progress.
The convocation also celebrated excellence with the conferment of honorary degrees (Honoris Causa) on three distinguished achievers — Dr Tessi Thomas, DG DRDO and the 'Missile Woman of India'; Dr Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Chairman of the Atomic Commission; and Dr Raimati Ghiuria, hailed as the 'Millet Queen of Odisha.'
Vice Chancellor Geetanjali Dash, in her welcome address, reflected on the university's steady journey toward academic transformation.
The day saw 52 scholars receive PhDs, four receive D Litt and 38 toppers of various departments being honoured — a momentous step towards the future that Dharmendra Pradhan envisions for Ganjam.
