The second part of the annual convocation of the Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) was held in Belagavi on Saturday.
Chancellor of the university and Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot presided over the convocation and awarded gold medals and certificates to rank holders of postgraduate courses and research degrees.
Tessy Thomas, Vice-Chancellor of Noorul Islam Centre for Higher Education and former DRDO Agni missile project director, delivered the convocation address. She urged young engineers to take up the challenge of finding solutions to several modern-day problems.
She asked them to face questions such as, “How can we design technologies that reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainability? How can we use advancements in biotechnology and AI to make healthcare accessible and affordable? How can we use technology to bridge the digital divide and ensure inclusive education? and How can we create smart and sustainable cities for the future?”
“We are living in an era of super-fast technological advancement. Artificial intelligence, robotics, Blockchain, quantum computing, and space exploration are reshaping the world. The fourth industrial revolution, or industry 4.0, is creating opportunities that were unimaginable a decade ago. As graduates stepping into this dynamic world, you must be prepared to adapt, learn, and innovate. With initiatives such as Viksit Bharat 2047, Digital India, and Make in India, our country is poised to become a global leader in technology, manufacturing, and innovation. As engineers, you are the driving force and architects of progress and problem solvers of our society, which is going through challenges such as climate change, resource depletion, inequality, and global health crises, to name a few. Your role is to find sustainable and inclusive solutions with technologies and safeguard the future. The future belongs to those who can combine technical expertise with creativity, critical thinking, and ethical responsibility,” she said.
She recalled her days at the DRDO and said it gave her the opportunity to work towards the development of strategic missile systems. “Working for Agni missions, its technology development, manufacturing, testing, proving the systems, and management for military applications were of great challenges. From Agni I to Agni V missiles, we have attained self-reliance and put India on the global map in defence capability. Sustained efforts of our scientists and technologists have made the country an emerging power in many areas and have propelled us to the elite club of nations in space, defence, and nuclear technologies, thereby promoting science and technology within the country, leading to Atmanirbhar Bharat. Today, India is recognised as a leader in space and defense technologies, and that recognition is the result of years of dedication and hard work,” she said.
Mr. Gehlot noticed that a majority of gold medalists were women and it was a sign of efforts towards women’s empowerment.
He urged graduates to have dreams with social consciousness and focus on making them true and involve themselves in building a “Vikasit” and “self-reliant India” along with environmental protection. He said that higher education in regional languages would lead to a revolution.
The university conferred MBA degrees on 7,194 candidates (including 2,247 from autonomous colleges), MCA degrees on 3,784(including 1,136 from autonomous colleges), MTech degrees on 1,313 (including 836 from autonomous colleges), MArch degrees on 83 (including 11 from autonomous colleges), MPlan degrees on 23 candidates. Also, the university awarded 423 PhDs and three MSc (Engg.) degrees.
Vice-Chancellor S. Vidyashankar, B.E. Rangaswamy Registrar, and T. N. Sreenivasa, Registrar (evaluation), led the convocation procession. Dean Sadashive Gowda, finance officer Prashant Nayak G., members of the Executive Council and Academic Senate, principals of affiliated colleges, parents, staff members and students were present.
Published - February 08, 2025 09:00 pm IST
