Dr. V.K. Aatre, former Director General of DRDO, delivers Convocation address, lauds UoM for being among top 20 Varsities

Mysore/Mysuru: The 103rd Convocation of the University of Mysore (UoM) was held at Crawford Hall in city this morning. 

Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, who is also the Chancellor of all State-run Universities, bestowed Honorary Doctorates on Nadoja Dr. P.S. Shankar, Emeritus Professor of Medicine at Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS), Bengaluru, and K.B. Ganapathy, Founder-Editor of Star of Mysore and Mysuru Mithra.

The third awardee, former international cricketer Javagal Srinath, was unable to attend due to prior commitments with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). 

Padma Vibhushan Dr. Vasudev K. Aatre (V.K. Aatre), former Director General of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), delivered the Convocation address (See report on page 6).

Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, who began his speech in Kannada by welcoming the guests and then continued in Hindi, highlighted the importance of social justice and economic equality. He emphasised that education and knowledge can promote equality and equity. 

Gehlot argued that education’s primary goal is to achieve equality in all aspects of life and the nation’s progress depends significantly on education.

The Governor pointed out that the University of Mysore has been working towards this goal for over a century. He also noted that the purpose of education aligns with the ‘Vasudaiva Kutumbakam’ concept and that the economy plays a pivotal role in a nation’s comprehensive growth. 

Underscoring the role of young people in the nation’s progress, the Governor stressed the need to fulfil Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of making India the world’s largest economy.

Higher Education Minister Dr. M.C. Sudhakar, who also serves as the Pro-Chancellor of UoM, expressed his delight at the increasing leadership of women in sectors previously dominated by men. He stated that he was honoured to be part of this significant event at UoM, a place of special significance to him. 

Dr. Sudhakar also highlighted that many of the University’s top achievers are women, emphasising the transformation of women’s roles from the traditional confines of the kitchen to positions of prominence. He commended UoM, established by the erstwhile Mysuru Maharajas, for achieving international recognition in the field of education.

Discussing the establishment of Universities in all districts, Dr. M.C. Sudhakar mentioned its impact on the UoM. 

He assured that the Government acknowledges UoM’s historical status and is working to restore its original jurisdictional boundaries. The Government also remains committed to further developing Maharani’s Arts, Science, and Commerce College and preserving its historic buildings by undertaking comprehensive renovation efforts.

The Minister acknowledged the honour bestowed upon Dr. P.S. Shankar, K.B. Ganapathy and Javagal Srinath by UoM for their exceptional service to society. UoM Vice-Chancellor Prof. N.K. Lokanath, Registrar V.R. Shylaja, Registrar (Evaluation) Prof. K.M. Mahadevan and other dignitaries were in attendance at the ceremony.