UGC chairman asks graduates to make India a developed country

Asking young graduates rid themselves of any feeling of servitude, the chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar on Friday asked youngsters to strive to make India a developed country.

Asking graduates rid themselves of any feeling of servitude, the chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar on Friday asked youngsters to strive to make India a developed country.

Delivering the 32nd convocation address of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) on the first day of the three-day convocation at Manipal, Prof. Kumar asked the youth to be proud of Indian culture and civilisation. “Focus on the strength of being united and your duties as citizens,” he told the graduates.

He stressed that youngsters should keep the flame of curiosity alive all the time. “When curiosity is constant, questions keep emerging to learn more. Be a life-long learner,” he said.

Asking youth to be fit both physically and mentally, Prof. Kumar advised them to make minimum use of processed food.

The chairman said that if the future generation wanted to have a sustainable, peaceful, secure and healthy future, solutions to emerging challenges will have to be chalked out. The major challenges in the offing are population growth, access to clean water, energy, nutritious food and health facilities. It is estimated that the global population is expected to touch 10 billion by 2050. Then simultaneously demands for clean water and energy will rise. At the same time, environment destruction and food security will be a big concern. Diversification in farming practices also required to follow precision methods to increase yield. India alone has only 4% of the world’s freshwater supply, with nearly 80% allocated to agriculture. There is a need for solutions to all emerging challenges, he reiterated, adding that the graduates will play a crucial role in finding these.

Melin Mathew, who pursued B.Sc Nursing from Manipal College of Nursing, Manipal, and Manaswi P.S., from Manipal School of Information Sciences, Manipal, who pursued Master of Engineering were awarded the Dr. TMA Pai Gold Medal for 2024 as best outgoing students for their exceptional contributions and achievements in their fields.

The three-day convocation will facilitate the graduation of 5,767 MAHE students.