One should not be receiving an award for spreading the message of mankind as it’s our duty: Ramnath Kovind

“One should not be receiving an award for spreading the message of mankind as it’s our duty. It’s a way of Humanity and such message must be spread. One receive award for humanity it’s a shameful act.” said, innovator and education reformist Sonam Wangchuk – the pride of Ladakh and one of the inspirations for the well-known film 3 Idiots – for being conferred a Doctorate of Literature (Honoris Causa) on Tuesday in Pune based Symbiosis International Deemed University’s 15^th convocation ceremony.

President of India Ramnath Kovind was the chief guest for the convocation ceremony at SIU’s Lavale campus in Pune. Along with his Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao, Education minister Vinod Tawade and Minister of Maharashtra state and Pune Guardian Minister Girish Bapat.

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Kovind said, “Convocation is a milestone for an educational institution as well as for the graduating students. I congratulate each one of the 5939 students who are being awarded degrees today. For the graduating students, this is a special moment. It is the realisation of the hard work and sacrifice put in by you as students, by your professors and teachers, and by your parents and families that have supported and stood by you. You are about to enter a world packed with opportunities, a world for which Symbiosis has prepared you. Do remember that studying at such a fine institution itself has been an opportunity and a privilege.”

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He went on, “Your education gives you responsibility – responsibility to help those less-privileged and less-fortunate. How you choose to do this is entirely up to you, but do remember that your empathy for fellow citizens is as much a test of your scholarship as your mark-sheet or your degree. In my capacity as President of India, I have made a conscious effort to visit universities and educational institutions across the country to meet and interact with students and future thought leaders of our country. One of my findings has been that the academic performance of girl students tends to exceed that of boys. Today too of the nine gold medals awarded at this convocation, six have gone to graduating girls. This is commendable and a happy sign for our society. I offer my congratulations to the entire Symbiosis family.

President of India Ramnath Kovind and Pune connection

Recalling the incident, President Kovind said, “The location of your University in Pune is not a coincidence. The founders of Symbiosis have drawn from the traditions of learning and of the linkage between education, social change, and fraternity that have been part of this city’s history. As I have said on an earlier visit, the story of modern India owes much to the progressive ideas that have flowed from Pune, and for which our nation is truly appreciative.”

He said, “It was in this city that in 1848 Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule opened the first modern school in India exclusively for girls. In their valiant efforts to equip the weaker sections of our society, Jyotiba and Savitribai Phule made education a formidable instrument. It was in Pune that Justice M.G. Ranade and others set up the Maharashtra Girls Education Society in the 19th century. In the same period, Vasudev Balwant Phadke, the great freedom-fighter, set up the Maharashtra Education Society. Bal Gangadhar Tilak and his colleagues established the Deccan Education Society. And Gopal Krishna Gokhale helped set up the Servants of India Society.”

Such stalwarts took the lamp of learning far and wide. Many of the educational institutions that were established are still with us. Gokhaleji and the intellectual culture of Pune were a profound influence upon Mahatma Gandhi. The bond between Gandhiji and this city was strong and is worth cherishing as we commemorate the 150^th year of his birth.

In this context, the government has taken a decision to promote and support 20 institutions of higher education as “institutes of eminence” – to grant them recruitment and curricula flexibility in order to reach best-in-class global standards. After a competitive process, the first few of these institutes of eminence were announced recently. There will be future rounds as well. Please aim to build and locate at least one such “institute of eminence” at Symbiosis University.