“Education Must Be a Mission Guided by Values and Service to the Nation” — M. Venkaiah Naidu
Former Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu called upon graduates to combine academic knowledge with character, discipline and service to the nation. Delivering the Convocation Address, he said, “Education must be treated as a mission. Academic knowledge should be accompanied by samskara—values, ethics, discipline and respect for one’s culture. Young people may go abroad to learn and earn, but they must return and serve the motherland. Confidence, determination and hard work can help them overcome every challenge and contribute meaningfully to society and the nation.”
Naidu was addressing the Second Convocation Ceremony of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham’s Amaravati Campus as the Chief Guest. Nara Lokesh, Andhra Pradesh Minister for Education, Information Technology, Electronics and Communications, and Real Time Governance, attended as the Guest of Honour. During the ceremony, 319 students graduated, including 280 B.Tech graduates and 39 MBA graduates. Gold medals, academic medals and certificates were presented to outstanding students. Senior University leaders, faculty members, parents and invited guests attended the ceremony.
Addressing the graduates, Nara Lokesh said, “Convocation is not the end of education, but the beginning of a larger responsibility towards one’s family, society and country. Amrita teaches its students not only to think and lead, but also to serve with compassion and integrity. Graduates should not merely ask where they can find a job; they should ask what problem they can solve and strive to become innovators, entrepreneurs and job creators.” He also urged students to view failure as the “First Attempt in Learning” and to pursue excellence with honesty, humility and perseverance.
In a recorded message, Sadguru Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi—Amma—Chancellor of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, urged the graduates to apply their knowledge with compassion and a sense of responsibility towards society. “Rather than just thinking about your own needs, you should also think about what you can contribute towards the betterment of the world. Your life should also be for the service of the world. You should light the wick of compassion soaked in the oil of love,” Amma said.
The second convocation also highlighted the growth of the Amaravati Campus in academics, placements and research. Since its inception, the campus has recorded a highest salary package of 48 LPA, an average package of 6.8 LPA , with 350 plus recruiters, including companies like Amazon,TCS HCL Tech,Deloitte, cognizant and others participating in engineering placements. The campus also recorded a highest salary package of 12 LPA, an average package of 7.2 LPA , with 22 plus recruiters, including companies like SBI mutual funds, HDFC Bank,Kotak Mahindra Bank,Geojit financial services and others participating in MBA placements.The campus has recorded 150 student research publications, 652 faculty publications, 10 patents and even externally funded faculty projects to the institution’s growth journey. An overall 1.6 percentage of outstanding performance and achievements during internship was also attained within this span of time .
The graduating students now begin their professional journeys carrying forward the University’s emphasis on academic excellence, innovation, social responsibility and nation-building.
