India is a land of opportunities, says vice-president at KIIT University
“India has a great heritage and you should feel proud as inheritors of the great Indian culture. Unity in diversity and being rooted to our culture are important for integrity of our country”, said Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, Vice-President of India, while addressing a congregation of graduate, post-graduate and doctorate degree recipients at the 13th Convocation Ceremony of KIIT University on November 11, 2017.
“India is a land of opportunities and one can achieve anything with hard work and passion irrespective of one’s background,” he added. “Former president Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are examples of this.
“I have come to Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) earlier to address the 25,000 tribal students living and studying there. I thank Prof. Achyuta Samanta for creating two beautiful institutions like KIIT and KISS. He is educating 25,000 poor children. It is a great service to humanity; and service to humanity is service to God. May God bless him to do many more such work”, the Vice President of India said.
Dr. S. C. Jamir, Governor of Odisha graced the occasion as the Guest of Honour.
A total of 4820 students from the class of 2017 at KIIT University received their degrees at its 13th Annual Convocation.
The University honoured three eminent personalities from different walks of life with D.Litt. Honoris Causa degrees.
These include Padma Vibhushan Shilpi Guru Dr. Raghunath Mohapatra, eminent sculptor, Dr. Bithal Das Mundhra, chairman emeritus, Simplex Infrastructures Ltd. and Shri Kishanlal Agarwal, chairman, Bhartia Charitable Trust.
Expressing best wishes to the graduating students, Dr. Subrat Kumar Acharya, Chancellor (I/ C), KIIT University, in his presidential address, said, “This University is the result of the exemplary vision and passion of a single individual - Prof. Achyuta Samanta - who believed in the mission of ‘Poverty eradication through education & the principle of art–of–giving’.”
He added, “Within last 13 years, the university has grown in leaps & bound, so far so, that this year, with the missionary zeal of the founder, the addition of KISS University, the first tribal university of the world has been another feather in the cap”.
Dr. Sasmita Samanta, registrar, proposed the vote of thanks