Ri-Bhoi, October 31: The University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM), the first private university in the Northeast, held its 12th convocation at the university’s main auditorium on Saturday. Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan attended the ceremony as the chief guest.
In his address, Justice Bhuyan congratulated the USTM family for establishing the university’s reputation in the field of education across the Northeast and the country. Referring to the institution’s cultural richness and the ethnic diversity among its students, he described USTM as an example of “unity in diversity”.
Speaking about the responsibilities of teachers, Justice Bhuyan referred to former President of India and ‘Missile Man’ Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. He said Kalam preferred to identify himself as a teacher rather than as a scientist, administrator or author. He urged teachers to make it their life’s goal to become educators who are respected and accepted by everyone.
Pankaj Mittal stresses responsibility towards parents
The convocation address was delivered by Dr Pankaj Mittal, Secretary General of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).
Mittal expressed concern over what he described as the growing indifference among children towards their parents. He said every child should remain responsible towards their parents, whose contributions have played a vital role in shaping their lives.
Referring to differences between education systems in Western countries and India, Mittal said students in Western countries generally study lessons at home and go to educational institutions to understand them better. In India, however, students often depend on schools, colleges and universities primarily for classroom teaching. He stressed the need for collective efforts to bring about a change in this approach.
The programme also featured addresses by Professor Anand Bhalerao, Vice-Chancellor of the Central University of Rajasthan, and Professor Alok Kumar Ray, Director of IIM Calcutta.
USTM Chancellor Mahbubul Hoque formally declared the convocation open, while Vice-Chancellor Professor Guru Dutta Sharma delivered the welcome address. Vice-Chancellors from ten universities attended the event, which was attended by more than 3,000 students, parents and faculty members.
1,469 students receive degrees
A total of 1,469 students received degrees and diplomas at the convocation. These included 42 doctoral degrees, 584 postgraduate degrees, 798 undergraduate degrees and 45 diplomas.
The university also presented special gold medals to five students.
Florence Daimary from the Department of Rural Development received the gold medal for the Best Postgraduate Student, instituted in memory of former President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
Zakia Nurul Barbhuiya from the Department of Zoology received the gold medal for the Best Undergraduate Student, instituted in memory of former Lok Sabha Speaker P.A. Sangma.
The Chancellor’s and Guest’s Choice Gold Medals were awarded to Ayushi Borkataki, an undergraduate student of Microbiology, and Parismita Barbhuiya, a postgraduate student of Commerce, respectively.
A major highlight of this year’s convocation was the introduction of the Zubeen Garg Memorial Gold Medal. Instituted in memory of the late Assamese singer and cultural icon Zubeen Garg, the medal was awarded for the first time to Abhirupa Kashyap, an undergraduate student of the Department of Psychology.
Several judges and advocates from the Gauhati High Court and the Meghalaya High Court also attended the ceremony.
USTM is a leading higher educational institution in the Northeast. It has received an A grade from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), established by the University Grants Commission, and is included in the NIRF list of the country’s top 200 universities.
