36th Annual Convocation
Students should dive deep into subjects and learn how to get to the core of the concepts involved in them: IIT Madras Director Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi.
Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore conducted its 36th annual convocation virtually on Tuesday (September 28, 2021). Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Director, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras took part in the convocation as chief guest and delivered the convocation address virtually.
In his speech, Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi urged students to dive deep into at least some of the subjects if not all during their formal education and learn how to get to the core of the concepts involved in them.
“To use a familiar Indian description, one should aim for vidwat in at least a few subjects. But how do we know which ones to do this in, which subjects are likely to be useful in one’s career? Well, one cannot know this, and the curious thing is, it does not matter. What the effort itself does, irrespective of the subject is to teach one how to delve deep, how to know when one has understood the core underlying concepts well, and how to recognize when one is slowly but surely becoming a vidwan,” he said.
“All of you who are graduating today are entering the workforce in an India that is poised at a very unique moment in its history. The next 30 years are going to be one of great transformation. This period is going to be like no other from the past, and therefore you will need to be alert to the unbelievable opportunities that are going to come your way,” Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi added.
He pointed out that it would be challenging for the students who graduate to find a path that is aligned with the growth of the country, where one can feel that are part of this enterprise involving the 1.4 Billion people that is propelling the country forward after so many centuries.
“The challenge will be in retaining that which is worthwhile from our poorer but in some ways more fulfilling past, such as our strong family bonds and cultural moorings, and our willingness to help and look after each other, even while we create materially wealthier lives for ourselves,” he said.
Delivering his Presidential address, Founder and Chancellor of Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) Dr. G. Viswanathan said that out of the eligible 14 crore youth in India only 4 crores get the opportunity to go for higher education.
Listing out the challenges in higher education, Dr. G. Viswanathan said that shortage of teachers, low input for research, and inadequate industry linkages had made India lag behind other countries like Japan, China, South Korea, etc.
“Higher education system in India is crippled with the lack of financial, academic, and administrative autonomy granted to institutions,” he said.
Dr. G. Viswanathan also said that last year 844 national and international companies took part in VIT’s campus placement.
He also urged students to become employers rather than employees.
“We have ample opportunity to manufacture and export to other countries. Our Prime Minister’s slogan Make in India can be fulfilled if there is cooperation between Central Government, State Government, private sector and capable individuals. In 10 years India should double its GDP and compete with other developed Asian countries,” he noted.
VIT Vice Presidents Mr. Sankar Viswanathan, Dr. Sekar Viswanathan, Mr. G.V. Selvam, Vice-Chancellor Dr. Rambabu Kodali, Pro-Vice Chancellor Dr. S. Narayanan, and Registrar Dr. K. Sathiyanarayanan, VIT also took part in the convocation.
A total of 7,569 undergraduate, postgraduate students, and research scholars graduated this year.
