Governor confers degrees on graduands at MKU’s convocation

Governor confers degrees on graduands at MKU’s convocation

Governor R.N. Ravi conferring degree on a graduand at the convocation of Madurai Kamaraj University on Tuesday. R. ASHOK

The Hindu Bureau  MADURAI  23.10.2024 

Governor R.N. Ravi conferred degrees on graduands at the 56th annual convocation of Madurai Kamaraj University on Tuesday.

A total of 54,714 candidates received their degrees. It includes 353 Ph.D degrees, 1 D.Litt degree and 26,306 male and 28,408 female candidates. Further, 77 were honoured with endowment prizes and medals for their performance.

Dr. Sudha Seshayyan, Vice-Chairperson, Central Institute of Classical Tamil, delivering the chief guest address, said that though technological development had reached greater heights, it had become a tool of fear and oppression.

“As technology is a boon to achieve higher goals, it is equally true that technology is a bane that has gone beyond our control,” she noted.

“As we have gone deep into new digital innovations, we have lost human contacts and communication. Gadgets have eaten much into our lives. Correspondence by hand–written letters, exchange through postal system and shopping by manual presence have all become obsolete,” Dr. Sudha Seshayyan said. She urged the students to hold on to the Indian perspective of knowledge and learning.

“The Indian tradition has always emphasised life-long learning. However, it is not a plain emphasis on continuous learning but a clear and categorical expression that learning can never be complete,” she added.

E. Sundaravalli, Commissioner of Collegiate Education, welcomed. Minister for Higher Education Govi Chezhiaan, Pro-Chancellor of the university, was not present at the convocation.

S. Pushparaj, Associate Professor and Head of Department of Econometrics, MKU, sent a letter to the State government stating that he was boycotting the convocation as Mr. Ravi, who was the Chancellor, was acting against the norms of the State and its tradition.

By removing certain words from the ‘Tamil Thai Vaazhthu’ he had insulted the State, he said.