Pump students with innovative ideas: APSCHE Chairman

Anantapur: JNTU College of Engineering 3-day platinum jubilee celebrations reached a crescendo here on Saturday with the 480 college alumni of yester years participating and dominating the celebrations. While 450 plus alumni from different parts of the country participated, 25 are from overseas including the US and other European countries who stole the show.

Many of them are in respectable positions owning software companies in the USA. It was a beautiful sight to see the active participation of the alumni, who exhibited a sense of belonging and ownership of the college they loved. The 1979-83 batch went a step ahead and signed an MoU with the Vice-Chancellor G Ranga Janardhana for the development of the incubation centre and innovation laboratories in the upcoming Incubation and Skill Development Centre in the campus. They would be investing more than Rs 50 lakh on the centre.

Besides, more than 100 alumni from abroad interacted with the VC Ranga Janardhana and other functionaries online, offering suggestions for taking the university to pinnacles of glory while some have come forward to invest on projects that would take the university technologically to heights of excellence. Almost all the galaxy of VIPs present on the dais, were the alumni of the college including the VC. Most of the speakers went down the memory lane recalling the college atmosphere, demography of old campus and the quality of teaching and education five decades down the line.

Prof K Hemachandra Reddy, Chairman of AP State Council for Higher Education, who was the college student in the 1980's, motivated and inspired students to make quality and excellence the hallmark of their performance. Many of the college alumni of yester years were instrumental in carrying the fame of college to shores beyond. They had made a mark in the government and even outside by impacting their professions and standing apart in their service to their country. JNTUA, he said, must engage in pumping high quality engineers into the society.

VC Ranga Janardhana advised the students to kindle innovative spirit and by the time the students leave the campus they should indulge in innovation and get patent rights for their innovation. Engineering College Principal P Sujatha, the first woman principal presented a report dwelling on the college history from 1946 to date.

Registrar C Sasidhar, Rector M Vijaya Kumar, former vice-chancellor Venkatrama Reddy, Chief Commissioner of Income Tax G R Reddy, Central University VC S A Kori, Prof Rama Krishna Reddy, VC, SKU, Rayalaseema University VC Ananda Raju and Chairman for Schools Education Commission Chairman Sambasiva Reddy and Singanamala MLA Jonnalagadda Padmavathi participated.

The 3-day celebrations witnessed colorful cultural ceremonies and performances involving lively music and dance programmes by students and of course the alumni.