There are no shortcuts to success: Sahasrabudhe

Visakhapatnam: Learning is a lifelong endeavour. There is a need to put in best efforts forward and make life better for others and the society at large, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) Chairman Anil D Sahasrabudhe has said.

Addressing the graduates at the 10th convocation of GITAM Deemed to be University here on Saturday, he said there were no short cuts. "Hard work and consistency are two important aspects to follow. Though the path of shortcut is quite appealing to tread, the outcome is often transient and will not last longer," he emphasised.

He suggested the graduates to utilise the digital initiatives of the government, including national digital library, national academic depository, e-Shodh Sindhu, digital transactions and global initiative of academic networks (GIAN), SWAYAM and SPARC for continuous learning to upgrade their skills.

"With a view to revamp the present system, a new education policy is in the offing and it is a matter of a month or so before it gets rolled out where the emphasis would on learning the 'fun way.' Also, the universities should focus on multi-dimensional and multi-disciplinary courses and not confine to individual disciplines to make students think innovatively," he asserted.

Further, he said that AICTE has developed Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) under National Mission on Education through Information Communication Technology (NME-ICT) Programme. "There are more than 2,700 courses from the best faculty in India in all diverse domains and MOOCs are available free of cost," he informed.

Close to 2,000 graduates and 78 research scholars walked away with certificates, while meritorious students received medals along with certificates. On the occasion, former Director-General (Naval Sciences and Materials), DRDO V Bhujanga Rao and renowned orthopaedic surgeon S V Adinarayana Rao were awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Science, while the 96-year-old eminent writer Kalipatnam Ramarao, popular as Kara Master, received Doctor of Letters. Incidentally, the award presentation day coincided with Kara Master's birthday.

Chancellor of GITAM K Rama Krishna Rao and Vice-Chancellor K Siva Rama Krishna recalled remarkable contributions made by institution's founder late MVVS Murthi. GITAM president M Sri Bharat, among others took part in the event.