Sri Venkateswara University to present honorary doctorate to ISRO Chairman Dr K Sivan

Tirupati: The 55th annual convocation of Sri Venkateswara University (SVU) would be held at 10.45 am in its Srinivasa Auditorium here on Saturday. ISRO Chairman Dr K Sivan would deliver the convocation address and receive ‘Honorius Causa’.

The Chancellor and Governor of two Telugu States ESL Narasimhan has authorised SVU Vice-Chancellor Prof A Damodaram to preside and conduct the convocation proceedings. Minister for Human Resources Development Ganta Srinivasa Rao would participate as special guest of honour.

Disclosing the details of the convocation to the media in Tirupati on Friday, the V-C Prof A Damodaram has said that out of 71 gold medals and 44 prizes that are to be presented in the convocation, 64 candidates will receive gold medals and prizes. From 54th convocation and present convocation, a total of 26,331 candidates have qualified for receiving various degrees and out of them 21,094 have received them in advance.

While 1,128 candidates from all disciplines are going to receive their degrees in person at the convocation, 4,109 graduates have applied to get them in absentia, he explained. Listing out the achievements since last convocation, the V-C said that the varsity has been striving for excellence and achieved several milestones.

It has secured NAAC A plus grade and was placed by UGC in category 1 graded autonomous institution. He recalled that the SVU has received many distinctions like MHRD ranking, Times ranking and Asian Universities ranking among several others. UGC has recognised SVU as ‘Centre for Potential in Particular Area’ through which the varsity got Rs 5 crore.

Another major achievement he said was that SVU was shortlisted into 10 government universities to present their proposals before empowered expert committee for selection of ‘Institution of Eminence’. The presentation was over and results are awaited, he said. If selected, SVU would get Rs 1,000 crore in a five-year period and would become a world class university.

The varsity was developed as eco-friendly campus and 8,000 saplings have been planted. To preserve rainwater, 130 water harvesting pits were dug as a result the SVU did not face water scarcity despite rains got delayed for the last two years. For the first time, publication of marks memos was digitalised which will have candidate’s Aadhaar number and names of parents too.

He attributed all success to the direction of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu that placed the University in a higher position in the last two-and-a-half years, Prof Damodaram said. Rector Prof Janakiramaiah, Registrar Prof RK Anuradha and members of Executive Council were also present.