Dr G Satheesh Reddy presenting gold medal and cash prize to Meghana Ramesh Gollapudi for Academic Excellence in MBA

The seventh convocation ceremony of the ICFAI University was held at its campus in Shankarpally on Tuesday in which 1,466 students were awarded degrees.

Delivering the convocation address, Dr G Satheesh Reddy, Scientific Adviser to Raksha Mantri and Director General, Missiles and Strategic Systems, Defence Research and Development Organisation highlighted the importance of the spirit of learning leading to research, resulting in technologies that benefit the mankind. He urged the students to distinguish themselves as responsible, enlightened and productive citizens of the country, and use the knowledge they have gained to benefit the country.
He said, “You have an important role to play as future citizens and ambassadors of our great country.”

He asked the students to be innovative and adapt constantly to economic and technological changes taking place around us. He said that artificial intelligence would impact our lives in unimaginable ways in days to come. On the progress our country made in the missile and space technologies have made in our country, he said, “The success of Geo-Synchronous Launch Vehicles, Agni Series of Missiles, Interceptor missiles, guided munitions, nuclear submarine INS Arihant, fighter aircrafts and the Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan missions have propelled us into an elite club of nations possessing ‘niche’ technologies.”

For the success of ‘Make in India’ programme, he urged the academic institutes to become hubs of innovation and entrepreneurship, and collaborate with other academic institutions and research organizations.

“Never lose the zeal and spirit to question. Have the strength to defend what you think is right. These qualities, which your alma mater has instilled in you, will be useful as you move forward in your career,” he said.

Dr C Rangarajan, Chancellor of the University, called for radical changes in higher education. The reforms, he said, have three dimensions – access, equity and quality. For ensuring quality he called for focusing on modernisation of curriculum, efficient teaching, attitude of the students and reforms in examination system.
“The present evaluation system needs to be revamped to facilitate a more meaningful assessment of the students’ competence,” he said and added that overhauling the examination system will bring improvement in the quality.