The 18th convocation ceremony of Sikkim Manipal University (SMU) was held at the auditorium of Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences (SMIMS) here at Tadong on Saturday. On the occasion, degrees were conferred on 1,040 students who graduated from SMIMS, Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology (SMIT) and affiliated colleges which included 10 doctoral degrees. Further, gold and silver medals were also awarded to SMIMS students and SMIT students.
In his address, Governor Ganga Prasad, who is also the Chancellor of SMU, expressed his happiness on being part of such a prestigious event. He stated that colleges and universities have an important role to play in the local, regional and national development of a country. “Economic development is integral for a region to develop and universities play a major role in the process of development per se,” he said.
The Governor stated that SMU has reached many milestones since 1995 and has been making steady progress in the field of education and healthcare services. “The objective of achieving global leadership in the field of education and healthcare has been the primary objective of the varsity and it has been successful in meeting the stated goals,” Ganga Prasad remarked.
He stated that the university has proved to be a “perfect seat of learning for higher education and has helped in boosting economic growth in Sikkim.” He wished all luck to the graduate students and said that now that they had got their degrees, a “geyser of opportunities was waiting for them”.
In his convocation address, Dr NS Rajan, Group Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) and Group CMO, Infrastructure Development Finance Company (IDFC) Bank and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), IDFC Foundation, congratulated SMU for establishing itself as one of the “crème de la crème higher educational institutions of India”. He also spoke at length about how education was a fundamental right. SMU Pro-Chancellor, Rajen Padukone, dwelt at length on the strides made by SMU since the day of its inception.