SPEECH OF HON'BLE GOVERNOR PUNJAB AND ADMINISTRATOR, UT CHANDIGARH, SHRI BANWARILAL PUROHIT AS THE CHIEF GUEST AT THE 116TH CONVOCATION OF KHALSA COLLEGE, AMRITSAR ON MARCH 5, 2022

Principal Khalsa College,

Members of the Managing Committee,

Distinguished Faculty,

Students

and the August Audience

It is a privilege and a pleasure to be at the Convocation of one of the most iconic institutions of the State of Punjab---an institution that has a history of over 12 decades.

My first duty on this occasion, it is a most agreeable one, is to offer my warm felicitations to all those of you who are receiving degrees today, on the successful completion of an important phase in your lives.

Congratulations on coming out successful and deserving of this joyous occasion in your life. I can see a palpable sense of delight in you.

Fortunate are you to have an opportunity to graduate from an institution which I have been told is spreading the light of knowledge since 1892.

It is the first autonomous college of Guru Nanak Dev University and has been bestowed with the status of "College with Potential for Excellence" and has been conferred with status of Heritage Institution by the University Grants Commission.

It would be worthy for us to understand the metaphor of the concept of excellence. The word derives itself from another word ‘excel’ -- which means a continued improvement in quality of effort, quality of commitment, quality of vision, quality of lofty visualization of good ideas, good thought, good action. When an institution gets accredited as a “College with potential for Excellence”, it simply means that it stands for all these attributes of excelling.

At this point, it is important to understand that when we speak of excellence, we are shunning the talk about perfection. ‘Perfection’ suggests the end of the journey, the final destination. For ages, human thought has always pursued excellence which suggests continuous rising to higher points of achievement, betterment, refinement.

I am happy to note that your institution follows the concept of excellence to the hilt -- by not keeping itself confined only to plain academics. This can be proved by one wonderful fact about your institution: The Khalsa College Amritsar is the only educational institution to have within its campus a Sikh History and Research Department with a museum. I have been told that rare handwritten manuscripts, historical documents, journals and magazines have been carefully preserved here. This treasure-house of knowledge and history and tradition has made and will keep making signal contribution to the studies of an important facet of the nation’s cultural heritage.

There are two things which I like in particular about this institution (other than its beautiful heritage building, of course!)

First, the education is being given here to the youth of Punjab in the field of agriculture. I am extremely happy to note that the Department of Agriculture of the college has been accredited and approved by Punjab Council of Agricultural Education.

Friends,

We are an Agrarian State. Agriculture is important not because of some historical, geographical or economic reasons for us; it is important also because it is our way of life, it is our identity. Our crops and our fields are an integral part of our dreams! We all grow up steeped in that thought. Lush green fields that demonstrate our effort and love for Mother Earth surround us and keep us eternally energetic.

So, it is pertinent that we promote modern scientific ways and methods to promote agriculture and allied activities. Be it Soil Conservation, water conservation or agro forestry or revolutionizing irrigation techniques ....our youth needs to be engaged actively in all the facets of agriculture -- from farming to allied artisanal activity that forms the basis of rural industry.

We need to impart knowledge to the youth of the State at various levels, show them the nth possibilities in this sector, run some special courses, extend hand-holding to those coming up with novel ideas in the field and help them to adopt farming and allied activities as a career.

Second thing about this institution that I sincerely appreciate is that it means to work towards eradication of pernicious social evils devil-ing the Indian society -- which is achieved through enlightened, progressive and value-oriented education.

Nelson Mandela rightly said: "Education is the most powerful weapon through which you can change the world". Here, he talked about both academic education as well as moral value education.

Value-based education includes character development, personality development, citizenship development, and spiritual development. It trains the students to face the outer world with the right attitude and right set of values. It promotes tolerance and understanding above and beyond our political, cultural and religious differences, putting special emphasis on the defense of human rights, the protection of ethnic minorities and the most vulnerable groups.

Our National Education Policy 2020 also seeks to provide pathways for the future in a globalised world while preserving time honoured Indian values like compassion, morality, truth and good conduct. A student coming out of such a system will have a higher degree of self confidence and will also be better equipped to meet the challenges of the future.

Dwelling more on values, I would like to share with you an article published by Gandhi ji in 1925 in his weekly newspaper Young India. In which he has highlighted Seven Social Sins.

Mahatma Gandhi ji said that

• Politics without principles.

• Wealth without work.

• Pleasure without conscience.

• Knowledge without character.

• Commerce without morality.

• Science without humanity.

And

• Worship without sacrifice are Social Sins.

Every single one of these sins is an example of selfishness winning out over the common good. They refer to behaviours that go against this ethical code and thereby weaken society.

Actually, all of these concepts -- wealth, pleasure, science, knowledge and worship are Abstract; they don’t inherently come with rules. But Gandhi ji brings us to the baseline, reminding us that nothing is without its proper balance: wealth should be earned through work; pleasure is enjoyed responsibly; science must regard the feelings & fate of individuals, and politics must be conducted with principle.

When values are not strongly held, people respond weakly to crises which in turn threatens the social fabric. So, my young friends, adherence to values should be part and parcel of your lives.

Further, extending a word of caution, I wish to share another concern with you.

My dear young friends.

The future is always full of immense possibilities, potential -- in addition to the countless challenges some of which may be beyond our anticipation. The society in which we are living is changing much too fast to expect a smooth-sailing life. So, the knowledge that you have obtained should not remain static but should generate the power of dynamic thinking.

By the process of thinking and applying your knowledge to practical problems of life, you will not only extend the bounds of knowledge but also will be able to tackle successfully some of the current economic and social challenges.

So, think out of the box, have a vision, and through research and inquiry, translate it into reality! I can assure you from my lifetime experience that the process is beautiful, wonderful and delightful. Go for it. You will remain grateful to yourselves for taking that leap of faith.

Dear Graduands,

Once again I congratulate you on the completion of your degrees. The degree which you have acquired is a reward of several years of your hard work and dedication earned with the support and guidance from your teachers and your family members.

I know, your journey was not easy. But if the mountains were not steep, and the climb did not test your resolve, the view from the top would not be such a revelation, or such an inspiration. Now you stand at the peak, and opportunity stretches out before you.

Thus, in a way, the next stage of your onward journey begins now. So far, you have climbed well through effort. Now, the onward journey will have different challenges, different problems. But it will also be full of different and more rewarding opportunities. So, accept those challenges, face those, and rise above the mundane. Have a great and meaningful life.

This convocation marks the completion of one stage in your life and another is about to begin. The time has come for you to leave this safe and comfortable place. Now you have to face the transition from Preparation to Action. The process of transition may pose some challenges but I am sure that the values you have acquired will help you tackle them head-on.

Convocation is a day when we celebrate your success and look forward to the impact you will have on society and the country. I have no doubt that you will positively impact thousands of lives over the course of your careers. I have confidence in your talent and determination.

I wish that you grow up to provide an effective and able leadership to the country by combining idealism with ambition.

Wish you all the success in your life.

I also wish the management and faculty of Khalsa College the very best for the future.

Thank you,

Jai Hind.