SPEECH OF HON'BLE GOVERNOR PUNJAB AND ADMINISTRATOR, UT CHANDIGARH, SHRI BANWARILAL PUROHIT ON THE OCCASION OF 24TH ANNUAL CONVOCATION OF SANT LONGOWAL INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY ON MARCH 28, 2022

Dr. K. Radhakrishnan, Chairman, Board of Management,

Prof. Shailendra Jain, Director, Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering & Technology Members of the Board of Management and Senate, Faculty, Staff
and most importantly the Graduating Students who are standing today on the threshold of a golden future,

Good Afternoon

It is a pleasure to address this august gathering at the 24th Annual Convocation of Sant Longowal Institute of engineering & Technology.

At the outset, let me congratulate the graduating students, and also the teachers and the staff of the Institute on this momentous occasion.

It is heartening to see that despite the challenges that the Pandemic had posed, all of you came out with flying colours and have shown a great amount of resilience, determination and dedication to get to where you are today.

My Dear Young Friends,

Your Institution is doing a remarkable job. I am told that, despite the constraints of being located in a remote area, the Institute has created a niche for itself by promoting technical education to the students from all over India especially from the rural and financially humble backgrounds.

In its forward march spanning over 32 years, it has diversified into various academic disciplines and is engaged in the promotion of higher education and research.

It bears the name of Sant Harchand Singh Ji Longowal, in whose memory the Institute was established by the Government of India. A great patriot and a man of vision, he laid down his life for the unity and peace in Punjab. The country will always need visionaries like him.

Friends,

The 21st century is described as a knowledge driven century and the government of India aims to provide an impetus to the same. It is working incessantly to accelerate a scientific and technological temper in the country for industrial progress.

It is here where the relevance of modern technological institutes like Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology has assumed a real place in the Nation’s development. It is most heartening to note that your Institute has become a part of the endeavour to keep the nation’s wheels on the path of progress.

Dear graduating students,

You are lucky that you are passing out at a time when the world is looking at India as a land of unique opportunities. Under the able leadership of our Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi Ji, India has become a Global Manufacturing Hub and initiatives like ‘Make-in-India’ and ‘Digital India’, have given boost to entrepreneurship in India.

Recently, the government has also successfully launched the National Education Policy which is a well-planned roadmap to develop an eco-system that will nurture the talent of our young generation. The National Education Policy aims to prepare youth for the world of tomorrow, while also equipping them with the best of our own traditions. India is, after all, the land of Nalanda and Takshshila, of Aryabhata, Bhaskaracharya and Panini.

Gandhi ji compared the indigenous educational system with a beautiful tree that perished under colonialism. An effort is being made to rediscover its best aspects so that India makes a contribution to the world that it alone is destined to make.

I am happy to learn that Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering & Technology, in all its possible outreach, has timely anticipated the shifting needs of the new educational global standards and is efficiently equipping its students to compete with the world challenges. The Institute is offering multiple entry-exit modular pattern of education to its learners through its various Programmes, which is a major objective of the new Education Policy.

Dear Friends,

As young graduates you are about to embark on your own extraordinary journey and create your own life adventures. I congratulate you for the hard work. You must be thinking that the pressure of examination is over. But it actually starts now. A new chapter is about to begin. A myriad of new challenges and options are on your horizons.

Remember, the world of today has enormous employment opportunities. Prosperity is waiting to knock at your doors, if you have talent and sincerity. Let discipline be your watchword; let dedication be your friend and let devotion to the Almighty be your guide. When such values mould your character, the impact of your knowledge is bound to be respected and recognized.

But, Beware of vices!

Mahatma Gandhi wrote an Article in Young India on 22nd October, 1925. In this he cautioned against knowledge without character as being one of the sins that can destroy a nation.

The others are:

Wealth without work;

Pleasure without conscience;

Commerce without morality;

Science without humanity;

Religion without sacrifice; and

Politics without principle.

So, friends Men and Women of character can alone lead society towards peace and prosperity.

Whenever, I am in an educational campus, I experience a vibrancy which is rare to find in any other place. The liveliness and energy that I experience in educational places comes from the possibilities of social empowerment.

Educational campuses are the places where ideas are nurtured, taught and learnt. In this process, the atmosphere gets energised with the vitality of thoughts.

The lives of great men and women, especially the leaders of our freedom movement, highlight the simple truth that schools and colleges are the most important sites of personal and social transformation. These are the workshops where the destiny of a nation is shaped.

Sometimes, I envy the students studying in the various colleges. In my young days, I never had such facilities but today you have unlimited access to the world of information. Globalisation has created both interrelated and interlinked world generating opportunities and also throwing up challenges. Universities and Institutions are now developing skills to cope up with these challenges. For young graduates, technocrats, I believe sky is "no more" the limit. If they dream high and act with determination and conviction, they are bound to get the reward.

However, make sure you do not forget the less fortunate. We need to bring the full power of your intelligence, wisdom and knowledge to improve the life of everyone on this earth. It is not impossible! Trust me, the satisfaction that you will get by seeing the brightened faces of those whom you helped, can never be quantified by money or material wealth.

My experiences prompts me to say, today’s achievement may fade or even be forgotten. The applause and appreciation may become a distant memory. Your certificates and medals may gather dust on a shelf or displayed on the wall. But you always will be remembered for caring enough, for helping someone, for making someone feel special and appreciated, for being the kind.

A word for your professors as well... Dear teachers you are the backbone of the education system. The future of the Nation depends upon you. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the former President of India said, “If the people remember me as a good teacher that will be a great honour for me”. Accept the profession from your heart. We are proud of it. It is you who have to mould the youth into the productive professionals and good human beings. I am happy to note that your institute has good infrastructure and that your students are doing well. But, do not be complacent with these achievements. There is always a room for improvement.

Once again, I wish you all the very best in your journey of life.

No matter where you work, no matter where you live, do keep in mind the needs of your Motherland, India. Do not forget, you have a great responsibility to craft the agenda of a New India.

Make the next generation proud of our country through your actions. Above all, augment the prestige of India both at the National and the International platforms.

Live for the growth of our nation and the welfare of our countrymen!

May God bless you in all your missions.

Jai Hind!