8th Convocation 2020

Address of His Excellency, Prof. Ganeshi Lal the of and Visitor, Centurion University

5 October 2020

Centurion University Of Technology And Management Odisha (Estd. Vide Odisha Act 4 of 2010 & u/s 2(f) of UGC Act, 1956) Centurion UNIVERSITY Shaping Lives... Empowering Communities...

8th Convocation 2020

Address of His Excellency, Prof. Ganeshi Lal the Governor of Odisha and Visitor, Centurion University

5 October 2020 Centurion University | 2 | 8th Convocation 2020 Centurion University | 3 | 8th Convocation 2020

Dear students, in these times of COVID 19 pandemic, the President, Centurion University of Technology and Management, significance of a convocation is greater than ever. I am extremely Prof. (Dr.) Mukti Mishra; pleased that the University was determined to ensure that you all graduate on time this year, by conducting your classes and exams Vice President, Prof. D. N. Rao; online. I know that the future poses many challenges, but it also Vice Chancellor, Prof. Supriya Pattanayak; holds several opportunities. While being committed to the profession and working with passion and conviction, you need to Registrar, Prof Anita Patra; be patient and empathetic to all around you as this pandemic Invitees, Faculty Members, Staff impacts all in many different ways. You should therefore remain grounded, respond to others and the situation you are in with Graduating Students and their family members, compassion. Media persons, dear students, ladies and gentlemen…. As you graduate and step into a different phase of your life, you It gives me immense pleasure to preside over the eighth should continue and strengthen your love for learning. You convocation of the Centurion University of Technology and should use this time wisely to enhance your learning and skills Management in my capacity as the Visitor of the University. This while at the same time pursuing your job or exploring the in indeed a momentous occasion. possibilities of becoming an entrepreneur. This is probably the time to exhibit your ability to be a responsible citizen and find I am pleased to convey my good wishes to Dr. Somnath Sreedhara innovative ways of supporting the community, of leading a Panicker, Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Center, an eminent meaningful life and bring meaning to others lives. scientist who has many achievements to his name, and is the recipient of Honorary Doctorate this year. At the same time, it Centurion University is moving from strength to strength and you gives me great satisfaction to confer awards/ degrees to the should take great advantage of the same. Through their 26 graduating students of this University which has the distinction of Research Centers they are getting into cutting edge research areas, being the first skill University in Odisha and recently recognized publishing patents and venturing into developing products that as a Center of Excellence in skills by the Government of . I can be commercialised/ monetised. They are also incubating over convey my hearty felicitations to all the graduating students, their 25 entities as startups through the Center for Innovation and teachers and parents who have been the strength behind their Enterprise. Industry partnerships with Dassault Systems, Wipro achievement and success. 3DS, Kisan IFCO, Sun Moksha and others indeed throw the door Centurion University | 4 | 8th Convocation 2020 Centurion University | 5 | 8th Convocation 2020 open to a number of possibilities. The world is full of the Earth's natural systems at all scales, from local to global, at an opportunities for people who are prepared to take on difficult unprecedented rate. The question now arises whether it is possible problems and develop innovative approaches and solutions. You to satisfy the needs of a population that is growing exponentially are future leaders, the change makers and the problem solvers. while preserving the carrying capacity of our ecosystems and This country needs you to be innovative and see big problems as biological and cultural diversity. We have to pursue the opportunities to solve. The opportunities are yours to participate opportunities posed by digital India that envisages making India a in creating a better future for yourself and the country. Live your leader in digitally delivering health, education and other essential life with integrity. Practise the values of shaping lives and services. Our goal is to harness new technology in education, empowering communities that Centurion University stands for. health, agriculture, industry and other spheres so as to improve overall governance. At the end of the day, new technology The New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 also mandates Higher promises to change the life in both rural and urban India. We Education Institutions to promote the public good through should therefore emphasise on careful harnessing of technology providing opportunities, fostering global development, for the well being of all mankind and to prevent any hazardous increasing awareness such as clean air, clean water, clean energy, impact on ecology, thus creating a more sustainable world. clean environment, fairness, peace and harmony; and in being efficient and optimal in use of resources for the well-being of Centurion University has been successful and a pioneer in mankind. I am indeed pleased with the efforts of Centurion implementing action-learning with 'hands-on-knowledge', University to align itself with the goals of the NEP and the UN 'practice-linked pedagogy' and 'experience-based learning' while Sustainable Development Goals. I know through my various ensuring the ecosystem is integrated, inclusive and aspirational. conversations with the Prof Mishra, that Centurion University is Active involvement of Centurion University and its social always aiming at creating positive social impact. You all as outreach entities under Gram Tarang in the national and state graduates of Centurion University should aspire to be responsible missions of Skill India, Make in India, Startup India, Startup citizens and nation builders. Mahatma Gandhi said “Education is Odisha, Digital India, Financial Inclusion and Swacch Bharat the realisation of the best in man – body soul and spirit. Education Abhiyan is highly commendable. I am sure Centurion University must be based on Ethics and Morality”. would further excel in the path of contextual, appropriate, skill based and meaningful higher education in the Country. The world is becoming a place in which the human population is becoming more crowded, more consuming, more polluting, more Further, the efforts of the University in supporting the connected, and in many ways less diverse than at any time in during these difficult times of COVID 19 history. There is a growing recognition that humans are altering pandemic is highly commendable. The University has helped Centurion University | 6 | 8th Convocation 2020 His Excellency establish the COVID Hospital, returnee quarantine centers and Prof. Ganeshi Lal providing accommodation to health professionals in Governor of Odisha Paralakhemundi, Gajapati shows the social core values that the founders of the University demonstrate. Every opportunity starts Prof. Ganeshi Lal was sworn in as Hon'ble Governor of with a vision of what is possible and how that possibility can make Odisha on 29th May 2018. this a better world. Dear students, I urge you to learn some very Prof. Lal was born at Sirsa, on 1st March, 1942 valuable lessons from such initiatives and seize every opportunity and holds a degree in English Honours. He further went on that comes your way. to gain a post-graduate degree in Mathematics. He was brilliant in studies and stood First Class First in FA, BA and With these words, I wish the graduating students all the success in MA Class and was a Gold Medallist. life and the University to attain new heights in coming days. After completing his education, he joined academic profession and served as Professor in different Jai Hind Government Colleges in Haryana between 1964 and 1991. Since 1962 Prof. Lal is actively associated with Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and held posts in Hisar, Rohtak Wing of RSS.

On his political assignments Prof. Lal was associated with grassroots organisations of (BJP). He is a former State President of Haryana BJP, a former Chairman of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, Haryana and former National President of BJP Disciplinary Committee.

During Emergency period in the country in 1976 Prof. Lal was sent to jail. He also actively participated in Ram Janmabhoomi Movement.

Regarding his Executive and Legislative Position, Prof. Lal was elected as MLA from Sirsa constituency in 1996, and became a Minister in the Haryana Vikas Party (HVP)-BJP Government in Haryana from 1996-99.