Exhorting engineering graduates to use their skills on broad challenges and not just traditional problems, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Friday told fresh graduates of Anna University that the ideas they generate should revolutionise solutions to the issues faced by society.
“Engineering is the professional art of applied science for the optimum conversion of natural resources to the uses of humankind. It is the root of all technical and technological instruction... I exhort you, the engineers of the future to energise the virtual circle of prosperity and development through technological innovation,” the Chief Minister said, while delivering her address at the 34th convocation of Anna University held here.
“Exceptional engineers use the engineering process on broad challenges, not just traditional engineering problems and I can see that all of you belong to that mettle -- the league of citizens who care about the problems faced by our people. You should seek to calibrate the value of life and your vocation by whatever positive changes it can make in the lives of others,” the Chief Minister said.
The Chief Minister further said all technological inventions, be it in computer engineering, electronics, bio-engineering, biotechnology and a host of other fields, should contribute to improving the quality of life of
the people. She called upon the new graduates to contribute to the faster development of Tamil Nadu in a significant way.
The Chief Minister also said universities should redefine their roles based on sound reflection on the past and future growth to enable social well-being and lead a rigorous and innovative inquiry to achieve this. This holistic education required teachers to be enablers and mentors of the education process.
Stating that Tamil Nadu was metamorphosing into the ‘innovation hub’ and ‘knowledge capital’ of India, Jayalalithaa gave a long list of initiatives being implemented by her government to realise this objective which included establishment of university business collaboration centres, incubation and technology transfer centres, post graduate centres of excellence with high tech laboratories in universities, soft skill training centres for empowering students to develop managerial skill and employability, the establishment of information and communication technology (ICT); training centres for differently abled and centres for Tamil computing.
A total of 114 first rank holders of BE,/B Tech/B Arch courses and 690 PhD, scholars received their degrees and doctorates during the convocation. The remaining 1,55,485 students received their degrees in absentia. Of the total number of students qualified for degrees, 1,20,494 were undergraduates while 35,044 were post graduates.
Governor K Rosaiah presided over the convocation and vice chancellor M Rajaram spoke on the courses and programmes being implemented by the university. Higher Education Minister P Palaniappan, state ministers and senior officials took part in the convocation.