WARANGAL: The Ambedkar Learning Centre at the National Institute of Technology-Warangal (NIT-W) was bustling with students, donning robes, their parents and faculty members this weekend. As many as 1,875 students with flashing smiles received their degrees at the institute’s 22nd convocation ceremony on Saturday.
In a message to the students, the chief guest, Dr Samir V Kamat, secretary of the Directorate of Defence Research and Development (R&D) and chairman of DRDO, emphasised the privilege of graduating from an institution of national importance. “Your responsibility towards nation-building is immense. Many NIT-Warangal alumni, including my first boss at DRDO, have contributed significantly to the nation’s progress,” he said.
Dr Kamat encouraged the students to remain curious and continue learning throughout their careers. “If you wish to succeed, stay hungry for knowledge, be adaptable, and collaborate. The future is bright, and I encourage some of you to consider a career in DRDO, where innovation and bold thinking are key to success,” he added.
The DRDO chairman also shared the agency’s achievements in missile technology and its ongoing efforts to establish Centres of Excellence (CoEs) across the country. He concluded by expressing his confidence that the graduating students are the leaders who will propel India from a developing nation to a developed one.
Presenting the convocation report, NIT-W director Prof Bidyadhar Subudhi said, “The convocation is a celebration of the dreams fulfilled by our graduating students and their families. Graduates should strive to enhance the quality of life by providing technical solutions to societal problems.”
Prof Subudhi also shared key achievements from the past year, including the introduction of the Research Excellence Awards and Best Thesis Awards for postgraduate and PhD students.
He added that the institute also launched staff awards this year to recognise performance excellence. The director said a total of 300 globally reputed companies visited the campus for placements, with the highest package offered reaching Rs 88 lakh.
A total of 1,875 students were conferred degrees, including 147 PhD, 539 MTech, 154 MSc, 22 MBA, 55 MCA and 949 B Tech graduates. Additionally, nine degrees were awarded as part of the exit policy under the National Education Policy. During the ceremony, 11 gold medals were awarded to outstanding students. Among the recipients, Manjima Karmakar from Electrical Engineering received the institute gold medal, while Manisha Varshney (MCA) was recognised for being the topper among all PG programmes. Arun Kumar from Chemistry was awarded the gold medal for the best PhD thesis.