HYDERABAD: The scale of achievement was unmistakable at the 14th convocation of Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad, where 82,547 graduates received their degrees.
Of the total, 26,501 students graduated with distinction, with women accounting for 68%. Women also dominated the honours list, winning 59 of the 71 gold medals awarded. BTech students formed the bulk of graduates, numbering 65,274. The convocation saw the award of 87 doctoral degrees across 15 disciplines, along with undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. Seventy-one gold medals were presented in recognition of academic excellence.
According to release, Mettu Madan Mohan Reddy, whole time director of Aurobindo Pharma, was conferred an Honorary Doctorate (Honoris Causa) for his leadership, professional achievements and contributions to science, technology and the pharmaceutical industry. In his address, he said science is advancing at an unprecedented pace through AI-enabled discovery, predictive genomics, advanced biologics, cell and gene therapies and digital patient ecosystems. He noted that India’s role as the ‘pharmacy hub of the world’ was evident in its supply of affordable medicines across borders, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Calling on Hyderabad’s pharma ecosystem to aim higher, Mohan Reddy urged industry and academia to work together to make India a leader in biologics and next-generation therapies. Strengthening translational research, specialised manufacturing clusters and multidisciplinary collaboration, he said, was key to sustaining innovation and global leadership.
Presenting the university report, vice-chancellor Dr Kishen Kumar Reddy said JNTUH has rolled out the R25 curriculum aligned with emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity and blockchain, in line with the state’s vision for transforming higher education by 2047. He added that research projects worth `10.65 crore, funded by MEITY, UGC, AICTE, DST and CSIR, are currently under way, addressing critical challenges in cybersecurity, renewable energy and healthcare.