ANANTAPUR: Spirituality is India’s invaluable contribution to the world, said President of India Droupadi Murmu. Participating as a chief guest at the 42nd convocation of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning in Puttaparthi on Wednesday, she said that from time to time, great spiritual figures have spread the message of virtue, compassion and philanthropy.
“Sri Sathya Sai Baba was one such great personality who sanctified the area of Puttaparthi. Millions of people have been and will continue to benefit from his blessings,’’ the President added. Andhra Pradesh Governor S Abdul Nazeer and minister KV Usha Sricharan also attended the programme.
The President said that she was happy to note that Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning gives fundamental importance to human and spiritual values. Murmu further lauded the institute’s holistic vision towards education and the concept of edu-care.
Expressing confidence that students of the Institute will succeed in developing professionally sound, socially responsible and spiritually aware personalities, Murmu said that they are expected to spread the values and teachings of Sri Sathya Sai Baba and present examples of spiritual growth along with modern development.
Sharing her personal experience of teaching at the Sri Aurobindo Integral Education Centre in Rairangpur of Odisha, the President said, “The main goal of Integral Education is to transmit the life values of truth, good conduct, peace, affection, and non-violence in the life of every student”. Later, President Droupadi Murmu conferred 21 Gold Medals on the qualifying students who achieved distinction in various disciplines.
Governor Abdul Nazeer in his address said, “The Institute is a beacon of light for value-based Integral education in this country”. He congratulated the students and said that he believed the values imbibed here are making a positive impact on society and that the students have a greater responsibility to live the message of true education as they step out into the world.
He said the culture of Bharat is based on the eternal truth which is unaffected by time and place, unshaken by circumstances, unchanged by historical changes, and untouched by natural calamities. The President, the Governor and other dignitaries were received by Chancellor K Chakravarthi, and Vice-Chancellor Prof B Raghavendra Prasad and Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust managing trustee RJ Rathnakar.
Raghavendra Prasad shared a summary of the activities by the various departments and by the Institute during the previous academic year and to date. He highlighted the implementation of the new four-year programmes in alignment with the NEP 2020, the institute’s focus on emerging technologies, strides made on the Industry-academia connect, and the establishment of the Centres for Excellence.