HYDERABAD: A total of 1,717 students received their degrees at the 25th convocation of the University of Hyderabad (UoH) held at the Global Peace Auditorium, Gachibowli on Tuesday.
Governor Jishnu Dev Varma, who is also the Chief Rector, attended the ceremony, while Chancellor Justice L Narsimha Reddy and Bharat Biotech founder and executive chairman Dr Krishna Ella conferred the degrees.
Five teachers were presented with the Chancellor’s Award for their contribution to teaching, research and the university’s academic life. The recipients were Dr Hoineilhing Sitlhou (Sociology), Dr R Prasantha Kumar (Management Studies), Dr Abhiram Soori (Physics), Dr Manjari Kiran (Life Sciences) and Dr NDS Naga Seema (Psychology). Out of the 1,717 students, 182 won medals and 242 were awarded PhDs.
Quoting Dr BR Ambedkar, the Governor said, “Cultivation of minds should be the ultimate aim of human existence,” and urged graduates to remain humble, create opportunities for others and lead with purpose.
Delivering the chief guest’s address, Dr Ella shared his journey in science and vaccine development. He underlined the need for hands-on learning and entrepreneurship, saying, “Innovation is in front of us. It’s not taught; it must be visualised.”
He observed that many had become jobseekers instead of job creators and encouraged students to find solutions to social issues.
Vice-Chancellor Prof Basuthkar Jagadeeshwar Rao, presenting the annual report, said UoH’s QS World University Rankings for citations per faculty had improved to 335 in 2025 from 372 the previous year. Seven subjects — English, Linguistics, Sociology, Chemistry, Economics, Physics and Biological Sciences — were ranked among the world’s best, while Performing Arts achieved its highest-ever global rank in 2024.
He said UoH leads the Rs 100 crore ANRF-PAIR project connecting six universities to address challenges in healthcare and new technologies. The university has partnered with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited on Digital Twin research and skill development. UoH currently manages 178 research projects worth Rs 161.9 crore and has published over 700 papers in reputed international journals. Fifty patents have been granted, and 25 are under review. Thirty-four current and former faculty members were listed among the world’s top 2% most-cited researchers in a Stanford University study.
Standout stories
Gopi Tejaswi, a visually impaired MA Political Science student, received a gold medal under the OBC category. Her achievement reflected the university’s spirit of inclusion and equal opportunity.
Dr Mohammed Sultan Khan from Kashmir, who received his PhD and the Prof Yenugu Ramaswamy Naidu Medal for the best thesis in Animal Biology, was also recognised for his perseverance and commitment to research.
