Gujarat: 667 students receive degrees as Birsa Munda Tribal University holds first convocation
Rajpipla, Sep 20 (IANS) Birsa Munda Tribal University in Rajpipla held its first convocation on Sunday, with 667 students receiving degrees and 47 graduates being awarded gold and silver medals at a ceremony attended by Gujarat Governor and university Chancellor Acharya Devvrat and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
The university, established in Narmada district with the inspiration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, conferred degrees on students from various faculties, including Arts, Commerce and Science.
Graduates from graduation, post-graduation and MSW programmes received their degrees during the ceremony.
Devvrat formally declared the convocation open at the beginning of the programme, following which the convocation oath was administered.
The Governor and other officials later presented medals and degrees to the selected students.
Patel described the occasion as more than the university’s inaugural convocation, linking it to the expansion of higher education opportunities for tribal youth.
“This is not merely the first convocation; it is the first celebration of ‘Tribal Youth Transformation’ inspired by the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Patel said.
The Chief Minister said that around 25 years ago, only one college in the region offered graduation-level education, forcing students to travel to cities such as Surat and Vadodara for higher studies.
He said higher education opportunities had since expanded in tribal areas, with five engineering colleges, six polytechnics and 11 medical colleges established there. “Birsa Munda Tribal University and Govind Guru University have helped bring higher education facilities closer to tribal communities,” he noted.
He urged graduating students to remain connected with their roots, culture and land while pursuing modern education.
He asked the youth to become partners in the country’s development rather than merely beneficiaries of government schemes, and to use their knowledge and skills for local development while building their careers.
The Chief Minister also called on them to help build a developed Gujarat with the spirit of “Nation First”, in line with the resolve of “Viksit Bharat@2047”.
Tribal Development Minister Naresh Patel highlighted government initiatives to expand education in tribal areas, including the Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana, Shala Praveshotsav and Kanya Kelavani Mahotsav.
“Scholarships and other government schemes have widened opportunities for students from tribal communities to pursue higher education in medicine, engineering and other professional fields,” he said.
–IANS
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