Twelve thousand Eight hundred and twenty three eligible students of Dibrugarh University were conferred their degrees and diplomas in the Fifteenth Convocation of Dibrugarh University which was held today on January 2, 2016. The degrees were conferred by Shri Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya, the Hon'ble Chancellor of the University and the Governor of Assam in a solemn and dignified Convocation ceremony which was also attended by Justice Dr. Mukundakam Sharma, the Hon'ble Chancellor, Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha, New Delhi and the former Judge of the Supreme Court of India as the Chief Guest. Shri Tarun Gogoi, Hon'ble Chief Minister of Assam was the Guest of Honour in the Convocation.
Professor Nagen Saikia renowned litterateur and scholar of eminence and Professor Achyuta Nanda Samanta, an acclaimed educationist who has been relentlessly working for the promotion of education among the poor and the downtrodden who was also the founder and former Chancellor of the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology and Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha were conferred the Degree of D.Litt. honoris causa. 78 students were conferred the Ph.D. degree, and 58 students the M.Phil. degree in the Convocation.
In a historic move the University has replaced the traditional Black Convocation Robes with beautiful Pat Muga and Muga Silk Robes along with the traditional scarves of the various ethnic communities of Assam like the Mising, the Deori, the Tai Phake, the Karbi, etc.
In his Welcome Address, the Vice-Chancellor of the University Professor Alak K. Buragohain while extending a warm welcome to all the dignitaries and the invitees, faculty members, officials and the students made a brief account of the progress of the University over the last fifty years ever since it was established in 1965. He recalled the mandate of the University and urged upon all concerned for sincere introspection as to the success and shortcomings of the University in upholding the vision with which the University was established five decades ago.
In his Inaugural Address, His Excellency, the Governor of Assam and the Chancellor of the University Shri Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya congratulated the students and made a fervent appeal to transform the Universities from Centres of Learning to Centres of Development. He emphasized upon empowering our students through proper skill development. Shri Acharya called upon the Graduates to involve them in a deep way to contribute society for making it humane. Shri Acharya appreciated the move made by the University in inducting the traditional ethnic attires doing away with the conventional robes of the colonial past. He also drew attention to the urgency of instilling sense of self-esteem and national pride among the students.
In his Convocation Address, Justice Sharma recalled the great Indian heritage of knowledge and civilization dating back to antiquity. He called upon the University for focusing on inter-disciplinary research in the areas of Social Sciences. Justice Sharma also drew attention to the emerging areas of different subjects which were not there till a few years back.
The Chief Minister of Assam, Shri Tarun Gogoi congratulated the Graduates and reiterated his conviction about the enormous talent and potentials inherent in our students. He stated the need for complete overhauling of our education system and the necessity for preparing a Vision Plan with respect to the Higher Education taking into account the contemporary realities. Lest, he cautioned that education may very well turn out to be a liability for the nation than an asset. He appreciated the empowerment of women in Assam as reflected in the higher number of young girls Graduates.
