Bhubaneswar: President Ram Nath Kovind today expressed confidence that Odisha’s Utkal University is poised to scale greater heights in future and contribute significantly to building a knowledge-driven society fully equipped to face the challenges of the 21st century.
Addressing the gathering on the occasion of the conclusion of the platinum jubilee celebrations of Utkal University here, the President said, “I learn that Utkal University has been recognized by the Government of India as a Regional Research Hub and entrusted with the important task of networking with the central research institutes in this part of the country”.
“By joining hands and pooling their resources together, they will create a vibrant research ecosystem”, he said.
The President said, “I am confident that the University is poised to scale even greater heights in future and contribute significantly to building a knowledge-driven society fully equipped to face the challenges of the 21st century. The upcoming Centres of Excellence for cutting-edge research in frontier areas, will help realize this lofty goal”.
“I am glad to learn that the University created a park in memory of Gandhiji, called Ahimsa Sthal, on 2nd October 2019, as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. That was a fitting tribute to the Father of the Nation on his 150th birth anniversary. In a time of violence, intolerance and strife, it is our duty to remind everyone, especially the young, of the core values that Gandhiji lived for and died for. This park has a special resonance as it lies not far from Dhauli, where Emperor Ashoka learnt invaluable lessons in peace and compassion after the bloodbath at the Battle of Kalinga in 261 B.C.E. The University has sought to translate another key idea of Mahatma Gandhi that India lives in its villages. The Government of Odisha allotted 67 acres of land at Chandikhole, and the University started its second campus there. I am sure it will benefit a large number of students in the area”, he said.
“ The other initiatives taken as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations also give me much satisfaction as they strengthen the very foundations on which the University is built. I gather the stage was set for the celebrations with a literary festival, which was a confluence of many languages”, the President said,
The University has also launched a distinguished lecture series. It will provide a great opportunity to not only students, scholars and the faculty but also the wider community to hear acclaimed scholars. Such interactions and exchanges of ideas make a university a vibrant place of learning. The recent conclave titled Antardhvani provided a platform for young scholars to showcase the progress in their learning as well as the richness of their heritage.
In the Platinum Jubilee Year, the University has taken the initiative to involve its alumni in the development of their alma mater. This worthy move will fetch dividends in future, he added.