At Cluster University’s maiden convocation, Sinha lauds women achievers as daughters bag 130 of 163 gold medals
Jammu Tawi, Nov 14: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday urged young graduates to become creators of opportunities rather than merely seeking them, saying startups emerging from small towns reflect the true democratisation of entrepreneurship.
Addressing the maiden convocation of Cluster University of Jammu (CUJ), the Lieutenant Governor said India now has nearly 223,000 startups and 135 unicorns, with many founders coming from small towns, demonstrating that opportunities are no longer confined to major cities.
Offering a fresh perspective on the country’s demographic dividend, Sinha said he preferred to describe it as a “demographic responsibility”. He observed that society would benefit when young people connect farmers to markets, transform women’s self-help groups into employment-generating enterprises and develop affordable medical tools for remote areas.
Describing the graduating students as pioneering torchbearers of the university’s academic tradition, he congratulated all graduates, gold medallists and their parents. Governor of Tamil Nadu Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar also graced the occasion.
The Lieutenant Governor specially complimented women students, pointing out that daughters had won 130 of the 163 gold medals awarded at the convocation. He said that when provided with opportunities, daughters not only achieve success but also redefine the meaning of achievement.
Their gold medals, he said, were badges of confidence for generations to come. “Daughters across higher educational institutions in Jammu and Kashmir are writing new chapters of success in their own names,” he added.
Highlighting the rich intellectual heritage of Jammu and Kashmir, Sinha referred to Maharishi Kalhana, author of the RajataranginiMaharishi Abhinavagupta, and saint-poets Yogini Lalleshwari and Sheikh-ul-Alam, who promoted harmony among faiths and the pursuit of truth. He said the graduating students were carrying forward a tradition of knowledge dating back more than a thousand years.
Referring to the national goal of building a developed India by 2047, the Lieutenant Governor said many of the graduates would be at the peak of their careers by then. He urged them to make the vision of Viksit Bharat a personal mission, saying its success would reflect their own achievements and contributions.
Emphasising the importance of humanities alongside science and technology, Sinha said technology tells us what we can do, while humanities teach us what we should do. The country needs engineers as well as historians, and scientists as well as musicians, he observed, stressing the importance of developing intellectual capabilities and preparing young people to face challenges with courage and determination.
Offering practical advice on internships, he suggested that students present well-researched solutions to the challenges faced by companies instead of merely seeking opportunities. They should strive to become valuable members of their teams and choose internships that provide opportunities to learn new skills and gain fresh experience.
On artificial intelligence, Sinha said the relationship between AI and human beings would be based on partnership rather than competition. While AI would transform the way people work, deciding the purpose and direction of that work would remain a human responsibility. He added that although AI could generate new answers from existing knowledge, the courage to ask new questions would always belong to human beings.
The Lieutenant Governor also outlined five resolutions for the graduating students: never stop learning; create opportunities rather than merely seek them; uphold honesty and ethics; support those who follow; and express love for the nation through action.
“Knowledge without character is meaningless,” he said, urging students not to limit their ambitions to academic excellence but to become individuals with the courage to speak the truth, the determination to do what is right, and respect for every human being.
Calling upon the graduates to begin their new journey with confidence, compassion and sensitivity, Sinha said technological advancement would continue to expand, but the responsibility of giving the future a meaningful direction would rest with human intelligence and the younger generation.
Vice-Chancellor of Cluster University of Jammu, Prof. K.S. Chandrasekar, presented the university report.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah; Minister for School Education, Higher Education and Jal Shakti Shamim Firdous; Registrar, Cluster University of Jammu, Ankur Mahajan; heads of departments, faculty members, students and their parents attended the convocation.
Member of Parliament Jugal Kishore Sharma, Jammu West MLA Arvind Gupta, heads of various educational institutions, prominent citizens and senior officers of the civil and police administration were also present. (KNO)