VIT Chennai Awards Degrees to 4,518 Students at 14th Annual Convocation

A total of 4,518 undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD students received their degrees during the 14th annual convocation ceremony of Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Chennai, held on Sunday.

Addressing the graduating students, chief guest Dr. T. Ramasami, former Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, emphasised that youth play an important role not only in shaping their own future but also that of their families, the country, and humanity at large.

Dr. Ramasami recalled the historical growth of engineering education across Tamil Nadu. He noted that only around 740 engineering students graduated from colleges in the State several decades ago, a figure that stands in sharp contrast to the several lakh graduates completing their engineering studies today.

He further observed that Tamil Nadu has emerged as a leader in research and development since 2000, as measured by the volume of research papers published in peer-reviewed journals. Crediting higher education institutions such as VIT, he commended their significant contributions to research, academic development, and nation-building.

Presiding over the ceremony, VIT Founder and Chancellor Dr. G. Viswanathan called attention to higher education access across the country. He pointed out that only about 13 per cent of India's population has attained graduate-level education, stressing the urgent need for a greater expansion of higher education opportunities. Dr. Viswanathan compared India's current graduate attainment rate with countries such as Canada, South Korea, and Japan, noting that those nations maintain considerably higher rates.

Dr. Ganesanathan Geathiswaran, Deputy High Commissioner of Sri Lanka, South India, attended the event as a special guest. In his address, he highlighted the long-standing historical and cultural ties shared between India and Sri Lanka, drawing particular attention to the deep connections linking Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka.

The convocation ceremony was attended by VIT Vice-Presidents Dr. Sankar Viswanathan and Dr. G.V. Selvam, Vice-Chancellor Dr. V.S. Kanchana Bhaaskaran, Pro-Vice Chancellors, senior institutional officials, and members of the faculty.