Mysore, June 29 (JP)- The first convocation of JSS University comprising JSS Medical College, JSS Dental College & Hospital, JSS College of Pharmacy and JSS College of Pharmacy, Ooty, was held at Sri Rajendra auditorium in Shivarathreeshwara Nagar here this morning.
Delivering the convocation address, former President of India Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam asked, "What would you like to be remembered for?"
Continuing in a lighter vein, he said, "The first thing I noticed is that you have got Indian dress. It is good for our weather. Wherever I have attended other convocations, I have had to wear a heavy gown which came to us from our British rulers."
Quoting Basavanna’s Vachana on going from darkness to light through the medium of holistic education, he said that he valued the vision and mission of Suttur Seer Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Swamiji.
Dr. Kalam said he had a message for this convocation — ‘Pharma Vision 2020.’ In this connection, he spoke of four unique individuals who made a remarkable change in all those with whom they had worked. He spoke of the committed health care services of Dr. Soma Raju, Chairman, CARE Group of Hospitals, Dr. Sudarshan of Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra, B.R. Hills, Dr. V.V Kaker's Thrombosis Research Institute in Bangalore and Rimpoche Choakyi Nyima, Buddhist medicinal practitioner from Kathmandu.
Dr. Kalam said that all the four had made an extraordinary impact on the lives of those people with whom they had come into contact. He said that he would like to see the graduates give the same commitment to their profession.
Referring to Pharma Vision, Dr. Kalam said India should emerge as the leader of low cost vaccines for HIV, Cancer and Malaria. He said he expected Indian pharmaceutical industry to enter newer drug markets. The rich plant biodiversity should be tapped to yield newer phyto-chemicals that would combat disease, he said.
Dr. Kalam also requested the graduates to take an oath along with him, which the young boys and girls actively took part. The oath was, "I will remove spurious drugs from the market." Dr Kalam added they should consider that their profession was a "vocation, not an occupation."
Ten students of the M.Pharma course were awarded gold medals for academic excellence. Out of 119 new graduates, 65 received their degrees in person and 54 in absentia in various disciplines of M.Pharma course.
The gold medalists are: Sumeet Sood (Pharmaceuticals), Ummehani (Industrial Pharmacy), C. Satish Vimal (Pharmaceutical Analysis), R. Gayathri (Pharmaceutical Chemistry), R. S. Soumya Shree (Pharmacognosy), Vemuleti Radhika Reddy (Pharmacology), K. Nithya (Phytopharmacy and Phytomedi-cine), Christy Mary Sam (Pharmacy Practice), Sonia Tom (Pharmacy Practice) and P.C. Priya (Pharmaceutical Biotechnology).
Dr. B. Suresh, VC, JSS University, welcomed and gave a brief report of the genesis of JSS group of institutions and its emergence as a Deemed University. He said Dr. Kalam was a Distinguished Professor of JSS Varsity.
JSS University Chancellor Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Swam-iji led the new graduates in the oath-taking ceremony. In his advice to them, he said there were many people who we know only by name, others who have impressed us by their talent in science and still others who have impressed us by their accomplishments in art and music and "here we have one person who has all these qualities — Dr. Abdul Kalam. You should emulate him."
Courtesy : Star Of Mysore