President of India Ram Nath Kovind addressed the 26th convocation of the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) in Shillong, Meghalaya, on Monday.
Speaking on the occasion, the President said NEHU had emerged as a premier centre for learning. He was happy to note that, besides imparting higher education in all the major disciplines, the university was also laying special emphasis on the development of this region which has a significant tribal population. He said higher education institutions, such as NEHU, could be instruments of social and economic transformation and that NEHU could help Meghalaya achieve better ranking in the human development indices.
The President said that over 80% of Meghalaya’s population was dependent upon agriculture. By helping improve agricultural productivity, NEHU could play a catalytic role in promoting socio-economic development of Meghalaya and the whole of the North-East. Students and teachers of NEHU’s departments of Rural Development and Agricultural Production, Agri Business and Food Technology and Horticulture could help enhance farmers’ income.
‘Help the underprivileged’
‘Higher education is a privilege not available to many in India. So, try and help improve the condition of your underprivileged fellow citizens and try to give back to society in whatever way you can’
- President Ram Nath Kovind
‘Youths must take nation forward’
‘The nation belongs to the youths and it’s they who have to take it forward. The government’s role is limited and the economy can be driven by young minds with new innovation’
- Conrad Sangma, chief minister
The awardees
- A total of 1,989 students in person and 12,513 in absentia were conferred degrees on this occasion; these included 102 PhDs and 18 MPhils, along with 69 gold medals
- The President also presented the Doctorate of Letters to Kanubhai Hasmukh Darji, who is also a Padmashree awardee from Gujarat and runs the Disabled Welfare Trust of India
- Botany student Taba Yehi received the President of India, Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma Gold Medal
 in Shillong, Meghalaya){kind=link}