Chandigarh
21 August 2019
DIVYA AZAD
Chitkara University, Himachal Pradesh was successfully able to set a dress code that resonates the Indian ethos at its 8th Annual Convocation where everyone wore traditional attires made out of handloom thus inculcating patriotic fervor in the graduates, faculty, and staff.
Abiding by UGC norms, European ceremonial robes, and headgears were ditched and graduates wore kurta pajamas (boys) and kurta-salwar or saree(girls).
The young graduates were given University scarves and Himachali Caps and they donned them taking pride as they are the custodians of a very rich tradition of antiquity with modernization. The sounds of pipes and rolling of drums, a symbol of commencement of procession followed by National Anthem marked the opening of the coveted occasion.
Aligned with Indian traditions, the ceremony began with a salutation to Goddess Saraswati and lighting the lamp. The graduation hall was embellished with Shawls from Himachal teaching students to exhibit warmth in every situation, respecting other people and being principled, responsible and honest in future endeavors. The area was swathed with beautiful flowers in Himachali Baskets illuminating the fragrance of loyalty and love thus helping students understand the uniqueness and let alone celebrate the indigenous culture of the state.
The hall was filled up with thunderous applauds as the students marched across the stage to receive their degrees in swadeshi attires marking the culmination of years of hard work, determination, and discipline of students and faculty.
6 renowned industrialists, eminent scholars namely, Mr. Rajan Sethuraman, CEO, Latent Analytics, Mr. Kazutada Kobayashi, CEO & President, Canon India, Ms. Manjiri Patel Shinde, Director HR & Talent Acquisition, Calsoft, Dr. Augustus GD Azariah, Associate Director, IBM, Mr. Gurmeet Singh, Director, Barclays, Mr. Namit Suri, Business Partner – Human Resource, Stryker, who spoke to the young graduates guiding them at a crucial moment when students are shedding the comfortable cloak of the academic monastery and stepping out, armed with knowledge and insight, into the glaring heat and light of the real economy. Besides bestowing upon the graduates their profoundly inspiring words of wisdom, they emphasized on knowing one’s roots, sticking to the rich culture and heritage of India and serving the nation to the best of their abilities.
The ecstatic graduates celebrated their achievements, marked historic firsts and reflected on their time at Chitkara University, Himachal Pradesh.
