On the occasion of the nation's 73rd Republic Day, Dr. A. Kumar, Principal, PKIET hoisted the national flag in front of the Administrative block at 8.30 a.m. on 26th January, 2022. Dr. S. MOHAN, the Vice Chancellor, PTU delivered special address to the gathering through online mode. Dr. G. Sivaradje, the Registrar, PTU joined the celebration through online mode. Mrs. S. Prema, Director, PKIET and Faculty members, Supporting and Administrative staff members, NSS volunteers and students participated in the event.
Speech by the Vice-Chancellor Puducherry Technological University on the occasion of the 73rd Republic Day (26th January 2022) celebration of our country, at Puducherry, on 26th January 2022
Ladies and Gentlemen, and my dear student friends,
I think that the success of any speech is directly proportional to the shortness of its text.
I will therefore be very brief!
Good morning to one and all present here. As we all know that we have gathered here on a very special occasion to celebrate the “Republic Day-2022” for our democratic country “India”. Today is the 73rd Republic Day of our beloved country, India. Warm Greetings and a very warm welcome to all of you present here, with special mention to our faculty colleagues, supporting staff, Registrar, Parents and my dear students, respected teachers, and their family members. I will share some of my views through my Speech on this Republic Day.
Celebrating the Republic Day in the presence of the all the colleagues and their family members is a sign of the spirit of friendship and dedication that PTU harbours for the country.
India is a self-governing country since 15th of August 1947, after getting freedom from the British Rule. That day we are celebrating as Independence Day every year on the 15th of August in 1947. However, the constitution of India came into existence on the 26th of January in 1950 and hence making our country a full-fledged republic.
Our constitution also says in Article 51(g) that preserving the Environment and caring for other living creatures is the fundamental duty of every citizen. This is a unique feature of our Constitution and we don’t find in the constitutions of other countries.
Our Great Indian freedom fighters have struggled a lot and sacrificed their lives to get the “Purna Swaraj” means “Complete Freedom” in India. There are uncountable freedom fighters like Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Subhash Chandra Bose, Subramania Bharathi, Lala Lajpat Rai, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, Tirupur Kumaran, VO Chidambaranar, Kattapomman, and many more. Each and every citizen of this country must remember them on such a great occasion.
Our first Indian President Dr. Rajendra Prasad said that we have found the whole of this vast land brought together under the jurisdiction of one constitution, one union. It takes over responsibility for the welfare of all men and women living in it. But unfortunately, we are still fighting with crime, corruption, violence, and terrorism in our country. These nation-wide problems are pulling our nation back from going to the path of development and progress.
The Indian Republic steadily pursues peace: this is a principle laid down in our Constitution, of which we are celebrating today the 73rd anniversary. India’s relationship with all the countries of the world is characterized by a constant search for cooperation: the increasingly global challenges set before us – in the not-easy international context - can be faced only if we all work together.
The keys to peace and global welfare are represented by collaboration, mutual understanding and the progressive removal of barriers among people. Avoiding all types of conflicts and looking for a shared development is therefore imperative. This is very much true for the growth of our university also.
Indeed, mutual understanding and removal of barriers among peoples are exactly the experience of the Indian way of thinking and integration of development in which India intends to play an increasingly positive role.
In these seventy-three years India's history has gone through tensions and trials, and the Republican institutions have always proven to be able to allow India, my country, to face many difficulties and challenges, without wavering. Recently, we are also tackling the Pandemic situation, which affects every walk of life.
We should be aware of social evils such as poverty, pandemic, unemployment, illiteracy, global warming, inequality, etc. Other than celebrating the national glory and recalling the achievements of our motherland, we should also take a pledge to eradicate the social evils from our society namely social discrimination which is the big hurdle in the way of our country’s progress.
I extend congratulations to all the colleagues of PTU, especially the earlier Principals for having ably turned this university from an engineering college into a university that caters for all the needs of the intellectuals and professionals. PTU university should act as a bridge between the ivory towers and the mundane world, between the factories of knowledge and the consuming world.
The role of PTU university in Puducherry Union Territory is immense. I strongly believe that it should not follow the elitist tradition of pursuing knowledge for its own sake, but must tackle the problems that are facing the citizens of our country and contribute to their solution.
It should be a people’s university in the sense that it reflects the needs and priorities of its people. It should not be a pale reflection of alien universities. Its projects must be attuned to the national mood and needs if they are to be appreciated by the people. With this firm belief and in this view, I wish all of you a great Republic Day. We all should take an oath to maintain the sovereignty of our nation as well as our university. This sovereignty is priceless.
Also in the same spirit, dear friends, I would like to invite you to work in a unison to make our PTU as the world class university before too much time elapses. We have been little lethargic in our activities over the last 10 years and it is the right time that we wake up and compensate for the losses made and all of us to determine to take PTU to greater heights in terms of accreditation and ranking.
May I conclude my speech by quoting the remarks of the great Chinese thinker and philosopher Mao Tsetung for the students present here today—
“The World is yours, as well as ours, but in the recent analysis, it is yours. You young people, full of vigor and vitality, are in the bloom of life, like the sun at eight or nine in the morning. Our hope is placed on you.”
On our nation’s 73rd Republic Day, let us remember the golden heritage of our country and feel proud to be a part of India.
Once again, wishing you all a very Happy Republic Day 2022!
With these humble words, I bow my head to the flag with the words
“Jai Hind, Jai Bharat”.
Vande Matharam!
