Education Becomes Meaningful Only Through Guru–Shishya Dialogue: Governor Anandiben Patel
**Humanity Remains Man’s True Strength Even in the Digital Age: Sunil Dutt**
**Jaunpur:**
The 29th Convocation Ceremony of *Veer Bahadur Singh Purvanchal University* was held on Monday at the Mahant Avaidyanath Auditorium. Uttar Pradesh Governor and Chancellor **Anandiben Patel** awarded **80 gold medals** to **79 meritorious students** securing top ranks in undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Degrees were conferred upon **80,141 students**, while **445 researchers** received their Ph.D. and **two** were conferred the D.Litt. degree.
Governor Patel also conferred an honorary **Doctor of Science (D.Sc.)** degree upon **Sunil Dutt**, President of Devices and Sales, Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, who was the **chief guest** at the ceremony.
Addressing the gathering, Governor Patel emphasized that **education becomes truly meaningful only when students engage in dialogue with their teachers in classrooms**. She said that keeping this principle in mind, **75% attendance has been made mandatory**, and universities must strictly ensure compliance.
The Governor urged teachers to focus not only on imparting knowledge but also on **building the character** of their students.
Chief Guest **Sunil Dutt**, while addressing the students, said he felt **honored to be part of the convocation** and encouraged students to uphold human values even in an increasingly digital world.
**Higher Education Minister Yogendra Upadhyay** praised Jaunpur for producing **extraordinary talents**, mentioning **robot inventor Dinesh Patel**, **DNA scientist Dr. Lalji Singh**, and **Pandit Rambhadracharya** among others.
**Minister of State for Higher Education Rajni Tiwari** congratulated the graduates, saying that **academic degrees are a reflection of hard work and dedication**.
In her report, **Vice-Chancellor Prof. Vandana Singh** highlighted the university’s achievements in academics, research, and innovation. She noted that:
* Exam results were declared on time this year.
* **303 research papers** and **15 patents** were published.
* The university achieved **15,695 citations** and an **H-index of 56** on Scopus.
* Ranked **2nd in Uttar Pradesh** and **125th in India** in the **NIRF 2024 rankings**.
* Secured major grants under **DST-PURSE** and **Inclusive Higher Education programs**.
* **22 research projects** are ongoing, and the university library now holds **9,500 theses**, placing it **fourth in the state**.
* Students won several **national-level awards** in sports and cultural events.
* New initiatives such as an **ERP portal**, **new course seats**, and a **23% increase in admissions** were introduced.
* **Mentor teachers** were appointed in each department, and steps were taken for **campus safety and environmental protection**.
As part of the university’s social outreach, **kits were distributed to 10 Anganwadi centers** in Jaunpur and Ghazipur districts. A total of **500 centers** will receive these kits, jointly provided by **Purvanchal University** and local administrations.
During the event, Governor **Anandiben Patel** also inaugurated the **digital uploading of 80,141 undergraduate and postgraduate degrees** to
**DigiLocker** by pressing the iPad button, marking a step toward digital empowerment and transparency.
