Pursue Truth, Knowledge and Justice, Attorney General Tells Graduates

VIJAYAWADA: Attorney General of India Dr R. Venkataramani on Saturday urged students to pursue truth, knowledge and justice throughout their lives while addressing the 14th convocation of Vignan Foundation for Science, Technology and Research (VFSTR) at Vadlamudi.

The university conferred honorary doctorates on music director Mani Sharma, NATCO Pharma CEO Rajeev Nannapaneni and Greenko founder, president and joint managing director Mahesh Kolli.

Addressing the graduating students, Dr Venkataramani said universities should nurture scientific temper, critical thinking and a spirit of inquiry. He described knowledge as a lifelong pursuit of truth rather than the mere accumulation of information.

He said technological advancements had created immense opportunities but had also made the spread of misinformation easier, making critical evaluation of information essential. He urged graduates to uphold ethical values and social responsibility.

Accepting the honorary doctorate, Mani Sharma said serving society through music had been the greatest privilege of his life. Rajeev Nannapaneni said innovation and research should benefit society as much as business, while Mahesh Kolli said India was well placed to lead the global clean energy transition.

Narasaraopet MP and Vignan Institutions vice-chairman Lavu Srikrishnadevarayalu urged graduates to become innovators and value creators. Chancellor Dr Pavuluri Subba Rao called on them to become job creators rather than job seekers.

The university awarded degrees to 2,599 students and presented 63 gold medals and special awards, including 32 Academic Gold Medals, 20 Best Outgoing Student Awards and the Chairman's Gold Medal.

Paruchuru Tarun of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI & ML) received the Chairman's Gold Medal.

University officials, faculty members, students and parents attended the convocation.