Varanasi: Uttar Pradesh governor and chancellor Anandiben Patel on Monday urged students not to treat higher education merely as a means to obtain a degree, saying the true purpose of education is character building. She said meaningful education nurtures compassion, love, tolerance and a spirit of service, and called upon the youth to use their education and hard work not only for personal success but also for the progress of society and the nation.Describing youth as India’s greatest strength and hope, Patel said quality education alone can channel this immense potential in the right direction. She noted that Indian youth are proving their capabilities across sectors such as space, aerospace, technology, startups, innovation and defence production. With the country’s average age below 28, she said, if young people can demonstrate their talent from space missions to guarding the nation’s borders, no goal is beyond their reach.Addressing the 30th convocation of Veer Bahadur Singh Purvanchal University, the governor said the increasing number of girls receiving gold medals reflected their growing excellence in higher education. She said daughters are becoming more conscious of their future and are achieving remarkable success in academics.She also called upon male students to work harder and draw inspiration from their female counterparts.Patel urged students to become job creators instead of job seekers, saying India’s youth will be the foundation of a developed nation and calling upon them to turn their dreams into a strong resolve while serving society, the nation and humanity.During the convocation, Patel conferred 84 gold medals on 83 meritorious undergraduate and postgraduate students, including 31 male and 52 female students. A total of 339 research scholars were awarded PhD degrees, while one scholar received a D.Sc. degree. HPV vaccination was also administered to 39 girl students during the event.She encouraged students to move beyond the mindset of seeking jobs and aim to become entrepreneurs who create employment. Highlighting India’s progress in start-ups, innovation, space science, defence, semiconductors, agriculture and modern technology, she said the country’s youth power will be the foundation of a developed India.Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, the Governor emphasised the importance of a drug-free, healthy and self-reliant India. She appreciated the HPV vaccination campaign and praised the district administration, health department and university administration for their role in promoting women’s health and safety.Major General Gaurav Gautam, ADG, Uttar Pradesh NCC, said today’s courageous youth stand in the front line of nation-building. He said bookish knowledge alone is not enough and that technical proficiency, practical skills and self-discipline are essential in the present era. He urged students to train themselves in future-oriented fields such as artificial intelligence, data science and entrepreneurship. He also stressed discipline, teamwork, leadership, physical fitness, mental strength, financial prudence, ethics and honesty.Vice-Chancellor Prof. Vandana Singh presented the university’s progress report. She highlighted the university’s achievements in academics, research, rankings, H-index, publications, the Research Promotion and Excellence Policy 2025, 205 research papers, 10 granted patents, DST-PURSE and PM-USHA grants. She also mentioned artificial intelligence-based initiatives, new courses in AI/ML, data science and biotechnology, agro-AWS establishment, AI workshops, plantation drives, NSS activities, smart classrooms, the law library, the NCC unit, placement growth, administrative reforms, financial strengthening and ISO certification.The Governor distributed educational material, school bags, fruits, dry fruits, geometry boxes and books on great personalities to primary school children. Winners of sports events held in villages adopted by the university were also honoured. Schoolchildren presented patriotic, folk, environmental and water conservation songs.A total of 500 Anganwadi kits were distributed, including 100 by the university, 200 by the Jaunpur district administration and 200 by the Ghazipur district administration. The kits included 67 items, such as tricycles, swings, storybooks, whiteboards, chairs, kidney-shaped tables and horse-riding toys. The Governor also presented HPV vaccination certificates and the book Chunautiyan Mujhe Pasand Hain to district officials.In a major digital initiative, the Governor uploaded 77,463 undergraduate and postgraduate degrees for the 2025-26 session to DigiLocker by pressing a button on an iPad, making degree access digital, quick and secure.
