Chandrakant Patil tells RBU Nagpur graduates to focus on skill, not just degree

Ramdeobaba University (RBU) in Nagpur held its first convocation on Saturday, where Maharashtra's higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil, the chief guest, handed degrees to postgraduate students. Speaking on the occasion, he said students should not limit themselves to obtaining a degree, but should focus on real, practical skills.

Referring to the National Education Policy (NEP) in his speech, Patil said some aspects of it still need improvement. He told the graduates that achieving the goal of making India a developed nation by 2047 requires a solid contribution from society. For this, he advised them to focus on building startups, research, innovation, incubation and patents.

To illustrate his point, the minister cited the example of a smart helmet, saying that such research-based, innovative products would go on to accelerate the country's progress. He also said students should acquire skills in multiple languages to build a global identity. At the same event, RBU launched blockchain-secured degree certificates.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis addressed the gathering through a video message, calling the convocation a moment of gratitude, pride and new beginnings. He said Nagpur has a major role to play in advancing a developed Maharashtra and uplifting rural communities.

Satyanarayan Nuwal, president of the Ramdeobaba Public Trust, said real success lies in turning difficult circumstances to one's advantage. He told students that the world is full of opportunities, but only those with vision and understanding can see them.

In his presidential address, RBU chairman Dr. S.S. Mandhana said institutions are needed that value the habit of asking questions rather than just following rules. Vice-chancellor Dr. Rajesh Pandey spoke about the university's journey so far.

Degrees were awarded to NBA, RAMP and MTech graduates at the convocation. Six medals were also given for academic excellence. Aniket Pandey, Purvi Vyavahare and Chetali Karnekar received gold medals, while Jessica Bhatt, Jahnavi Singh and Rupak Bhaisare were awarded silver medals.

The event was also attended by faculty members including trust general secretary Rajendra Purohit, vice presidents Dr. Purushottam Paldiwal, Pradeep Kumar Agrawal, Kailashchand Agrawal, Adv. Pradeep Agrawal, Ashok Kumar Paweriwala, Dinesh Agrawal and Rajesh Sanghani. Registrar Dr. Sanjay Bodkhe, Dr. Manoj Chadak, Dr. Abhijit Agari and Dr. Vishal Shukla were also present. The programme was conducted by Dr. Prachi Sathati, Dr. Preeti Magarulkar and Dr. Rujuta Joshi.