Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday said the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) professor was like Lord Hanuman, who was unaware of his powers and insisted that his work should be celebrated. The Education Minister said this while addressing the 35th convocation of IGNOU. A total of 2,91,590 students across the country received their degrees, diplomas and certificates at the convocation.
Addressing the 35th Convocation of IGNOU, D. Pradhan said, – I was here as a student – a student is a mental state, a condition, it is a mindset. Wherever, whatever, If you are open to learning, you are a student.
Mr Pradhan said he was a student leader and has now become the education minister. Recalling his time as a student, he said that in the late 1980s and early 1990s, there were protests against the Mandal Commission report and no convocation was held. He said that he always wanted that he too should get a degree at the convocation.
Speaking about the recent controversy over the recitation of Hanuman Chalisa, Mr. Pradhan said, “Tolerance is talked about and written about in our country. Sometimes we get suggestions on this from abroad as well. But I think it is embedded in our democracy. He said that all the professors of IGNOU, including those associated with the regional centres of the university across the country, have the qualities of “Anjani Putra”.
Hanuman didn’t realize what kind of powers he had and sometimes, he had to tell about his immense powers. You are Hanuman. You don’t realize what you have done. Celebrate what you have done, – said the minister.
He urged degree holders to share one-minute testimonials about the university on Facebook. The Education Minister also said that whatever IGNOU has been doing since its inception in 1985 has now become a National Policy on Education (NEP) and is being implemented across the country.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan was invited as the chief guest on the occasion. During the 35th convocation of IGNOU, the education minister launched digital degrees developed with the help of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).
Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) held its 35th convocation today on 26th April and a total of 60,571 students were admitted by the Vice Chancellor N. Rao’s Blockchain-Based Digital Degree.
