Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
Social reformer and human rights advocate Medha Patkar was awarded a Doctor of Letters (D Litt) degree during the third convocation ceremony of MGM University held at Rukhmini Auditorium on Saturday.
The event celebrated the academic achievements of 1,284 students who completed various courses in the 2023-2024 academic year. For the first time, the ceremony also conferred PhD degrees on three students.
Kapil Sibal, president of the Supreme Court Bar Association and Member of Parliament, was the chief guest. The ceremony was graced by MGM chairman Kamalkishor Kadam, university chancellor Ankushrao Kadam, vice chancellor Dr Vilas Sapkal, registrar Dr Ashish Gadekar, and governing body members Ranjit Kakkar and Dr Rekha Shelke.
10 chancellor’s gold medals awarded
Ten outstanding students were presented with the chancellor’s gold medal for their exceptional academic performance. A special gold medal, instituted in memory of former principal Prataprao Borade, was awarded to the topper in civil engineering. The gold medalists included: Tejas Kallale, Dhanashree Shinde, Kshitija Kalyankar, Aditi Rajguru, Sudhir Karle, Shristi Motiyale, Khan Mohammad Yaser, Vaishnavi Shastri, Aman Vijay Pratap Sahani, and Bhavana Verma.
----------------------------
Call for social responsibility
In her acceptance speech, Medha Patkar expressed gratitude for the honour, calling it a recognition of her activism and a source of inspiration. “I have never pursued a degree from a university, but MGM University, guided by Mahatma Gandhi’s principles, has bestowed this honour on me. It represents the collective work of activists and encourages us further,” she said.
Patkar urged students to use their education for the betterment of society and to embrace democratic values. “Students should strive to be socialists, not authoritarians. Take the knowledge you have gained here and contribute to society. Democracy’s strength lies in its pillars, with the people being the foremost,” she said.
Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, she concluded, 'My Life is My Message’ is not merely a statement but a command to live by truth and non-violence.