30 June 2023, Chikkaballapur: Smt. Droupadi Murmu – The Hon’ble President of India will preside over the second convocation of Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence here on 03 July 2023 in the presence of Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai, the Founder of the University, it was announced here today. The varsity provides higher education completely free of charge to rural, underserved, and below-the- poverty-line first-generation literates.
Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai said in a statement: “It’s a proud moment for us that, Smt. Droupadi Murmu – The Hon’ble President of India, would be coming to Sri Sathya Sai University (in Chikkaballapur district, near Bengaluru) for our annual convocation on 03 July. The Hon’ble President would be conferring honorary doctorates to six eminent Indians who have been contributing to the process of nation-building for the last many decades.”
“Sixty-six percent of graduates who would be awarded their degrees this year come from below-the-line (BPL) families, and fifty-two percent are rural youths,” the Founder said, adding that “The presence of the Hon’ble President for the convocation, who rose to India’s highest constitutional office despite coming from a humble background, would be the most inspiring for the graduating students.”
President Murmu, herself a first-generation literate, started her life journey in a small tribal village in Odisha. She crossed many obstacles, and with the help of her resolve, she became the first daughter of her village to go to college.
The Hon’ble President will also confer honorary doctorates on six eminent Indians who have excelled in their fields and contributed to nation-building to the best of their capacities. Prof Ajay K Sood – Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India (Science and Technology); Ganakalabhushana Vidwan Dr R K Padmanabha – renowned Carnatic music vocalist (Music and Art); Mr Pullela Gopichand – Chief National Coach of the Indian Badminton Team (Sports and Fitness); Dr Pratima Murthy – Director of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Healthcare); Vedic Scholar and Padma Shri Awardee Prof Vijay Shankar Shukla – Faculty, Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts for Education (Education), and Padma Shri Awardee Mrs Tulsi Gowda – Indian Environmentalist (Social Service and Philanthropy).
With over 70% of the current students coming from the BPL segment, the institution is proving true to its goals and philosophy of long-term nation-building and unflinching adherence to universal human values, with the aim of serving the last man.
The university offers free education to first-generation literates, both men and women, across the country and adheres to the highest academic standards with diverse educational programmes, top faculty, and modern infrastructure. A record 64% of pass-outs this year are female students.
Forty-three percent of the current students come from rural India, and the aim of the founder is to give them an academic environment that matches the highest global standards and best practises in higher education from across the globe.
The University has established Sri Madhusudan Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (SMSIMSR), India’s first free medical college imparting free values-based medical education, which was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India – Shri Narendra Modi on 25 March 2023. Apart from MBBS course, the Medical College also offers bachelor programmes in allied health sciences and nursing. The 360 bedded teaching hospital also cater to the needs of the rural patients by providing free multi-speciality healthcare. On any given day around 1,000 outpatients and 300 inpatients are being treated.
To know more, kindly visit: https://sssuhe.ac.in/
