The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee attended the 45th Annual Convocation of Utkal University today (April 25, 2013) at Bhubaneswar.
Speaking on the occasion the President said our universities and academic institutions must take a lead in imparting education which would help us meet the moral challenge of our times. It must help us build a modern democracy based on values of human dignity and equality.
The President said the recent increase in cases of brutal assault on women and child rape has shaken the collective conscience of the nation. These unfortunate incidents underscore the urgency for our society to pause and introspect at the erosion of values and our repeated failure to ensure safety and security of our women and children. Such criminal depravity is a threat to the civilized functioning of society. We must identify its causes and find solutions to it. The society must ensure the dignity and respect for women. The President called upon those who educate and nurture the minds of the youth, and who wield moral authority in the society to set this process in motion.
Among the dignitaries present on the occasion were Dr. S.C. Jamir, Governor of Odisha and Shri Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Odisha.
This release issued at 1223 hrs