Former managing director of Britannia Industries, Vinita Bali, emphasized the importance of ethical decision-making, environmental stewardship and community responsibility, while addressing students at the 14th annual event, citing the receding lakes in Bengaluru as an example of the impact of humanitarian actions. Ahmedabad University convocation ceremony on Tuesday.
Urging the students to prioritize values, integrity and leadership, Bali urged them to think about the world we are creating, and how one wants to relate not only to other people, but to the environment.
“I live in Bangalore. 60 years ago there were 200 lakes. Now there are only 51 lakes. What happened to others? Well, people like us have other things to do with lakes, for example, decide to sell fancy apartments at high prices, flood only when it rains. To come…” she said.
“The planet is crying out for people like us…so let’s make better choices for ourselves, our planet and our communities,” he added.
Bali also emphasized the importance of curiosity, compassion, and empathy in personal and professional growth. She highlighted the need for responsible use of information and the importance of creating a world of kindness and happiness through informed and ethical actions.
“(The material progress seen in the past few years) has also created new challenges, which all of you will have to face as you manually carry out the next task of your life…those challenges will not be addressed by your knowledge alone, but…through compassion and empathy and understanding. , through … to create bridges and friendships that you never knew were possible,” she said.
Presiding over the function, Vice-Chancellor Sanjay Lalbhai reflected on the vision of Ahmedabad University: to build an institution that would position India as a leading light in the creation and dissemination of knowledge.
Vice-Chancellor and Chairman of the Board of Management Prof. Pankaj Chandra in his address inspired the graduating students to use their education to contribute meaningfully to the society.
830 students received degrees at the convocation ceremony.