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Call to channel ‘power of youth’

Memorable moment: G. Natchiar, Vice-Chairman, Aravind Eye Care System, presenting a certificate to a candidate at the annual convocation of American College in Madurai. Principal, T. Chinnaraj Joseph Jaikumar, looks on.

MADURAI: The ‘power of youth’ embedded with vigour and vitality and the role of colleges in nurturing youngsters’ abilities to carve them as promising citizens were emphasised at the annual convocation of American College held here on Wednesday.

G. Natchiar, Vice-Chairman, Aravind Eye Care System, who delivered the convocation address, said that setting a measurable goal and developing a roadmap to achieve it were important elements for youth’s success. “Gone are the days when people looked for a degree to offer a job. Now, a degree is only a minimum qualification and hence only the fittest can survive,” she said.

Turning to the youngsters, she said that they had immense potential, collectively called as power of youth, and the youth must also change, renew and rejuvenate along with changing times. Quoting Franklin D. Roosevelt, the chief guest said, “We cannot always build the future for our youth. Let us therefore build our youth for the future.”

Dr. Natchiar emphasised that a vital factor that supplemented education was right attitude and hence youngsters must develop a positive attitude to reach the goal.

Commending the role of American College among academic institutions in the country, she said the college was one of the first set of seven colleges to be made autonomous by the University Grants Commission in 1977-78 and its successful launch of Choice Based Credit System was well acknowledged.

T. Chinnaraj Joseph Jaikumar, Principal, who presided, said that students of these days were more privileged to be born in a world with plenty of opportunities.

Totally, 457 candidates received their degree/diploma certificates. Of them, 353 were men and 104 women candidates.

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