Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Honorary degrees conferred on ONV, Madhavan Nair

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The chancellor of universities in the State, Governor, R.L. Bhatia on Wednesday conferred honorary degrees of the University of Kerala on poet O.N.V. Kurup and ISRO Chairman G. Madhavan Nair at a special convocation ceremony held at the Senate Hall here.

While Mr. Kurup was given the degree of Doctor of Letters (D.Litt), Mr. Madhavan Nair was given the degree of Doctor of Science (D.Sc).

The convocation was preceded by a session of the University Senate in which Vice-Chancellor M.K. Ramachandran Nair moved a one line resolution on the granting of the honorary degrees.

Later Mr. Kurup and Mr. Madhvan Nair were led to into the Senate Hall, dressed in the ‘academic robe.’

A choir consisting of students from the Department of Music recited poems written by O.N.V. The convocation ceremony began with an academic procession led by University Registrar K.A. Hashim.

In his address Mr. Bhatia said Professor O. N. V. fuses the fine traits of a realist and a romantic in most of his creations.

“Earthy and ethereal in turns, his muse transports the reader to new realms of poetic experience… He has always been empathetic towards the suppressed and the downtrodden, the ‘salt of the earth’ so to say, braving heavy odds for a better morrow,” he said.

Dr. G. Madhavan Nair has exemplified himself as a model par excellence with is profound knowledge, lofty motivation and strong commitment as a seasoned scientist… His main concern and major focus has always been to achieve self-reliance in high level areas and to bring the benefits of space technology to national development, particularly targeting the rural and poor sections of society,” the Governor added.

In his acceptance speech Dr. Kurup said the Mayalali’s mother tongue that has been the cause of and witness to his history is not receiving the kind of respect it should in the State’s higher education system.

One of the very aims of establishing the University of Kerala was the promotion of Malayalam, he pointed out. There was a time when one could say that by virtue of being a Malayali a person was the inheritor of a culture rooted in tolerance and balance.

Today there is this fear that Kerala which threw open its windows to ideas from all corners of the world is once again becoming a “lunatic asylum.” Malayalis must guard their culture, heritage and humanism very closely, he added.

Dr. Madhavan Nair said, “Our future depends on our achievements in science and technology and on how we train the energy of your youth to the cause of nation-building.”

The ISRO is fully committed to support to strengthening the tele-education and tele-medicine programmes in Kerala.

“It is extremely gratifying to receive this honour four decades after my graduation from the Kerala University. Through this process you are not only honouring me but my organisation and the entire ISRO family,” he added.

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