Girls stole the show at Uttar Pradesh’s Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University on Monday as they walked away with 38 out of the 64 medals that were awarded to students graduating from various engineering colleges affiliated to it.
“This is a healthy sign of women’s empowerment and how well they are doing in academics. Boys must watch out,” Ram Naik, Uttar Pradesh governor and chancellor of the university, said in his address to the graduating students during the 14th convocation ceremony in Lucknow.
Ayushi Agarwal, a student of Ghaziabad’s Ajay Kumar Garg Engineering College, bagged the chancellor’s gold medal instituted by the university for the first time. She received it for topping all BTech streams in the university examination.
“I’m happy for Ayushi for winning the chancellor gold medal. Congratulations to others also,” the governor said as girls clapped.
Ayushi told Hindustan Times she wants to crack Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) and pursue an MTech from the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Bombay.
Experts said their success in engineering examinations that considered to be men’s stronghold will push other girls to pursue a career in the field of science, engineering and mathematics.
Naik also cautioned the boys, saying these numbers were a wake-up call for them. He added that it is easier to get to the top but to stay there one has to work hard continuously.
The governor advised students not to lose heart if they do not succeed in life in the first attempt. “Keep trying and whenever possible do something good for the society,” he said.
VK Saraswat, a member of the NITI Aayog and the chief guest at the convocation, was conferred with an honorary doctorate (honoris causa) degree by the AKTU in recognition of his services to the country.
