Governor Justice S. Abdul Nazeer Confers Degrees at 29th and 30th Annual Convocations of Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences

.                     K.V.SHARMA EDITOR 
Vijayawada : Indian News Times:2June Eminent cardiologists Dr. C. Narasimhan and Dr. P.C. Rath honoured with Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa); graduates urged to keep human compassion at the heart of medicine

Justice S. Abdul Nazeer, Hon’ble Governor of Andhra Pradesh and Chancellor of the University, presided over the combined 29th and 30th Annual Convocations of Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences as the chief guest, conferring degrees, medals and certificates upon the graduating cohorts at a ceremony held on Tuesday, 2 June 2026 at the Thummalapalli Vari Kshethrayya Kalakshethram, Hanumanpet, Vijayawada.

The historic double convocation, celebrating the graduating batches of 2023 and 2024, was attended by members of the University’s Executive Council, senior faculty, the awardees’ families and hundreds of proud graduates from the affiliated medical, dental, nursing, pharmacy and allied health science colleges across the State.

In a highlight of the proceedings, the University conferred the degree of Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) upon two of the country’s most distinguished cardiac specialists. Dr. C. Narasimhan, Director of Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology Services at AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad, received the D.Sc. for the 29th Convocation and also served as Chief Guest-cum-Orator. Dr. P.C. Rath, Director and Head of Cardiac Sciences at Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, was honoured with the D.Sc. for the 30th Convocation, in recognition of their exceptional contributions to healthcare and medical science.

Delivering the convocation address, Dr. C. Narasimhan congratulated the graduates and reflected on a profession being transformed by artificial intelligence, precision medicine, genomics and digital health. He cautioned, however, that sophisticated technology alone does not heal, reminding the young doctors that behind every diagnosis is a patient placing trust in their knowledge, judgement and compassion. He counselled the graduates to build resilience in the face of failure, to nurture genuine human connection in an age of social media, and to embrace lifelong learning, adding that patients may forget a diagnosis but will always remember kindness and dignity shown in their most vulnerable moments.

In his report, Vice-Chancellor Dr. P. Chandra Sekhar described a convocation as a solemn transition from learning to leadership and from preparation to accountability, and outlined a year of significant academic, research and administrative progress. He announced that each Government Medical College would receive an annual grant of Rs. 10 lakh for three years to conduct alumni meetings, and a further Rs. 10 lakh each to develop playgrounds and host inter-university, State and national tournaments.

To safeguard examination integrity, the University established a Central Command Control Unit in January 2026 to monitor theory examinations through CCTV across all centres. The Vice-Chancellor also announced Faculty Research Grants of Rs. 2 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh for 200 faculty members and Under-Graduate Student Research Scholarships of Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 30,000 for 1,000 students of the affiliated colleges.

Among other milestones, he cited the establishment of the Disease Modelling and Decision Intelligence Centre (DMDC) by the Government of Andhra Pradesh within the University, a 100 kWp rooftop solar power plant expected to generate nearly 1.5 lakh units of electricity annually, and a Memorandum of Understanding with QPRI India to support mental health and suicide prevention among medical students. He further noted that statues of Dr. B.C. Roy and the eminent scientist Dr. Yellapragada Subba Rao had been installed on campus, and that a University NSS volunteer had received a national award from the Hon’ble President of India. The University, he added, will celebrate its 40th year of inception on 1 November 2026.

Addressing the graduates, the Vice-Chancellor urged them to be ambassadors of excellence — to serve with humility, lead with integrity, innovate with responsibility, and never lose sight of the sacred purpose of healthcare: to alleviate suffering and improve human life.

About Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences

Established in 1986 and headquartered in Vijayawada, Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences is the apex health-sciences university of Andhra Pradesh, regulating and affiliating medical, dental, nursing, pharmacy and allied health science colleges across the State. It is the only medical university in India to participate in the South Zone and All-India Inter-University tournaments organised by the Association of Indian Universities.