Hyderabad, Oct 27 : Telangana Governor Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan on Tuesday exhorted the students and scholars to focus on innovation.

‘Innovation is the key for the country’s transformation and all-round progress. We must give top priority to promote innovation at all levels to realize the goal of Self-Reliant India’, Dr. Soundararajan, who is also the Chancellor of the State Universities, said while delivering address at the 81st Convocation of the Osmania University (OU) here.

Motivating the students to be ready to face challenges, the Governor stated that facing challenges will help them get stronger.

Citing an example, she said that “a caterpillar when it metamorphoses into a butterfly, it repeatedly knocks on the cocoon to break it and come out of it. By facing the challenges it gets its wings as strong.

Similarly, you all (the students) do not shy away from facing tough challenges and emerge as the tough one,” she added.

Terming Osmania University as a historic 100-year-old institution, Dr Soundararajan told the students and alumni to take pride in their association with the university and contribute back for its development.

The Governor motivated the students not to get depressed and disturbed with small problems.

“One must have big dreams. As Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam pointed out that the dreams are not those that you get in your sleep, instead they (big dreams) should make you sleepless,” she added.

She inspired the students and scholars, who are getting their degrees and gold medals awarded, to consider life as a white paper and write history through their efforts for excellence and stand as good human beings.

As many as 106 gold medals were presented at the 81st convocation ceremony of the University, which is being conducted after a gap of two years.

Of the total gold medals awarded for the academic years, 2018-19 and 2019-20, 80 meritorious students received gold medals in PG, MPhil and PhD courses in-person during the convocation.

Deference Research and Development Organization (DRDO) Chairman Dr G.Satheesh Reddy delivered the Convocation address.

OU Vice-chancellor Prof. D. Ravinder and a host of officials and senior academics were present at the convocation ceremony.(UNI)