Power outage occurs during President address at MSCB University

Baripada: President Droupadi Murmu's address at the convocation ceremony of Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University (MSCBU) in Odisha's Baripada on Saturday was marred by a power outage caused by a glitch in the power supply.

The lights in the university auditorium went out shortly after the President began his speech.  According to sources, the President delivered her speech using the dim light on the podium.

During Murmu's speech, there was light in the hall for several minutes. Despite the blackout, the President remained unconcerned. She remained calm and patient as the hall fell into darkness.

According to sources, the lights in the auditorium went out even though the air conditioners and microphone were still operational. According to them, an investigation into the cause of the incident has been ordered, and an employee of the university's electricity department has been suspended.

Prof. Santosh Tripathy, Vice Chancellor of MSCB University, expressed regret for the disruption during the convocation ceremony.

Murmu, for her part, attempted to uplift everyone in the hall by reciting a line of poetry. The President stated that Mayurbhanj is her birthplace and that Sriram Chandra Bhanj Deo University has completed 25 years and carved a unique identity in the field of higher education and research in such a short period of time.

She appreciated the University for establishing the ‘Sacred Grove’ in its campus with the aim to preserve the bedrock of tribal practices and cultural traditions. She said that the ‘Sacred Grove’ is important for the conservation of environment and local biodiversity. It is also one of the best examples of community-based management of natural resources.

The President said the world is facing huge challenges of global warming and climate change. India has set an example for the world to adopt a nature-friendly lifestyle, which is called Lifestyle for the Environment or LiFE. In our tradition, it is believed that trees, plants, mountains, rivers all have life and not only humans but also all living beings are children of nature. Therefore, it is the duty of all human beings to live in harmony with nature.

She said the Similipal National Park located in this region holds a globally important place in terms of biodiversity. She expressed confidence that the students and teachers of the university would find a way to protect biodiversity through their research and innovation.

Addressing the graduating students, the President said receiving degree does not mean that education process has been completed. Education is a continuous process. She said that after getting higher education some of them would do a job, some would do business and some would also do research but thinking of giving a job is better than thinking of doing a job. She was happy to note that the University has set up an Incubation Centre and provides assistance to students, alumni and common people in setting up start-ups.

Noting that competition is an inevitable side of life, Murmu said one has to face competition in every walk of life. She said that students should always keep trying to succeed in the competition and for that they should keep acquiring higher skills and move towards greater efficiency. They can turn the impossible into possible with their will-power.

The President said competition is a natural side of life, but cooperation is the beautiful side of life. She told students that while moving forward in life, when they would look back, they would find that some people of the society are not very capable of competing with them.

She advised students to hold the hands of deprived ones and bring them forward. She said that a healthy society can be built through generosity and cooperation. She urged students to think not only of their own happiness and interest but also about the welfare of the society and country.

The President was on a three-day visit to her home district Mayurbhanj since May 4 for several programmes. On first day of her visit, she attended an event at Brahma Kumaris Centre, Hatbadra, Satapautia, where she launched ‘Addition Free Odisha’ campaign. On Friday, she went to her Rairangpur residence and spent about 20 minutes in the holiday home. Thereafter, she visited Pandit Raghunath Murmu’s village Dandbosh and later to the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) and spent the night at Baripada.