Sabour: Bihar Agricultural University (BAU), Sabour, hosted its eighth convocation ceremony on Saturday, celebrating the academic achievements of 797 graduating students. The event was marked by the presence of Bihar Governor and Chancellor Arif Mohammad Khan, who served as the chief guest, alongside Deputy Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, and Rural Development Minister Shrawon Kumar.
The convocation began with the national anthem, Jalaparna, and the university anthem. Registrar Dr Mijanul Haque formally invited Vice-Chancellor Dr D R Singh to commence the proceedings. In his convocation address, Governor Khan emphasised the need to nurture compassion and cultural values alongside academic excellence.
Degrees were conferred on 633 undergraduate, 134 postgraduate and 30 PhD students. Eight students received gold medals, including Anamika Bhagat, Anshu Patel, Prachi Kumari, Kunal Gautam, Avantika Anand, Saloni Kumari, Dr Manish Raj and Dr Avnish Kumar. Best Thesis Awards went to Dr Shivam Kumar and Dr Avnish Kumar.
Among the faculty, Dr Meera Kumari and Dr Anand Kumar were recognised as Best Teachers, while Dr Wasim Siddiqui was honoured as Best Scientist. The Best Artist Award was conferred on Ram Lalit Das. Several members of the university’s Media Centre, including Dr Rajesh Kumar and team, were acknowledged for excellence in using ICT for agricultural outreach. Ishwar Chandra and Sangeeta Kumari, associated with the university’s community radio initiatives, were also felicitated for their Wave Award win in Mumbai.
In his address, Deputy Chief Minister Sinha commended the university’s contributions to agriculture and farmer welfare, while Rural Development Minister Kumar praised its efforts in promoting natural farming. Vice-Chancellor Singh presented an overview of BAU’s advancements in research, extension and education.
Special guests at the ceremony included Prof Vivekanand Singh, Vice-Chancellor of Purnea University, and Robert Chongthu, Secretary to the Governor.
As part of the day’s events, Governor Khan inaugurated Sindoor Park on campus by planting a Sindoor sapling, joined by other dignitaries. He also inaugurated the newly established CAIR AI Lab, developed in collaboration with CDAC, aimed at harnessing artificial intelligence to enhance agricultural outreach and services for farmers.
