SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey (SNDT) Women’s University, celebrates its 61st Annual Convocation on 7th Dec 2011 at 11.30 am at the Sir Sitaram and Lady Shantabai Patkar Deekshant Sabhagriha, 1 Nathibai Thackersey Road, Mumbai 400020.
Since its inception in 1916, SNDT Women’s University, has been a center of quality education for women. Established to promote the concept that ‘the educated woman is a source of infinite strength’ the University is home to 4,500 faculty members and more than 75,000 students spread across 6 states.
At the 61st convocation, the University awarded 23295 meritorious students with Degrees and Diplomas from its 102 programmes. This includes 10 new degrees that will be awarded for the first time this year.
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Honorary D. Litt. Awardee Prof. Vijaya Mulay Educationist, Educational Film Maker & Social Activist, New Delhi |
Prof Vijaya Mulay was conferred with the Degree of Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) in this convocation. Prof Mulay retired from NCERT in 1981 and has noted work to her credit in the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Ministry of Education. At the age of 90 she published From Rajas and Yogis to Gandhi and Beyond: Images of India in International films of the 20th Century a book covering about 900 international films between 1901 and 2000. She has been awarded the Swarna Kamal National Award for best writing on cinema. Prof Mulay shared her personal experience of how her mother was stopped from reading by her father-in-law in those days. Prof Mulay in her address emphasized the fact that SNDT is unique in more than one ways. Apart from the dreamer like Bharat Ratan Maharashi Kurve who thought of women’s education at a time no one thought of, it has contributions by people like Parvatibai. She shared her conversation with Durga Khoteji about how Parvatibai saved on transport and walked in heat to collect funds for Kurve’s dream institution. Prof Mulay stressed on the fact that institutions are built by contributions by many widows like Parvatibai and others.
The Chief Guest for the 61st convocation was Prof Asha Kanwar, Vice President, Commonwealth of Learning, Vancouver, Canada. Professor Kanwar has earlier worked with UNESCO’s Regional office for Education in Africa (BREDA) in Dakar, Senegal. She has also served as the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Indira Gandhi National Open University. She has received the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) prize of Excellence in 2009. Prof Kanwar shared with the graduating students that her mother was stopped from studies after fourth class in Himachal Pradesh. She expressed that only women’s institutions are important and institutions like SNDT very well ahead of their times. Citing various sources emphasising need and importance of women’s leadership and contribution, Prof Kanwal reinstated that women’s empowerment is need and reality of life. Advising new generation of women, she shared that ambition is not a bad word any more and we are in a decade of learn-unlearn and relearn. Sharing three pillars of lifelong learning, ambition and hard work, Prof Kanwal noted that people who succeeded are the people who practice.SNDT in its 61st convocation awarded 29 PhD, 39 MPhil, 3229 Masters and 268 PG Diplomas apart from 19141 Bachelors and 582 undergraduate diplomas besides 7 certificates. With total of 75,564 students in the academic year 2010-11, the university comprises of 40 University Departments, 11 conducted colleges, five centres/institutions, 223 affiliated colleges and an autonomous college. There are six institutions recognised by SNDT for PhD degree.
