Punjab Engineering College (Deemed to be University), the first academic institution to come up in the capital city of Chandigarh in 1953, celebrated 52nd Convocation and Closing Ceremony of Centenary Year with the President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu as the Chief Guest of the event. The event was graced by the presence of the Governor of Punjab, Shri Banwarilal Purohit, the Governor of Haryana- Shri Bandaru Dattatreya, Advisor to the UT Administrator- Sh. Dharam Pal, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India Dr. Ajay Kumar Sood, as the Guest of Honor. The aura was filled with purity, peace and blessings as the students graduated with flying colors and with the closing of Centenary Year, PEC legacy continues to make an impact in India and Globally. The event started with the lighting of a ceremonial lamp and Saraswati Vandana.
The President in her Convocation Address said that PEC, which was founded in Lahore in 1921, has become a Premier Research Centre and has aided in the advancement of technology worldwide. It is a leading institution in the nation and a forerunner of technical education in this area. She was pleased to note that PEC has given the nation many luminaries in the fields of technology, industry, civil services, education, and research, including Dr Satish Kumar, a specialist in strategic systems and missile technology, and Prof. Satish Dhawan, a former chairman of ISRO and pioneer of experimental fluid dynamics research in India. She was pleased to learn that PEC has established the Kalpana Chawla Chair in Geospatial Technology and also encouraged the technical training institutes to boost the number of female students.
Addressing the graduating students, the President said that as they are entering in a world of unlimited opportunities and possibilities, she has no doubt that they are capable of converting opportunities into success and possibilities into certainties. She advised them to never forget their duties towards the motherland, whatever they choose to become in their life. She said that they are the builders of India of tomorrow. It is expected from them that they will use the knowledge acquired in this prestigious institution in the service of humanity too. She urged them to keep Mahatma Gandhi's message of ‘Sarvodaya’ in their individual priorities. She said that it is the moral duty of every citizen, especially the youth, to put into practice the values of the ‘Father of the Nation’.
The President distributed Gold Medals to the students and also conferred Honoris Causa to Dr. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India and Shri Dharam Pal, IAS, Advisor to the Administrator, UT, Chandigarh. A Convocation Souvenir was released by the Governor of Punjab, Shri Banwarilal Purohit, and was presented to the President, Smt. Droupadi Murmu which was followed by a documentary film on PEC.
The Director of Punjab Engineering College, Dr. Baldev Setia in his address mentioned that the 52nd Convocation falls during the Centenary Year and is special for all reasons more than one. First and foremost, it is the first time in the glorious history of the Institute when the Honorable President of India is the Chief Guest of the Convocation and secondly for the first time the Senate has recommended two degrees (Honoris Causa) to two highly meritorious and illustrious personalities. It is a convocation when a record number of 873 degrees, highest ever so far, are being conferred and it’s a Convocation that is being held in a new-look attire. The Director also focused on the regional diversity in PEC and that the institute admits students from abroad as well. He motivated students to pursue their passions as truly now is the time when the sky's the limit.
The event concluded with the Indian National Anthem. It is a genuine moment of great pride and glory, for the students, their parents and faculties of the Institute.
669 B.Tech degrees were to be awarded to the students of various branches of engineering. 168 M.Tech Degrees to be awarded to the PG students. 34 PhD degrees to be awarded in the Convocation 2022. Out of 871 total degrees, 678 students were present at the Convocation.
