Vellore :

Holistic education is more about character and nation building and not mere degrees and marks, observed Dr Kalyani Mathivanan, vice chancellor of Madurai Kamaraj University.

Addressing the twentieth annual meet of the Vellore Institute of Technology Alumni association (VITAA) at the university campus here on Monday, she said that every educated person should develop a sense of commitment to uplift society.

“Each one of us should volunteer to do our bit for the development of society,” she added.

In his presidential address, VIT chancellor G Viswanathan said, “Many of the universities in the US are actively supported by the alumni associations and companies floated by them,” he pointed out at the alumni meet.

Archarya Ajit, founder chairman of ‘India on the Move’ who was the guest of honour, in his address noted that no success could be achieved without commitment and determination.  VIT vice president G V Selvam called upon the members of the VITAA to “go back to society and help them with knowledge”.

Nine of the alumni received distinguished achievement awards while the VITAA donated `2.2 lakh as scholarship grant to students of the university.

One of the awardees at the meet was K M Muniappan, (1989 batch) who had gone back after his education to his village, Kadachanallur in Nammakkal district and had turned it into an ideal village.  He is the panchayat president of the village for the last 20 years

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by V. Narayana Murthi /January 27th, 2015