Bhubaneswar, January 7: Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati and former Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu, graced the valedictory ceremony of the 27th Foundation Day of the Utkal University of Culture in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday. The event marked the conclusion of a series of academic and cultural programs organized by the university to commemorate its establishment.
During the ceremony, Governor Kambhampati and M. Venkaiah Naidu jointly unveiled several publications, including the university magazineRupayana, the research bookSarala Sahitya: Bhumi O Bhumika, and the research journalParampara. These publications highlight the institution's significant role in preserving and promoting Odisha's rich cultural and literary heritage.
Addressing students and faculty, Naidu emphasized the need to protect and promote India's diverse cultural traditions. He noted that institutions like Utkal University of Culture play a vital role in fostering awareness of traditional arts, literature, and indigenous knowledge systems, especially among the youth. He encouraged students to take pride in India's cultural legacy while embracing a progressive and inclusive mindset. Naidu also stressed the importance of discipline, dialogue, and democratic values within academic spaces.
The event was further dignified by the presence of Odisha's Minister of Higher Education and Culture, Suryabanshi Suraj, and eminent litterateur and Padma Bhushan awardee Pratibha Ray.
Before the ceremony, former Vice President Naidu addressed the media, expressing his views on recent slogans raised against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). He condemned such expressions of hatred, asserting that they do not benefit students. "Hatred should have no place in anyone's life. Raising slogans against the Prime Minister, the Home Minister, or the country will not serve any purpose. Those students are being misled. The Prime Minister has been elected, and he deserves respect, even if you disagree with him," he said.
On the topic of international relations, Naidu remarked, "No country should interfere in the internal affairs of another. The United States has no business meddling in the matters of another nation."
