President Droupadi Murmu presented medals and degrees to meritorious students at the 26th convocation ceremony of Himachal Pradesh University on the second day of her visit to Shimla today. In her address on the occasion, the President expressed confidence that under the guidance of the alumni and teachers of the university, all the students would set new records of success and make the state and country proud. She advised the university to promote research and innovation keeping in mind the needs of the local community and the ecological challenges it faces.<br />'' <br />''The President further said that out of one lakh students studying in the university, 70 percent are girls and 70 of the gold medalists at today's ceremony are also girls. She added that she feels proud to see this talent of daughters in the field of education. The President called upon all the students to contribute to the development of the country by moving forward in their chosen fields by linking their individual activities with national goals. On this occasion Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and Education Minister Rohit Thakur and other dignitaries were also present.<br />''<br />''<span style="color: #222222;">Earlier in the day, the President participated in an interaction programme with the trainee officers of the Indian Audit and Accounts Service, organized by the National Academy of Audit and Accounts, Shimla. <br />''<br />''She said that the role of this apex institution is not limited to oversight but also to provide necessary support in policy making. The President exhorted the officers to work with full dedication and commitment in nation-building while upholding the ideals of the Constitution.</span>