<span style="color: #222222;">Vice president M Venkaiah Naidu has urged the youth to think critically and be proactive to challenges. Addressing the 13th convocation of the ICFAI University, Sikkim virtually, Mr Naidu said that lessons should be taken from the COVID-19 pandemic, which caught the world off guard and brought together experts from all domains. He told fresh graduates that the pandemic is the first major adverse event for them and they should look at it as an opportunity and not a challenge.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">He said this is the right time to capitalize on the opportunities as job creators in India and urged fresh graduates to build upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi's idea of Atmanirbhar Bharat.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Vice President added that the National Education Policy 2020 aims to make India vishwaguru through its integrated, multidisciplinary and research-based approach. He also stressed on the importance of value-based education and urged the youth to put national interest above everything else. He highlighted elimination of poverty, achieving 100 per cent literacy, removing discrimination and the urban rural divide, and ensuring women empowerment as the challenges that still exist for the country since independence.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Sikkim governor Ganga Prasad, Chief Minister PS Tamang and state education minister KN Lepcha were also present at the convocation ceremony of ICFAI University, Sikkim. Mr Prasad said that following the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Aatmanirbhar Bharat, the graduates should focus on promoting vocal for local to reduce dependence on other countries.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">He said that India was facing shortage of PPE kits, masks and sanitizer in the initial stage of the COVID19 pandemic, but now exports to these items.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Mr Tamang requested graduating students to recognise their parents and others who have contributed to their education. A total of 846 students of the 2019 batch were awarded degrees virtually at the ceremony.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Founder of Art of Living Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Founder of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology and Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences Professor Achyuta Samanta were awarded Honoris Causa virtually.The programme was conducted following COVID19 guidelines.</span><br />''  <br />