Dr. Amrik Singh
The 9th Convocation of Central University of Himachal Pradesh, held on March 14, 2026, in Dharamshala, was not merely an academic event it was the confluence of three profound narratives. The story of a university that refuses to be defined by its limitations and marches steadily toward national excellence. The story of a state whose identity is woven equally from the threads of devotion and valour Devbhoomi and Veerbhoomi. And the story of a generation of young Indians standing at the threshold of a nation moving with genuine momentum toward its greatest ambition: Viksit Bharat 2047.
When India’s Vice President Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan arrived as the Chief Guest on his first official visit to Himachal Pradesh since assuming office on September 12, 2025 all three narratives converged into a single, powerful message: Nation First.The Arrival: Dignity, Warmth, and the Spirit of Devbhoomi, Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan landed at Kangra Airport to a reception that reflected both the constitutional gravitas of his office and the celebrated warmth of Himachal Pradesh’s people. Governor Kavinder Gupta, Agriculture Minister Chandra Kumar, and a gathering of senior dignitaries welcomed him with full formal protocol — a Guard of Honour that signalled not merely the arrival of a distinguished visitor, but the living bond between the state and the nation’s highest institutions.
Himachal Pradesh does not simply offer hospitality it embodies it. The state’s cultural identity carries something rare: it is simultaneously Devbhoomi the Land of Gods and Veerbhoomi the Land of Warriors. Kangra alone carries centuries of spiritual significance, and the hills surrounding it hold the memory of generations of soldiers whose devotion to national service is inseparable from this region’s identity. After proceeding from the Convocation at Central University of Himachal Pradesh in Dharamshala, Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan visited the Chamunda Nandikeshwar Temple in Chamunda jee Kangra and offered prayers for the wellbeing, peace, and prosperity of all. This was no formality. It was a recognition that in Himachal Pradesh, the spiritual and the civic are not separate domains they are two expressions of the same deep reverence for the land and the people who live upon it.
The War Memorial: Soldiers Are Not a Footnote They Are the Foundation, Before the academic celebrations of the convocation, Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan laid a wreath at the State War Memorial in Dharamshala. This was perhaps the most significant moment of the entire visit and the one most deserving of careful attention. Himachal Pradesh’s hills and valleys have sent generation after generation of young men and women into the Indian Armed Forces, and those soldiers have carried the nation’s honour on every battlefield, every border, and every emergency that independent India has faced. The state’s contribution to the Indian Armed Forces is not merely historical pride it is a continuously renewed commitment, reaffirmed in every family that watches a son or daughter put on uniform and step toward the nation’s most demanding responsibilities.
Vice President Radhakrishnan’s words at the memorial were precise and true: the courage and sacrifice of India’s soldiers are permanently inscribed in the nation’s consciousness, and they continue to inspire coming generations to uphold the highest values of service. This is a truth that cannot be stated too often. The freedom in which 509 young graduates walked across a stage to receive their degrees, the stability in which intellectual curiosity flourishes, the peace in which universities function all of it rests on the foundation laid by those who chose the harder path. Honouring that foundation at the beginning of an academic day of celebration was an act of institutional wisdom, not mere formality. Central University of Himachal Pradesh: Building Excellence without Excuses, under the leadership of Vice Chancellor Professor Sat Parkash Bansal, at its 9th Convocation carrying something that many older and better-resourced institutions struggle to demonstrate: a clear trajectory of advancement rooted in academic seriousness rather than administrative convenience. Became the first university in Himachal Pradesh to receive an A+ Grade from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) an achievement that speaks directly to the quality of its academic environment, research culture, and institutional governance.
But that grade, significant as it is, does not tell the complete story. Consider also the institutional stature that CUHP has built through its convocations alone. Of the four convocations held during Professor Bansal’s tenure, three have been graced by India’s highest constitutional dignitaries two Presidents of India and one Vice President. This is not coincidence. Institutions attract national attention when they earn it through their outcomes. CUHP has earned this attention through rigorous scholarship, a developing research environment, and the successful hosting of six national-level sports competitions that brought young people from across India to the hills of Himachal Pradesh. At this year’s convocation, 509 students received their degrees. A particularly significant feature of the day was that women dominated the medal list a fact that reflects both the university’s commitment to merit-based recognition and the accelerating advancement of women across India’s academic and professional landscape. When women lead in academic honours, it signals that a university’s meritocracy is functioning exactly as intended, and that its environment actively supports women’s aspirations and achievements.
One of the most important statements made during the convocation was simple but profound: “Institutions are not built by grand buildings. They are built by the hard work and dedication of their students and faculty.” At a time when infrastructure spending is frequently mistaken for genuine institutional investment when the size of a campus is taken as a proxy for the quality of education this statement cuts directly to the truth. CUHP chose to invest in intellectual quality over structural grandeur, despite resource constraints. The results speak clearly. Nation First Is Not a Slogan It Is a Strategy, Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan’s address to the graduating students was built on one clear and compelling message: make Nation First the organising principle of every professional decision, every ambition, and every civic duty from this day forward. This was not a ceremonial declaration. The Vice President grounded the graduates in the significance of their historical moment. India has become the world’s fourth largest economy not by inheritance, but through sustained and purposeful development across multiple sectors. The Amrit Kaal the 25-year period between India’s 75th and 100th anniversaries of independence presents a singular opportunity in Indian history. The question is not whether India will progress. The question is whether India’s young people will lead that progress, or merely observe it.
The Vice President urged graduates to place themselves at the centre of this transformation to contribute actively to national development through innovation, interdisciplinary thinking, and the pursuit of excellence in their respective fields. He called upon universities to invest in faculty development, institutional collaboration, and a strong research culture so that graduates are prepared to meet challenges of global scale. He also delivered a direct message: the Central University of Himachal Pradesh must remain a drug-free campus. This was not merely a health appeal it was an acknowledgement that substance dependency poses a serious threat to India’s youth potential. Universities that take this responsibility seriously protect not only their own reputation but the futures of the students in their care.
The vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 was a steady presence throughout the proceedings of the day. The 509 graduates who received their degrees on March 14, 2026 will be at the peak of their professional lives in 2047. They will not be spectators they will be among the primary architects of that transformation. The combined presence at the convocation of the Vice President, Governor Kavinder Gupta, and Ex Cabinet Minister Government of India MP Anurag Singh Thakur, Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, MP Dr. Rajeev Bhardwaj, former Cabinet Minister Sudhir Sharma, and other distinguished guests delivered one unmistakable message: Himachal Pradesh is a strategic partner in India’s national development journey.
The 9th Convocation demonstrated that the idea of Nation First does not live in policy documents it lives in individual decisions. In a teacher’s choice to teach with dedication. In a student’s resolve to achieve excellence. In a university’s courage to compete at the national level. The 509 graduates who walked across the stage in Dharamshala carry with them the hopes of their families, the guidance of their teachers, and the aspirations of a nation determined to realise its full potential. Their journey is now inseparable from India’s larger journey toward Viksit Bharat 2047, a future that will be shaped by knowledge, innovation, and the unshakeable resolve of its young citizens.The Central University of Himachal Pradesh’s 9th Convocation honoured that spirit with dignity, with purpose, and with the quiet confidence of an institution that knows exactly where it is going.
