###Swami Govind Dev Giri Awarded Honorary D.Litt. Degree

- "I accept this D.Litt. degree as a blessing from Lord Ekling Ji and Shrinath Ji," said Swami Govind Dev Giri.

- "The union of the individual, society, saints, and God is true religion," emphasized Swami Govind Dev Giri.

- "The British imposed their first dark law by shutting down Gurukuls," remarked Swami Govind Dev Giri.

- The convocation ceremony symbolizes years of hard work, dedication, and perseverance by the graduates: Prof. Sarangdevot.

- Education is not limited to knowledge but is also embedded in the values and ethics one adopts: Prof. Sarangdevot.

**India: The Originator of the Convocation System - Dr. Om Prakash Pandey**

**Udaipur, : Swami Govind Dev Giri was honored with the honorary D.Litt. degree for his remarkable contributions in the field of spirituality and ancient Indian knowledge at the 19th Special Convocation Ceremony of Janardan Rai Nagar Rajasthan Vidyapeeth (Deemed-to-be-University) on Tuesday. The ceremony was held at the IT Auditorium in Pratapnagar. The distinguished guest for the event was Dr. O.P. Pandey, former scientific advisor to the Prime Minister, and the Chancellor Bhanwar Lal Gurjar. The ceremony was presided over by Chancellor Prof. Balwant Rai Jani. Vice-Chancellor Colonel Prof. S.S. Sarangdevot welcomed the guests, and Registrar Tarun Shrimali conducted the proceedings. Before the ceremony, the guests paid floral tributes to the statue of Manishi Pandit Janardan Rai Nagar, followed by an academic procession attended by deans, directors, and other dignitaries.

In his acceptance speech after being conferred with the honorary D.Litt. degree, Swami Govind Dev Giri said that he accepted the degree as a blessing from Lord Ekling Ji and Shrinath Ji. He highlighted the significance of Indian scriptures, stating that during his visits to foreign libraries, he discovered that many new ideas in various fields are already embedded in ancient texts like the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and other scriptures. He emphasized that those studying management should not miss reading the Mahabharata, as their knowledge would be incomplete without it. Concepts like self-help and self-development are discussed in Yoga Vasistha, and the depth of relationships as portrayed in the Ramayana is unparalleled. Overall, all knowledge originates from the Vedas, and hence, it is imperative to move towards the Vedas.

Swami Govind Dev Giri mentioned that 38 Vedic universities are being run under his guidance from Jammu to Manipur, and over 10.5 lakh people across 142 countries are learning the Bhagavad Gita through an online application called Learn Gita. He pointed out that due to colonial rule, Indians forgot their knowledge and were pulled down from higher positions to lower ones. The British introduced education that made Indians forget their values, with the first dark law being the closure of Gurukuls. However, he expressed hope that India would awaken again and regain its higher position. He also stated that the Sanskrit language cannot be translated into English, citing the example that there is no English word for 'Pind' as used in 'Pinddaan.' Religion, he explained, is the harmony between the individual, society, saints, and God.

Earlier, Vice-Chancellor Prof. S.S. Sarangdevot, while delivering the welcome and convocation address, told the degree recipients that education is not confined to the knowledge they have acquired but is also reflected in the values and ethics they have adopted. He urged them to tackle their challenges independently, earn for themselves and their families, be useful to society, take on the responsibility of contributing to the nation's progress, and not let humanity's strength weaken. Quoting from the Taittiriya Upanishad, he reminded the graduates to speak the truth, follow their duty, never neglect self-study and reflection, remain loyal to their teachers, and strengthen their family lineage after entering household life post-convocation.

Dr. O.P. Pandey, the distinguished guest and former scientific advisor to the Prime Minister, said that the guru is like fire, and the disciple is like paper; when fire touches paper, the paper no longer remains but becomes fire itself. This is the relationship between a guru and a disciple. He explained that India is the originator of the convocation system, which is now followed worldwide. He further elaborated on the distinction between Aparavidya and Paravidya, stating that education is the knowledge that can be acquired, while Diksha (initiation) is bestowed by the guru to open the path to self-realization and Brahm Gyan (knowledge of the Supreme).

Chancellor Prof. Balwant Rai Jani remarked that the presence of saints like Swami Govind Dev Giri would have pleased the founder of Vidyapeeth, Janardan Rai Nagar. He stressed that the teaching of the Indian knowledge tradition should begin with Vedic studies. Vidyapeeth is automatically chosen for good works because of its leadership in research and social work.

During the ceremony, Ph.D. degrees were awarded to Deeksha Rathore, Prabha Raman Singh Rathore, Revati Raman Singh Rathore, Hinglaj Dan Charan, Neetu Prasad, Bharat Kalal, Tara Menaria, Raja Ram Gurjar, Jhala Mihirdev Pradhuman Singh, Joycey Senlin, and Neelima Sharma. The program was hosted by Dr. Hina Khan. The event was attended by dignitaries including Dr. Kaushal Nagda, Prof. G.M. Mehta, Dr. Paras Jain, Dr. Yuvraj Singh Rathore, Dr. Hemendra Chaudhary, Dr. Bhavani Pal Singh Rathore, Prof. Neeraj Sharma, Kishan Dadhich, Prof. Malay Paneri, Prof. Saroj Garg, Dr. Kala Munet, Dr. Avnish Nagar, Dr. Amiya Goswami, Dr. Shailendra Mehta, Prof. Manju Mandot, Dr. Lala Ram Jat, Dr. Dilip Singh Chauhan, Subhash Bohra, Dr. Dharmendra Rajoura, Dr. S.B. Nagar, Dr. Sapna Shrimali, Dr. Balidan Jain, Dr. Rachna Rathore, Dr. Sunita Murdia, Dr. Ami Rathore, as well as deans, directors, faculty members, and students.