Gujarat Vidyapith will hold its 71st convocation on Saturday, celebrating students ranging from their twenties to seventies who have blended academic excellence with Gandhian values.
This year, 713 students will receive degrees, with 459 attending the ceremony in person. Nine students with exceptional performance will be awarded gold medals.
Gandhian change-maker
Vanshita Amin, 23, an MBA graduate in Rural Management, will receive a gold medal from President Droupadi Murmu. She has modernised the sutar ni anti (cotton wristband) through her project Khadi Sutra, engaging hundreds of students in spinning, decorating, and dyeing the bands to promote Gandhian values.
Reviving traditional sports
Fenil Prajapati, a Master of Physical Education student and gold medallist, has helped revive traditional games like satodiyu and gilli-danda at an NSS camp in Delhi. “When youth are glued to online games, it’s vital to introduce them to street games,” he said, adding that he received an appreciation letter from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
Age is no barrier
Senior students like Hasmukh Patel, 62, earning a PG Diploma in Yoga, and Somwat Chiddi Singh, 68, completing his Master’s in Yogic Art and Science, demonstrate lifelong learning. Hasmukhbhai now holds three degrees from Vidyapith, while Singh, who began learning yoga in 2015, pursued it scientifically after finishing a short course.
This convocation highlights both youthful innovation and the enduring spirit of learning among elders.