Students of the 2023 batch of Institution of Agricultural Sciences (IAS), faculty of agricultural sciences of Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be University (SOA), who completed their B.Sc. (Agriculture) and M.Sc. (Agriculture) courses were presented degrees on Wednesday.

The students received their certificates from the SOA Vice-Chancellor Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda at a solemn graduation ceremony held in the institute.

Congratulating the students on their academic success, Prof. Nanda said the onus of providing food to the people in a populous country like India was on their shoulders. “The certificate you have in your hand is your gateway to serve the world,” he said.

Describing the successful students as the brand ambassadors of SOA, the Vice-Chancellor said whatever they did would reflect on the university which ranked 15th in the country in a field of more than 1100 universities in the 2023 National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) ranking.

Prof. Santosh Kumar Rout, Dean of IAS, said the institute had taken great strides to emerge as one of the front ranking agricultural institutions equipped with modern labs, equipment, smart class rooms and 142 faculty members including 44 senior professors.

“You are being imparted with 21st century agricultural education, research, management and technology transfer. The institute had signed seven MoUs for collaboration with national institutions,” he said.

Prof. B.K. Mishra, Head of Department of Entomology, also addressed the program.

SOA Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof. Sitikantha Mishra, Controller of Examination Prof. Manjula Das, Dean (Students’ Welfare) Prof. Jyoti Ranjan Das, members of the Academic Council and faculty members were present.