President Droupadi Murmu attended the 10th Convocation of the Central University of Tamil Nadu (CUTN) in Tiruvarur district, Tamil Nadu.As Visitor of CUTN, the President personally awarded Gold Medals to 45 top-ranking students ā 34 women and 11 men. She also conferred doctoral degrees on 44 scholars (27 women and 17 men) in recognition of their research contributions.
This year, 1,010 students graduated, including 568 women and 442 men. Of these, 771 graduates received degrees in person across diploma, undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes.
Established in 2009 by an Act of Parliament, CUTN now has 28 departments under 13 schools and is NAAC A-Grade accredited. The university consistently ranks among Indiaās Top 100 institutions under NIRF and has secured major research grants, including FIST, PURSE, and PAIR from DBT, DST, ANRF, ICSSR, and ICMR. Its scholarly impact is reflected in an h-index of 84 as of August 2025.
Speaking at the event, Murmu, said, transformed the world leading to emergence of many new professions, President Droupadi Murmu said
Artifical Intelligence (AI) and Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0) will further change the work culture and those who could adapt and learn skills would become leaders of change.
In her address at the 10th Convocation of the Central University of Tamil Nadu (CUTN) after presenting gold medals and degrees to the graduands, Murmu said
The President said “in the last couple of decades, the internet revolution has transformed our world in such a way that many new professions which we had never imagined have come up.”
“Artificial Intelligence and Industrial Revolution 4.0, will further change the work culture”, she said.
“In such a dynamic environment, those who can adapt and learn new skills will become leaders of change”, she added.
Observing that CUTN’S stated mission was to build āa strong character and nurture a value-based transparent work ethicsā, the President exuded confidence that the students of this University will extend that ethical aspect from work to the rest of life.
“That will develop in them the sensitivity, which is what we need today,” she added.
Highlighting the importance of lifelong learning, Murmu said it was worth remembering that being a student is a lifelong affair.
Mahatma Gandhi, for example, remained a student all his life, learning languages like Tamil and Bangla, scriptures like the Gita, and skills like making sandals and spinning of Charkha, and so on and the list is practically endless in his case, she said.
Earlier, Murmu planted a Plumeria tree sapling at Raj Bhavan in Chennai before flying to Tiruvarur. Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi and Social Welfare Minister P. Geetha Jeevan were among those present.
After the event, the President visited the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam for special prayers. Public darshan was suspended from 1 p.m. until after her departure, in line with elaborate security arrangements in Trichy, Tiruvarur, and Srirangam.