category Regional, shimla , , tags Regional, shimla , , DW BUREAU Shimla Himachal Pradesh University should focus on research and innovation to address the ecological challenges in the region due to climate change, said President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday. Speaking at the 26th convocation of the university here, she said the climate of Himachal Pradesh attracts people from across the world as this region of the Himalayas is rich in flora and fauna. The HPU should promote research keeping in mind the needs of the local community and the ecological challenges of the region and contribute in eco-friendly development, she said. She said it is the fundamental duty of every citizen to develop a scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform. She told the graduating students that as they enter a new phase of life, they should connect their individual goals with the national goals and contribute to the country s development by marching forward in their chosen fields. The alumni of this university have left their mark in various fields including arts, medical, judiciary, sports, social service, politics and administration, she said. The president said the youth of this country are making a mark across the world with their talent and many have established successful start-ups. She said innovation is the main element of these start-ups and expressed happiness that HPU is encouraging entrepreneurship by setting up incubation centres. She also exhorted farmers to shift to natural farming and said the HPU should become instrumental by providing state-of-the-art technology to farmers. I am happy to see the women participation and progress as 70 per cent of the students in higher education in Himachal are girls and the same was reflected in the number of students who were awarded gold medals today, she added. Earlier, addressing the trainee officers of 2021 and 2022 batches at the National Academy of Audit and Accounts (NAAA), the president stressed the need for clarity and conviction in communication of audit recommendations. She said the audit officers must ensure the highest levels of integrity and knowledge and the primary objective of audit should be to improve the processes and policies rather than a fault-finding exercise. Therefore, it is essential to communicate the audit recommendations with clarity and conviction which will help reform and refine the public services and their delivery for the maximum benefit of the citizens, she said. Referring to the digitisation of the audit process, the president said the recent launch of the One Indian Audit and Accounts Department One System is a praiseworthy initiative that can be used widely for ensuring transparency and compliance but technology cannot and should not replace the need for human intervention. As many as 99 students 59 females and 40 males were given PhD degrees and 111 gold medals were presented to 34 males and 77 females at the HPU convocation. The 10 gold medallists awarded by the president were Priya (M.Com), Akshay Sharma (BDS), Bharat Singh (B.Tech Computer science), Divya (MA Sanskrit), Ekta Arya (M.Phil Bio-tech), Rupali Bhan (MBBS overall topper) and Shivam (topper of medicine and paediatrics), Swati Gautam (B.ED), Meghna (BAMS) and Shrutkriti (BHMS). Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla expressed concern over the illegal trade of drugs in Himachal Pradesh and said there s a need to launch a movement against this menace. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said he has spent eight years of his life in HPU. He said the state government is committed to successfully implement the National Education Policy 2020 and HPU would play a significant role in this. He also said that BJP president JP Nadda is a product of this university. (editor dailyworld.in)