Varanasi, Oct. 17 -- Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman Dr V Narayanan on Thursday exhorted students to embrace continuous learning, creativity, self-confidence, teamwork and leadership while remaining committed to giving back to the society. He was addressing the 14th convocation ceremony of the Indian Institute of Technology- Banaras Hindu University (IIT-BHU) at Swatantrata Bhawan, BHU. Calling IIT-BHU a "temple of knowledge," Dr Narayanan praised its century-old legacy and global impact through its alumni. He reflected on India's post-independence progress in economic development, literacy, agriculture, and infrastructure, and encouraged graduates to contribute to the nation's goal of becoming a developed country by 2047. Highlighting India's achievements in space, Dr Narayanan traced ISRO's journey from the first rocket launch in 1963 to landmark missions like Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan, the development of cryogenic engines, and the deployment of over 133 satellites. He emphasized how space applications have transformed lives through telecommunication, telemedicine, disaster warning, and weather forecasting. Looking ahead, he outlined ISRO's ambitious plans including Chandrayaan-4 and -5, a national space station by 2035, and the Gaganyaan-3 human spaceflight mission. He encouraged graduates to contribute to India's expanding space ecosystem, stressing that their innovation and skills are vital to national growth. Concluding his address, Dr Narayanan underscored the importance of character, gratitude, and social responsibility, wishing IIT-BHU continued success in nurturing future leaders. A total of 1,995 students from diverse academic programmes received their degrees, including 1,090 B.Tech, 363 IDD, 282 M.Tech/M.Pharm, 48 M.Sc., 16 B.Arch., and 196 Ph.D. scholars. Among them, 62 meritorious students were honoured with 123 medals and awards for academic excellence. Dr Narayanan congratulated the graduates and awardees, acknowledging the pivotal role played by parents, teachers, and institute staff in their success. Earlier, the ceremony began with floral tributes to BHU founder Mahamana Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya. Prof Amit Patra, director of IIT-BHU, declared the convocation open and presented the institute's annual report. Medals and awards were conferred by Dr Narayanan, Prof Patra and registrar Sumit Kumar Biswas, with the distribution ceremony conducted by Prof Devendra Singh, dean (Academic Affairs). Ananya Singh from the department of chemical engineering received the President's Gold Medal, along with 13 gold medals, one silver medal, and three awards, said IIT-BHU publicity cell office bearer Utkarsh Srivastava. Aditya Kulkarni (Mathematical Sciences) and Suyash Vijay (Civil Engineering) were awarded the Director's Gold Medal for undergraduate excellence. Those present at the event included Prof NK Mukhopadhyay, Prof Rajesh Kumar, Prof Rajesh Kumar, Prof Hiralal Pramanik, Prof Anurag Ohri, Prof Abha Mishra, Prof Pradeep Paik, Prof Chandana Rath, Prof Rakesh Kumar Singh, heads of departments, faculty members, officers, students, and their proud parents....