Few occasions capture the spirit of a university as vividly as this one. On August 7, 2025, three Padma Shri awardees, mentors to the University, stood together on stage as a testament to scholarship, innovation, and artistry. Their journeys, distinct yet united by a commitment to creating impact, were celebrated in an afternoon filled with pride, reflection, and inspiration.
The felicitation took place at the Preksha Auditorium and was presided over by Prof. P. Balaram (Former Director, IISc Bengaluru and Chairman, International Advisory Council, Chanakya University). In his keynote, he reminded the audience that modern human civilisation is only a minute fragment of Earth’s long history and stressed that sustainability must become the guiding principle of science and society.
Dr. M. D. Srinivas (Chairman, Centre for Policy Studies, Chennai) was recognised for his research on the history of Indian science and mathematics. He urged academia to revisit India’s civilisational knowledge systems with rigour, grounding history not in narratives alone but in verifiable facts. He also commended Chanakya University’s Indian Knowledge Systems team for advancing this mission.
Shri Prashanth Prakash (Founding Partner, Accel India and Chair, Karnataka’s Vision Group on Startups) was honoured for his leadership in trade, technology, and entrepreneurship. In his remarks, he spoke of advanced manufacturing as India’s next frontier of development, emphasising that the nation must innovate rather than replicate growth models from elsewhere.
Shri Ricky Kej (Grammy Award-winning composer, environmentalist, and Member, International Advisory Council, Chanakya University) was celebrated for his global contributions to music and sustainability advocacy. He shared his vision of using every public platform to promote environmental awareness and described Chanakya University as his second home, recalling the warmth and affection he has experienced here.
Pro-Chancellor Sri M. P. Kumar highlighted that this was the second consecutive year Padma awardees associated with Chanakya University have been felicitated, following the recognition of Dr. M. K. Sridhar and Shri Sitaram Jindal in 2024. He observed that although the three honourees represent vastly different fields, they are bound by a shared commitment to meaningful social impact.
The event concluded with a media interaction featuring the awardees and Vice-Chancellor Prof. Yashavantha Dongre, offering journalists and attendees a chance to engage more deeply with the honourees’ ideas and reflections.
