Bhubaneswar: Glowing tributes were paid to one of the architects of Indian Constitution BR Ambedkar on his birth anniversary at Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA), here on Thursday.
Speaking at a function organised by the NSS wing on the occasion, Prof Ashok Kumar Mahapatra, vice-chancellor of SOA University, said though Ambedkar came from a family of untouchables, he battled heavy odds to emerge as the true face of India. Describing the Indian Constitution as the best anywhere in the world, he said it encompasses law, justice, equality and honesty.
Prof Damodar Acharya, Chairman of the SOA Advisory Board, said despite being treated as an untouchable by the society, Dr Ambedkar rose to be the architect of the Constitution. Untouchability is the result of a mental attitude and the society is still trying to come out of this mindset, he added.
Prof Jayadev Pati, professor in the faculty of law, said the Indian Constitution had not failed. “Often we have failed the Constitution, not the other way round,” he added.
SOA Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof Pradipta Kumar Nanda, Advisor-cum-Dean of the faculty of hospitality and tourism management, Prof Sitikantha Mishra and Dean of the faculty of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry Prof Bramhadev Pattnaik also spoke.
The meeting was attended by Prof Manjula Das, Controller of Examination; Prof Manas Kumar Mallick, Director, ITER; Prof Jyoti Ranjan Das, Dean (Students’ Welfare); Prof Nachieketa K Sharma, Director, University Outreach Program; Dr Priyabrata Patnaik, Additional Dean (Research); Chief Administrative Officer PK Panda, senior officials and students.
