IIT director calls upon grads to lead India’s urban transformation
Vijayawada: The School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), Vijayawada, an Institute of National Importance under the Ministry of Education, held its ninth convocation ceremony on Friday, conferring degrees upon 276 undergraduate and postgraduate students.
Ten students received gold medals, while 12 best thesis awards were presented for outstanding academic performance in planning and architecture. The ceremony was attended by over 500 delegates, including eminent architects, planners, and government representatives.
In this connection, SPV Director Prof Ramesh Sarikonda presented the annual report highlighting key institutional achievements for 2024–25. He reaffirmed the institute’s commitment to excellence and innovation in architecture and planning, emphasizing its focus on sustainability, inclusivity, and global collaboration.
The Director noted the signing of a landmark MoU between SPA’s AMRUT Centre of Excellence in Urban Planning for Capacity Building (ACUPCB) and the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Department of the Andhra Pradesh Government. He also cited initiatives under Viksit Bharat@2047, including the conference “Swarna Andhra 2047 – Unlocking Andhra Pradesh’s Potential”, organized in partnership with MAUD to promote sustainable urban growth.
Delivering the convocation address, Dr KN Satyanarayana, Director, IIT Tirupati, lauded SPA’s rapid emergence as a national leader in design education. He announced plans for closer collaboration between IIT Tirupati and SPA through joint research, academic programmes, and student exchanges.
Placing the convocation in the context of Viksit Bharat 2047, Dr Satyanarayana urged graduates to be architects of India’s transformation. “You are not just designing buildings, you are designing how India lives,” he said, calling for innovation rooted in empathy and sustainability.
SPA, Vijayawada’s Board of Governors Chairperson Dr Amogh Kumar Gupta presided over the event and congratulated the graduates, urging them to remain lifelong learners and agents of positive change.
