Sister Nivedita University hosts grand freshers’ welcome on Teacher’s Day

KOLKATA: For any student, stepping into college is a leap into anticipation and excitement. For freshers like Kuntal Das and Deborshi Chatterjee, sitting inside the massive Biswa Bangla Convention Centre, New Town, the benediction ceremony of Sister Nivedita University (SNU) on Friday felt like a whole new kind of happiness. None of them had ever imagined that a freshers’ welcome could be celebrated at such a grand scale and on Teacher’s Day no less, making it extra special.

In just eight years, SNU has emerged as one of eastern India’s most sought-after universities. Welcoming the new batch, Satyam Roychowdhury, Founder and Managing Director of Techno India Group (TIG) and Chancellor of SNU, fondly called the students the “fresh bunch of flowers.” “Each one of you is ready to bloom with a colour and fragrance so unique, ready to unfold your brilliance in your own extraordinary way,” he said. 

Roychowdhury read out the special Teacher’s Day message sent by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. In her wishes for the ceremony, she described teachers as “nation builders” who impart not just textbook lessons, but the lessons of life. The Chancellor also told the students that SNU is their space for “exploration and self-discovery.” “I have watched teachers becoming mentors, students becoming inventors, and technology becoming a bridge between the hearts. Yet, amid progress, the core mission of SNU within TIG remains unchanged,” he said at Nivodhata 2025.

Vice-chancellor Sanku Bose informed how ambition with purpose is what sets SNU apart. He also highlighted the university’s tie-ups with Federation University, Australia and Salesforce. “We don’t just want to produce graduates. We want to shape creators, innovators, changemakers and the leaders of tomorrow. At SNU, we want to think big, experiment boldly, fall without fear and rise stronger every time. Learning here is not just a phase, it’s the beginning of a lifelong journey,” he said.

The ceremony was further enriched with inspiring words from Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma, who took a nostalgic turn while recalling his own student days. He reminded the students to be “a good human being first”. “Be a good listener, a good observer, and don’t lose touch with the real world in the chaos of the virtual one,” he said.

Adding to the significance of the day, the event was graced by eminent dignitaries including Ekaterina Tyurina, Vice Consul General of Russia in Kolkata, Squadron Leader Neha Singh, Paul Oppenheimer, Chief Operating Officer of Federation University, Australia, and Anindita Ganguly, DTE, Government of West Bengal.