Manipal, 26^th January 2022: Manipal Academy of Higher Education celebrated 73rd Republic Day, 2022 in a ceremony befitting the occasion in its campus with enthusiasm and vigour even with the restrictions due to the pandemic.

The function began by observing 1-minute silence to pay tribute to General Bipin Rawat, the first Chief of Defence Staff of India who died in a tragic helicopter crash on 8 December 2021. The principal of Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration, Chef K. Thirugnansambantham, welcomed the gathering and described the importance of this day. Pro Chancellor of MAHE, Dr H.S. Ballal, unfurled the National flag on this joyous day.

Dr Venkatraya M Prabhu, Pro Vice Chancellor (Health Sciences), while delivering the Republic Day Message narrated how the Indian constitution imbibed the words of the preamble of our constitution and how these were amended with additions later, under different circumstances. The Fundamental Rights were strong bases of the constitution and he narrated how historically the rights were suspended during the declaration of emergency in 1975.  The changes in the constitution affected each citizen including Manipal Education when a socialistic view of the governance was not encouraging private initiatives for education and health care in the country. But thankfully, changes in political perspective later had allowed today’s Manipal to take shape in the last few decades.

Vice Chancellor, Lt. Gen. (Dr.) M. D. Venkatesh, Executive Vice President, Dr H. Vinod Bhat, Registrar of MAHE, Dr Narayana Sabhahit, Heads of Institutions and senior officials of MAHE, COOs, and MS of our Hospitals, were present on the occasion.