The Joint Convocation Ceremony of the Naropa Class of 2020 and 2021 was hosted at the magnificent 400-year-old Hemis Monastery. With a light shower of rain marking the auspiciousness of the ceremony and the site, a total of 128 Fellows from the Class of 2020 & 2021 from across India, Bhutan, Nepal and Nigeria jointly graduated at the monastery courtyard on the 22nd of August, 2021.
The ceremonial procession was led by the co-founders of the Naropa Fellowship, His Eminence Drukpa Thuksey Rinpoche and Dr Pramath Raj Sinha, along with His Excellency the Hon’ble Lt Governor of UT Ladakh Shri R K Mathur and Dr Rukmini Banerji. The occasion was graced by the presence of Hon’ble CEC LAHDC Leh Shri Tashi Gyalson, HE Chosam Rinpoche, HE Gomchen Tulku Rinpoche, Hemis Chakzod, Chemday Chakzod, Executive Councillors, and several departments heads of the government of UT Ladakh, among others.
The ceremony was declared open by His Eminence Drukpa Thuksey Rinpoche. The programme was a dream come true for His Holiness the 12th Gyalwang Drukpa, and he thanked each and everybody involved in building it over the past three years. He was delighted to witness the growth of the programme, with 128 Fellows from both the Classes of 2020 and 2021 gathered together to be graduated as Naropa Fellows for life.
His Excellency the Hon’ble Lt Governor of UT Ladakh, Shri R K Mathur shared his vision for Ladakh, stressing how the Naropa Fellowship can be a propeller in achieving it. Recognising the potential in the region’s resources, he stressed that it is time to invest in preserving and empowering the pristine ecology and fragile ecosystem. His Excellency stated how blessed Ladakh is to be moving forward under the guidance of HE Thuksey Rinpoche and Dr Pramath Raj Sinha.
Dr Rukhmini Banerji (CEO, Pratham Education Foundation) shared experiences from the field while working with children in the education sector, highlighting the potential in young minds that gets unveiled when given the right direction. She beautifully underscored the essence of what the Naropa Fellowship stands for through anecdotes from across the country. She also believed in the blessed programme that the Naropa Fellowship is, under the guidance of His Holiness the 12th Gyalwang Drukpa.
Hon’ble CEC Shri Tashi Gyalson captured the momentousness of the ceremony with remarks on the value that Naropa Fellows hold. He expressed his gratitude towards the founders of the programme for building capacity amongst the local youth. He also promised to engage the Naropa Fellows through opportunities with the administration of UT Ladakh.
Under the grace of His Holiness the 12th Gyalwang Drukpa, the Naropa Classes of 2020 & 2021 received their Certificates of Completion from the guests on the dais.
The Awards Ceremony recognised three spheres of growth: Academic Excellence, Benchmark Professionalism, and Spirit of Naropa. The Chief Guest, His Excellency Shri R K Mathur conferred the awards upon the Fellows.
The Naropa Award for Academic Excellence for exemplary pursuit of knowledge, a keen desire for learning and upholding the highest standards of academic integrity was conferred upon Madhu Yamini (Class of 2020) and Yurri Asai (Class of 2021).
The Dean’s Award for Benchmark Professionalism for maintaining excellent standards of professional conduct and integrity was conferred upon Preeti Chauhan and Vaibhav Arora (Class of 2020), and Nima Dolma and Rohan Sehgal (Class of 2021).
The Spirit of the Naropa Award for a sustained commitment to personal growth, an innovative mindset and a keen desire to transform the Himalayan region was conferred upon Juliana Shrestha and Stanzin Tundup (Class of 2020), and Soleha Kousar and Tsewang Chostar (Class of 2021).
At the end of the ceremony, the Naropa Fellowship’s Co-Founder and Dean, Dr Pramath Raj Sinha, delivered the Vote of Thanks. He expressed deep gratitude towards the stakeholders, monastic and government dignitaries, faculty members and mentors, the Fellows, and the Programme Team for their unfettered belief in the programme. The national anthem marked the closing of the ceremony, with graduation hats in the air, wide smiles and raindrops across the monastery courtyard.