28th Freshers Day

A Grand Welcome: 1600 New Students Embark on Their Engineering Journey at Sona College’s Freshers’ Day

Sona College of Technology was abuzz with excitement on August 28, 2024, as nearly 1600 new students, accompanied by their proud parents, filled the vibrant campus. The scene was set with broad smiles, starry eyes, and a palpable sense of anticipation as they walked through the elegantly adorned campus, where colourful flower beds and cool green trees complemented the majestic facades of the college.

A Traditional Start to a New Chapter

The day began with grandeur at Sri Valliappa Auditorium, where the 28th Freshers Day kicked off. The new students, filled with curiosity and joy, were welcomed with a traditional touch—starting with a solemn invocation, a short yoga workout, and the lighting of the kuthuvilakku (auspicious lamp) by Madam Chairman Seetha Valliappa. This event marks the tradition of  weeks-long induction process aimed at helping students adapt to the academic rigour, cultural nuances, and guidelines for campus life.

Words of Wisdom: Inspiration from Leaders

Chairman, Sri C. Valliappa, in his presidential address, reassured the students that their parents had made the best decision by choosing Sona College of Technology. With his characteristic insightful humour, he compared the process of milk transforming into curd, buttermilk, and ghee to the students’ journey at Sona. “If you study well, you will last longer and be as useful as ghee,” he remarked, emphasizing the value of perseverance and dedication.

Highlighting Sona’s role as a pathfinder, the Chairman proudly mentioned the introduction of two new futuristic programmes – B.E Electrical and Computer Engineering, and B.E Electronics and Computer Engineering. These programmes, he noted, set the pace for innovation in the academic landscape.

A Legacy of Excellence

The event featured a captivating video presentation that served as an eye-opener for both students and parents. It showcased the prestigious 100-year legacy of the Sona Group of Institutions and its 68 years of excellence in higher education. The video highlighted Sona’s special focus on R&D and innovation, including its remarkable achievement in developing the stepper motor for the Chandrayaan-3 project—a testimony to the college’s ability to reach the pinnacle of achievements.

Vice Chairmen’s Vision:

Interdisciplinary Opportunities

Mr. Chocko Valliappa, Vice Chairman, urged students to explore interdisciplinary study opportunities, highlighting Sona’s research interests in fiber tech-based convergence technology. He also mentioned the potential for tenfold higher earnings for students who learn Japanese, proudly stating that Sona hosts the largest Japanese training center in the world. Citing the discovery of Penicillin, he inspired students to embrace education as a transformative force.

Health, Mindset, and the Future

Vice Chairman, Mr. Thyagu Valliappa, focused on Sona’s pioneering initiatives in mindset engineering, yoga, and design engineering. Hinting at the holistic approach of Sona, centred on its man making mission, he stressed the importance of maintaining a positive mind-set and physical well-being, noting that “the world’s top CEOs prioritize health above all else.” He urged students to make full use of the college’s health, fitness, sports amenities, and various start-up facilitating platforms, emphasizing, “the degree of learning matters more than the degree itself”. He also turned the spot light on the futuristic 3D Experience Training at Sona in collaboration with Dassault Systemes and TANCAM that adds to core engineering knowledge, the latest creative design skills, thus, enhancing employability manifold.

Inspiring Address by the Chief Guest and Guests of Honour

Chief Guest, Mrs. Niranjana Devi, Head of Information, Security, Data Privacy Compliances, and Operations at Torry Harris Integration Solutions, Bengaluru, delivered an inspiring address. She encouraged students to ask questions and embrace curiosity. “Learn to work in a team while standing out by asking why. Education is in books, but learning is in curiosity. Take accountability and responsibility. Embrace failures but don’t repeat mistakes,” she advised, urging students to take charge of their own journeys.

Guest of Honour, Mr. Ganesh Moorthi, Sona’s elite alumnus of 2011 Mechanical Batch, and current Chief Technology Officer at Luminous Power Technologies, shared his personal journey. He revealed how he spent twice the average time at Sona, making the most of every learning opportunity. His talk focused on the “Chi Code” to accelerated learning and to master the fundamentals. He also urged students to focus on real-world problem-solving, a skill essential for career success.

In a forward-looking address, Mr. Rakesh Gaonkar, Co-founder and CTO, Sarla Aviation, predicted a reverse brain drain into India due to the country’s economic and technological progress, further motivating students to focus on practical, impactful learning.

The Legacy Continues

Principals of Sona Institutions, Dr V.Karthikeyan (Thiagarajar Polytechnic)  and Dr G.M.Kadhar Nawaz  (Sona College of Arts and Science), welcomed the new students and emphasized the legacy of excellence at Sona College. Dr. B.Sathiyabhama, Dean of Admissions, delivered the Welcome Address, while Dr.P.K.Anjani, Head of Sona School of Business and Management, delivered the Vote of Thanks.

Sona College’s 28th Freshers Day was a happy blend of tradition, innovation and fun that immersed new students into the institution’s century-long legacy of excellence. The event combined traditional rituals with forward-looking speeches, reflecting Sona’s core values of honouring heritage while driving progress. With the introduction of cutting-edge programmes and a focus on holistic development, the Freshers Day marks the beginning of a journey that promises to shape these young minds with the college’s enduring ethos of making, “learning a celebration” and its mission of  nurturing well-rounded, future-ready engineers.