Seventy-two management graduates received their degrees at Chandragupt Institute of Management, Patna (CIMP), at a convocation ceremony on Sunday.

This was the fifth convocation of the institute.

Thirty-two students of the 2012-14 batch and 40 students from the 2013-15 batch received their degrees in the presence of chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh and Kshatrapati Shivaji, the managing director of Small Industries Development Bank of India - the chief guests.

Amid the sea of excited faces at the ceremony, the glow was apparent on the faces of the six students who received gold medals for academic excellence.

Ankit, who did his schooling at St Joseph's High School, Patna, and belongs to the 2013-15 batch, was one of the gold medallists. "Two years ago, when I cleared my CAT, I was doubtful of taking admission at this institution, but today I feel that my decision was correct," he said.

Ankit got a placement at Eke Software Solutions, Mumbai. Khushboo, from the same batch, echoed Ankit's view: "The institution has given a destination to students of Bihar who want to pursue management. Now that it has a new campus at Mithapur, more activities could be added to its success list."

Anjani Kumar Singh said: "In its seven years, this institute has made steady progress."

He also highlighted how such institutions were contributing immensely to the higher education sector in the state.

Institute director V. Mukunda Das spoke about the academic as well as non-academic activities carried out by the CIMP in the past few years. Kshatrapati Shivaji urged the students to become job providers instead of seekers.

Set up in 2008 and inaugurated by chief minister Nitish Kumar, the institution, which was running from a temporary campus at Hindi Bhavan, shifted to its new campus this July. Its new state-of-the-art building boasts of all facilities within the campus and has progressed with the help of tie-ups with foreign universities.