Patna: Governor-cum-chancellor of state universities Satya Pal Malik on Sunday exhorted fresh graduates from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Patna to repay their alma mater.

He was speaking at the seventh convocation of the state's oldest engineering college, earlier known as the Bihar College of Engineering, at Gyan Bhavan of Samrat Ashok Convention Hall here on Sunday.

"Today is the last day for passing out techies with many of them joining big companies or some even pursuing higher studies. But they should not forget the institutions where they had spent four years," said Malik. "They should visit these institutions and make ways to pay them back."

Malik, who holds a BSc degree in botany and an LLB degree from Meerut University, said: "When I was invited here, I was a bit sceptical, as I don't know what to speak on engineering. But I would say that there is huge opportunity for techies in coming days."

At the convocation, 692 students from the 2013-17 and 2012-16 sessions got degrees. All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) chairman Anil Dattatraya Sahasrabudhe, NIT-Patna director Pradeep Kumar Jain, faculty members, passing-out students and their parents attended the event. Fourteen students, seven each from BTech and postgraduate MTech courses, received gold medals for topping their respective branches.

Dasari Yashwanth, a BTech graduate in computer science and engineering, and Reshma Thankachan, an MTech in civil engineering, received the President's Gold Medal for being institute toppers in respective courses and branches.

AICTE chairman Sahasrabudhe, who delivered the convocation address, too, had words of wisdom for passing-out students and the institute.