Nirmala Sitharaman to deliver inaugural Nitte Vinaya Hegde Oration on April 28

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Apr 25, 2026: Nitte (Deemed to be University) will host the inaugural Nitte Vinaya Hegde Oration on Tuesday, April 28, at 3:30 pm at the K S Hegde Auditorium, Deralakatte, Mangaluru.

Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will deliver the keynote address on the theme, “Viksit Bharat – Vision for 2047.”

Her speech is expected to provide significant insights into India’s developmental goals, economic transformation, and the roadmap toward becoming a developed nation by the centenary year of Independence.

The Nitte Vinaya Hegde Oration has been instituted as an annual prestigious lecture series to honour the vision, leadership, and lasting contributions of late Justice K S Hegde and his legacy of institution-building. The initiative aims to bring together distinguished national leaders, policymakers, thinkers, and public intellectuals to deliberate on contemporary issues of national importance.

The programme will be presided over by Justice N Santosh Hegde, former judge of the Supreme Court of India and former Lokayukta of Karnataka.

Guests of honour include U T Khader, Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, and Capt Brijesh Chowta, Member of Parliament from Dakshina Kannada.

The event will also be attended by Vishal Hegde, Chancellor of Nitte University and President of Nitte Education Trust; Dr M Shantharam Shetty, Pro-Chancellor; and Dr M S Moodithaya, Vice-Chancellor.

The university has invited academicians, students, professionals, policymakers, alumni, and members of the public to participate in the landmark event.

The inaugural Nitte Vinaya Hegde Oration is seen as a significant step in the university’s commitment to fostering public discourse and strengthening the connection between higher education and national development.