Visakhapatnam is gearing up for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit on January 8, 2025. With elaborate arrangements being made, tight security in place and the repainting of the city, locals and politicians are preparing for a grand welcome. As a part of his visit to Visakhapatnam, Narendra Modi is going to participate in a roadshow and address a gathering at Andhra University.
Ever since its establishment, Andhra University has been a prominent place in Visakhapatnam and witnessed many speeches by great leaders. As we eagerly wait for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to become one of the many eminent personalities to have graced AU, let’s revisit five other iconic moments when famous people visited this prestigious university.
Missile Man of India – APJ Abdul Kalam
When the Missile Man of India, former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam visited Andhra University on 14 August 2010, his motivational speech titled “Transforming India into a Developed Nation” resonated deeply with the youth in Visakhapatnam. Honouring his legacy and contribution to nation-building, students of AU developed APJ Abdul Kalam Memorial Park near Arts College on the campus in 2017.
First Prime Minister – Jawaharlal Nehru
India’s first Prime Minister visited Visakhapatnam in 1954 to launch two ships at the Scindia Shipyard (Hindustan Shipyard). He was invited to Andhra University by the Head of Department of Geology, Prof C Mahadevan, a reputed geologist who did his Doctorate of Science under CV Raman.
Prof Mahadevan showed the Prime Minister the largest-sized beryl collected by a geology student back then. The object is said to piqued the interest of Nehru, as he was formerly a geology student at Cambridge. The stone is said preserved in the Geology Department Museum in AU.
Industrialist and Philanthropist – Ratan Tata
On 10 December 2018, Ratan Tata flew to Visakhapatnam as he was invited as a chief guest of the Andhra University Alumni Meet. His visit to Visakhapatnam sparked mass registrations as more than 6,000 alumni rushed to attend the event. He admitted that even though he wasn’t aware of Andhra University’s excellence, he was impressed by it. As we miss the legendary industrialist today, his immense contribution to the business world and TCS’s upcoming facility in Visakhapatnam is surely going to be remembered.
Motivational Speaker – Nick Vujicic
In 2024, Andhra University held a conference themed ‘Change from Human Being to Being Human’ where the renowned motivational speaker Nick Vujicic delivered a wonderfully inspiring speech.
Marking the success of the event, Andhra University was listed in the Asia Book of Records 2024 and India Book of Records 2024. Around 60,000 people gathered to attend and get involved with the event.
Nobel Laureate – Rabindranath Tagore
After receiving an invitation from the Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnana, Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore visited Andhra University during the early 1900s. He was said to have actively engaged with students and faculty members of AU.
Andhra University in Visakhapatnam hosted many other important personalities and famous alumni such as director Trivikram Srinivas, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and more. Though the words and achievements of these personalities are now confined to historical records or online archives, Visakhapatnam continues to honour their legacy. We can’t wait to add PM Narendra Modi to this list when he visits Visakhapatnam.
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