Universities have pointed out financial and time constraints behind their decision not to hold annual convocations.
New Delhi: The HRD ministry has written to all universities asking them to hold convocations every year after a nudge from President Ram Nath Kovind.
Kovind had raised the issue with vice-chancellors of central universities and HRD ministry officials at a visitor’s conference in May.
Sources said Kovind pointed out that degrees must be awarded annually at a convocation ceremony as it carries a huge significance for the student graduating and is a moment of pride for the family. The President, who is the visitor to all central universities, also asked for a list of the last held convocation by each university and the next one scheduled.
West Bengal’s Visva Bharati University, for example, held its convocation in May after five years.
Regular convocations
A senior official in the HRD ministry told ThePrint that “acted immediately” on the President’s concern and issued a letter to all central universities asking them to hold their convocations on time and provide degrees to students.
“It is something the universities are supposed to do each year but they have not been doing it regularly,” he said.
“Universities do not hold convocations regularly and then award degrees to students of many years in one go. That becomes inconvenient for both students and the university. This is the reason that we have asked them to make sure that degrees are given to students after end of each academic programme in the same year itself,” he said.
The Central University of Tripura held its convocation after four years this year where they awarded degrees to all the scholars from the last four years.
Universities, however, say there are financial and time constraints behind not holding regular convocations.
“Besides the finances that we have to arrange for holding convocations, it is also a lot time that goes into planning the event. Then we have to have a renowned person as a chief guest, arranging that takes time and effort, diverting time from actual academic activities. This is the reason that many universities do not hold regular convocations and bunch them together,” said a senior functionary at Delhi University who did not wish to be named.
Besides the convocation circular, the HRD ministry has also written to all universities to increase their research output, get more patents and citations. This is also something that the President had pointed out during his meeting with the universities.
“Our universities are not doing great when it comes to research and innovation. We have written to all universities to increase their research output as well. They have to increase the number of citations and patents that they are filing,” the official added.