Indian Universities

The University of Delhi conferred degrees upon more than 1.2 lakh students during its 102nd convocation ceremony held on February 28. The event was graced by Vice President C P Radhakrishnan as the chief guest, while Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh presided over the proceedings. In a symbolic gesture marking the university’s digital transition, the Vice President released the students’ digital degrees at the click of a button. According to the Vice-Chancellor, a total of 1,20,408 degrees were awarded this year. Among them, 50,780 degrees were presented to regular students — 24,748 men and 26,032 women. Additionally, 5,008 degrees were awarded to students of the Non-Collegiate Women’s Education Board (NCWEB) and 64,620 to learners from the School of Open Learning (SOL). Overall, 59,435 male and 60,973 female students received degrees at the ceremony. The university also granted 734 PhD degrees, including 385 to women and 349 to men. The Faculty of Arts accounted for the highest number of doctoral awards at 236, followed by Science with 139 and Social Sciences with 119. In recognition of academic excellence, 132 gold and silver medals and awards were distributed. Undergraduate and postgraduate students received 112 gold medals and one silver medal, along with 19 prize certificates. The total degrees awarded comprised 1,09,003 undergraduate students, 11,362 postgraduate students, and 43 students from the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP), covering regular, NCWEB, and SOL categories. The VC also announced the awarding of 20 ‘centenary chance’ degrees, a special initiative introduced during the university’s 100th year to enable former students to complete their academic programmes. Addressing the gathering, Vice President Radhakrishnan described the graduating students as key contributors to the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat.’ He emphasised that universities must promote research and innovation rooted in Indian contexts while maintaining global competitiveness. Highlighting gender representation, he noted that women accounted for over 70 per cent of this year’s gold medallists. Reflecting on the institution’s growth, the Vice President remarked that Delhi University began with just three colleges, two faculties, eight departments, and 750 students. Today, it boasts 16 faculties, 86 departments, 90 colleges, 20 halls and hostels, more than 30 centres and institutes, 34 libraries, and a student strength exceeding six lakh. Commenting on the intense competition for admission, he shared that seats are filled promptly, with cut-off marks often reaching as high as 98 per cent. While acknowledging DU’s standing among India’s premier institutions, he urged the university to aim higher in global rankings — aspiring to break into the top 300, then 200, and eventually the top 100 universities worldwide, with the long-term goal of becoming the world’s leading university. Source: Indian Express