Graduates to be Viksit Bharat architects, their degrees commitment to nation: VP at DU convocation

New Delhi, Feb 28 (PTI) Describing graduates as architects of the 'Viksit Bharat' vision, Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Saturday said universities must drive research and innovation that are rooted in Indian realities and yet are globally competitive.

Addressing the 102nd convocation of Delhi University (DU) here, the vice president noted the growing enrolment of women in higher education and said more than 70 per cent of the gold medallists this year were women.

More than 1.2 lakh students were conferred with degrees at the convocation ceremony, where Radhakrishnan was the chief guest.

The vice president released digital degrees of 1.2 lakh students by click of a button. The ceremony was presided over by DU Vice-Chancellor (V-C) Yogesh Singh.

Addressing the gathering, Singh described the occasion as a moment of pride for the university, noting that despite disruptions such as World War II and the COVID-19 pandemic over the years, the university has held its convocation every year.

"The institution has managed to hold its annual convocation every year, which is a symbol of the university's academic commitment," Singh said.

Radhakrishnan said the DU started with three colleges, two faculties and eight departments and 750 students.

"Today, the university has grown to 16 faculties, 86 departments, 90 colleges, 20 halls and hostels, over 30 centres and institutes, 34 libraries and more than 6 lakh students," he said.

On the cut-throat competition for admissions to the university, the vice president said Singh informed him that seats are filled without any delay and cut-offs touch 98 per cent.

Though DU is already among India's distinguished institutions, it should aim for higher global rankings, Radhakrishnan said.

"In the next two years, we should move into the top 300, then 200, then 100 and ultimately become the number one university in the world," he said, adding that students worldwide should aspire to come to Delhi.

Giving a detailed breakdown, the VC said 50,780 degrees are being awarded to regular students -- 24,748 to men and 26,032 to women. Including the 5,008 students from the Non-Collegiate Women's Education Board (NCWEB) and 64,620 from the School of Open Learning (SOL), the total number of degrees being conferred stands at 1,20,408. Of these, 59,435 are male students and 60,973 female students.

"The university is also awarding 734 PhD degrees -- 385 to women and 349 to men. The highest number of doctorates is from the Faculty of Arts (236), followed by Science (139) and Social Sciences (119)," Singh said.

He added that the university secured an A++ grade with a CGPA of 3.55 in the second cycle of NAAC accreditation, calling it the highest possible grade and a reflection of the collective efforts of faculty, students, staff and alumni.

The VC informed that the university is also awarding 20 "centenary chance" degrees -- a scheme introduced during the institution's 100th year to allow former students who could not complete their programmes to finish their degrees.

Radhakrishnan said the convocation is both an ending and a beginning.

In a rapidly changing world shaped by artificial intelligence, climate challenges and pressures on democracies, he said, "Your degree is not just a certificate but a commitment to humanity and to the nation".

He urged students to treat learning as a lifelong process, stay away from narcotic drugs and use social media constructively rather than becoming enslaved by it.

The vice president said students should ensure their achievements bring pride to their families, the university and the nation.

He said graduates would be the architects of the vision for a 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047.

"Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) is the capacity to innovate, manufacture, research, and create solutions rooted in Indian realities yet globally competitive. Universities should become engines of research, entrepreneurship, and indigenous knowledge systems," he added.

Radhakrishnan noted that more than 70 per cent of the gold medallists this year were women and that women graduates outnumbered men.

"The number of women receiving degrees this year exceeds that of men. This is a reflection of the phenomenal growth of women's education in India," he said.

A total of 132 gold and silver medals and awards were presented at the ceremony. Of these, 112 gold medals and one silver medal were awarded to the undergraduate and post-graduate students. Similarly, a total of 19 prizes (certificates) were presented to these students.

A total of 1,09,003 undergraduate, 11,362 post-graduate, and 43 four-year undergraduate (FYUP) programme students, including regular DU students, NCWEB, and SOL students, were awarded degrees during the ceremony, Singh added. PTI VBH PRK