Degrees are merely certificates, true education lies in humanity: Vice President at DU convocation

At Delhi University's 102nd convocation, Vice President Radhakrishnan emphasises humanity over degrees and aims for global academic excellence.

More than 1.2 lakh students were conferred degrees at the 102nd convocation of Delhi University, where Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan, the chief guest, told graduating students that they would serve as architects of the country’s future and play a key role in shaping India’s development rooted in Indian realities and globally competitive.

“Degrees are merely certificates, but true education is reflected in humanity, character, and responsibility,” Mr. Radhakrishnan said during his address. The Vice President added that education is not the final stage of life but a continuous process and emphasised that acquiring knowledge is an ongoing pursuit.

The Vice President, who is also the Chancellor of the University, expressed confidence that the institution, which began its journey in 1922 with just three colleges and has today established a strong global presence with over 90 colleges, numerous faculties, and thousands of teachers and researchers, would improve its international rankings, with students vying to study at Delhi University from across the world. “Though DU is already among India’s distinguished institutions, it should aim for higher global rankings. 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,” Mr. Radhakrishnan said.

The convocation was presided over by Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh, who said that despite challenges such as World War II and the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Delhi has maintained its academic tradition and held convocations every year, a symbol of the university’s academic commitment.

“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 and 64,620 from the School of Open Learning, 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 Vice Chancellor said. He added that 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),” Mr. Singh said. Twenty students who completed their degrees under the Centenary Chance were also awarded degrees.