Against the high number of degrees awarded last year, the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in a grand function awarded degrees, diplomas and certificates to over 1.9 lakh students, hailing from across the country on Saturday. It was the 28th convocation of the university where 98 PhD degrees, 25 MPhil degrees, 47,198 Master’s Degree, 75,305 Bachelors Degree, 51,253 Diplomas and 17,939 certificates were awarded to the students.
The convocation ceremony was telecast live for the very first time on DD Bharti from the university’s Convention Centre. “In contrast to the conventional ones, I believe that open distance learning system-ODl has been observing far greater responsibilities in terms of educating, skilling and providing a sense of discipline and professionalism to a large number of learners,” former UGC Chairman Hari Gautam, said in his convocation address.
“New education demands new understanding. Time has now come that we cast our apprehensions and inhibitions and place ODl system at same pedestal as practiced at the conventional universities,” Gautam who is currently the President, Mahatma Gandhi University of Medical Science and Technology, said.