62,103 students receive degrees at UoP convocation

As many as 62,103 students received their degrees from the University of Pune (UoP) at the 105th convocation of the varsity on Saturday. Of the 310 PhD students who got their degrees 52 were awarded gold medals.

Making the convocation address,Goverdhan Mehta,chairman,executive committee,NAAC said,“While we’re the youngest democracy of the world,we are also the nation with the oldest Cabinet that runs the country. Though we have over 800 cellphone users,only a fraction of them have access to drinking water. India figures third on the Forbes list of billionaires of the world,but ranks 134 on the UNDP Human Development Index. This Indian panorama of lights and shadows is not only unique but quite paradoxical and reflects our formidable strengths as well as the soft and vulnerable underbelly.”

Mehta,who is from the 1966 batch of the UoP,said that while every year over three million graduates pass,a recent survey has revealed that less than 10 per cent of them are employable. He concluded with an adaptation of Lokmanya Tilak’s epoch making quote saying,“Quality education is my birthright and I shall have it.”

Acting vice-chancellor,Sanjay Chahande,said on the occasion,“This year has been remarkable in terms of a large number of collaboration projects. We have also set the ball rolling for the creation of the long awaited convention centres,sports complex and bhasha bhavan. Among the challenges that lie ahead of us include an error-free examination department and the setting up of a students facilitation centre.”