New Delhi, February 28 – Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan described graduates as the architects of the "Viksit Bharat" vision, stating that universities must drive research and innovation rooted in Indian realities but also globally competitive.
Addressing the 102nd convocation of Delhi University (DU) here, the vice president highlighted the increasing enrollment of women in higher education, noting that more than 70% of the gold medallists this year were women.
Over 1.2 lakh students were awarded degrees at the convocation ceremony, where Radhakrishnan was the chief guest.
The vice president digitally awarded degrees to 1.2 lakh students with a single click. The ceremony was presided over by DU Vice-Chancellor 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, the university has held its convocation every year.
"The institution has been able to hold its annual convocation every year, which is a symbol of the university's commitment to academic excellence," Singh said.
Radhakrishnan said DU started with three colleges, two faculties, and eight departments with 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 over 6 lakh students," he said.
Regarding the intense competition for admissions, the vice president informed Radhakrishnan that seats are filled quickly, and cut-off marks reach 98%.
While DU is already a distinguished institution, it should aim for higher global rankings, Radhakrishnan said.
"In the next two years, we should aim to be in the top 300, then 200, then 100, and ultimately become the number one university in the world," he added, emphasizing that students worldwide should aspire to study at Delhi.
The VC provided a detailed breakdown: 50,780 degrees are being awarded to regular students – 24,748 to men and 26,032 to women. Including 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 are female students.
"The university is also awarding 734 PhD degrees – 385 to women and 349 to men. The highest number of doctorates are 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.
The vice president said students should ensure their achievements bring pride to their families, the university, and the nation.
He said graduates will be the architects of the vision for a "Viksit Bharat" by 2047.
"Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) is the ability to innovate, manufacture, research, and create solutions rooted in Indian realities but also globally competitive. Universities should become engines of research, entrepreneurship, and indigenous knowledge systems," he added.
Radhakrishnan noted that more than 70% 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 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.
