Most PhDs to be awarded at Delhi University in 2023

DU’s 99th convocation ceremony will take place on February 25, during which over 1.5 lakh students will receive their degrees, varsity officials said

Delhi University will award degrees to more than 840 PhD candidates at its convocation ceremony this year, the most awarded by the varsity in a single year.

President Droupadi Murmu will be the chief guest for the event, while Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan will be the guest of honour. (President of India Twitter)

“This year, we will be conferring over 840 PhD degrees, which is the highest number of PhD degrees in the history of the university, surpassing our record of 802 PhD degrees from 2022,” said DS Rawat, dean of examination at DU.

DU’s 99th convocation ceremony will take place on February 25, during which over 1.5 lakh students will receive their degrees, varsity officials said. Rawat said President Droupadi Murmu will be the chief guest for the event, while Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan will be the guest of honour.

The convocation ceremony will take place at the multipurpose hall at the Delhi University Sports Stadium Complex, according to an official notification issued by the varsity last month. During the event, DU will also award 81,972 degrees for undergraduate, postgraduate, law and medical courses. The School of Open Learning will award degrees to a further 75,454 graduate and postgraduate students.

In total, 157,426 students will receive degrees from the university, a dip from the 173,443 students who were awarded digital degrees last year.

In a departure from past practice, graduating students will wear Indian attire, with the varsity phasing out graduation gowns, officials said last week. DU registrar Vikas Gupta said the university had decided to replace gowns with traditional Indian attires entailing ‘angvastras’ (stoles).

Gupta said that the varsity wanted to promote Indian attire and culture which influenced the move. Until last year, university administrators, chief guests, and students used to wear gowns with caps during the convocation ceremony.