Panjab University research scholars to get degrees online

The tentative date of this year’s convocation was April 20 but preparations have come to standstill amid the current lockdown

Chandigarh Panjab University research scholars can get their degrees online this year if they register on the National Academic Depository (NAD).

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NAD is a digital database of academic awards provided by the Government of India facilitated by ministry of human resource development. As the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak has forced educational institutes to shut down, doubts have increased over whether PU will hold its annual convocation.

Panjab University controller of examinations, Parvinder Singh said, “We have already started contacting scholars to get enrolled on NAD so that they can get online degrees. Keeping in mind the current situation, we are not sure if the convocation can be held or not.” In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, PU suspended its classes on March 15 and has directed employees to work from home.

The tentative date of this year’s convocation was April 20 but preparations have come to standstill amid the current lockdown. As many as 450 PhD scholars of PU are eligible to get their degrees this year, so far. The numbers might increase. The varsity has already written to college principals, making it mandatory for them to get students enrolled on NAD, so that they can get their degrees online.

Controller of examinations said the university had recently got a confirmation from NAD that documents of 5,000 students from affiliated colleges were verified after the varsity had shared the data of 25,000 students for provision of online degrees.