Despite delay, varsity to hold convocation

After a three-month delay, the University of Mumbai is finally holding its convocation on Saturday, but all students will not receive their degree certificates at the Fort campus.

After a three-month delay, the University of Mumbai is finally holding its convocation on Saturday, but all students will not receive their degree certificates at the Fort campus.

HT Image

Only medal holders and students who are part of the procession (mostly subject toppers) will receive their degrees on Convocation Day.

The other students will have to collect their degree certificates from their respective colleges after a month.

Acting vice-chancellor Chandra Krishnamurthy has changed the earlier practice of giving out the graduation certificates to all students before the ceremony commences.

“The degrees can be distributed only after they are conferred. I cannot comment on what happened earlier, but this is how it should be done.

The convocation ceremony is held in the evening and how many students will wait till so late for their degrees,” Krishnamurthy said justifying the change.

“Also, it’ll be more convenient for students to collect their degrees from their colleges instead of coming all the way to the university campus,” she added.

More than 1.4 lakh students graduated in 2009.

“Barely 700 students collect their certificates on Convocation Day. So, for the rest, this will be far more convenient. Why should a students from Alibaug come all the way here to collect their certificate?”

But this would mean a longer wait for the already-delayed degree certificates.

Students, who passed their exams in 2009, will receive their degrees from their respective colleges, within a month.

Those who passed their exams in earlier years, but applied for their certificate this year, will receive their degrees at the address they mentioned in the application form.

This year, the University of Mumbai’s convocation was delayed as the contract with the printer, who prints the degree certificates, had ended and the university had to search for a new agency.

The University of Mumbai, meanwhile, gave students who wanted to pursue further education, a special certificate.

“We wrote to several foreign universities informing them that our convocation had been delayed and that our graduated students should be admitted provisionally based on their mark sheets and the special certificates,’’ added Shinde.