Delayed convocations: Over 3 lakh students in 5 state-run universities in TN await degree certificates

CHENNAI: Becoming a graduate is a youngster’s way of securing a job with a healthy pay-cheque, and for many, it’s a step towards pursuing higher education. But imagine, after writing all the exams, submitting projects and presentations, and completing the course, you had to wait for two-plus years to get your degree certificate, just because the university has not yet conducted the convocation?

That’s the reality for over three lakh students for at least 5 State-run universities in Tamil Nadu. All of them are waiting for their degree certificates since the institutions they completed their degree courses in have not yet conducted their respective convocations.

Though students from various universities staged a series of protest demonstrations, action to conduct convocation has not taken place till now. There are also complaints that the varsities were not responding to students, who avail the tatkal option to receive the certificate before convocation.

Absence of Vice-Chancellors is one of the main reasons for not organising convocation in these universities. Anna University is the latest one to join with other universities that are without heads.

Apart from Anna University, the University of Madras, Madurai Kamaraj University, Bharathiar University and Tamil Nadu Teacher Education University do not have vice-chancellors.

A senior official from the Higher Education Department said that convocation for UG, PG and PhD students, who graduated two years back, have not been in the universities. “There are around 9.4 lakh students from State universities waiting for their degree certificates. University of Madras, which has been without a V-C for the last one year, is yet to conduct the convocation. More than 50,000 students of various arts and science colleges affiliated to the Madras university have been waiting as well, ever since they had cleared their exams in 2023,” he added.

The official opined that affiliated colleges of the universities were facing the heat as the management of the institutions do not have a resolution to the issue. “Students were frustrated since they could not take the next step without a proper degree certificate. Though the authorities are ready to help universities, there are no concrete measures to solve the current issue,” he lamented. “It’s only after universities’ repeated requests to Raj Bhavan, the State government issued a circular to all the institutions to conduct convocation within two months.”

Former Vice-Chancellor of Anna University, E Balagurusamy, said that both the State government and Raj Bhavan have to come together to appoint V-Cs in the universities. “Absence of a V-C will not only affect in organising convocations but also adversely impact students’ education. Therefore, the issue of appointing them has to be resolved besides immediately conducting convocations,” he averred.

P Thirunavukkarasu, vice chairman, Association of University Teachers (AUT), pointed out that the varsities should have sought permission from the governor long back for conducting convocation without waiting for the appointment of V-Cs. “Convocation can be held without a V-C, as long as there’s clearance from Raj Bhavan and State authorities. The universities should not further delay the distribution of degree certificates to students,” he stated.

Though each student is given a provisional certificate, most foreign universities do not accept it as a proof of completion of the course from students applying for PG programmes. S Prithiv Raj, an overseas education consultant in the city, said that many universities in the US and Europe do not admit students without degree certificates.

“Without a degree certificate, students will be rejected at the beginning of the admission process itself. Of course, some of the foreign institutions give grace time to submit the degree certificate but it will be only a few months,” he explained. “Also, unlike here, the admission process in foreign institutions is rigorous, and rules are followed diligently. For instance, they do not extend the last date of filing application forms for admissions, nor do they make exceptions in documentation, except in very rare cases.”

Preethi Kumar, an HR consultant, opined that many companies across the country insist on the candidate’s degree certificates at the time of interview. “Some organisations will also ask the applicants to send scan copies of the certificates prior to the interview,” she said. “Degree certificates are important at the time of applying for a job. All the reputed organisations do certificate verification too.”