Degrees to be awarded to 79,832 students; 64 meritorious students to receive 88 medals

Agra, : The 92nd Convocation Ceremony of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University will be held on August 3 at 10 a.m. at Shivaji Mandapam, Swami Vivekanand Khandari Campus, Agra. Uttar Pradesh Governor and Chancellor of the University, Smt. Anandiben Patel, will preside over the ceremony.

Prof. Pankaj Arora, Chairman of the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), Ministry of Education, Government of India, will be the Chief Guest. Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Yogendra Upadhyay and Minister of State Rajni Tiwari will attend the ceremony as distinguished guests.

Vice Chancellor Prof. Ashu Rani shared the details during a press conference organised by the University’s Public Relations Department on Saturday. She said the convocation would be one of the major events being organised as part of the University’s centenary celebrations and would showcase initiatives in education, research, innovation, women’s health, sports, culture and infrastructure development.

79,832 students to receive degrees

According to the Vice Chancellor, degrees will be awarded to 79,832 students across various programmes. These include 55,686 undergraduate students, 9,150 postgraduate students, 14,826 students from professional courses, 167 PhD scholars and three scholars who will be awarded D.Litt. degrees.

A total of 64 meritorious students will be honoured with 88 medals for academic excellence. The awardees include 46 female students and 18 male students, reflecting the strong academic performance of women students at the University.

Honorary degree for West Bengal artisan

The University will confer an honorary degree on renowned West Bengal Golden Grass (Madura) craftsman Ardhendu Shekhar Das for his significant contribution to the preservation and promotion of traditional Indian handicrafts and rural entrepreneurship.

The Vice Chancellor said Das has worked for more than two decades to give traditional Indian crafts national and international recognition. He has also helped provide self-employment opportunities to around 50 rural artisans, particularly women, setting an inspiring example of empowerment and self-reliance.

100 girls to receive free HPV vaccination

The convocation will also witness a special initiative focusing on women’s health. One hundred girls in the 14–15 age group will be administered free HPV vaccines. The Chief Medical Officer, Agra, will extend special support to the vaccination drive.

Following vaccination, Chancellor Anandiben Patel will present each girl with a special nutrition basket prepared by the Department of Food and Nutrition, Institute of Home Science, of the University. The basket will contain nutritious items including ragi biscuits, amla candy, energy lemon drink, caramel makhana and moringa mathri.

The University said the initiative aims to promote awareness among adolescent girls about nutrition and prevention of cervical cancer.

Sports achievers and outstanding teachers to be honoured

Students who have brought laurels to the University through outstanding performances in All India University competitions, Khelo India, North Zone and various national-level competitions will also be specially honoured.

Gold and silver medal-winning athletes will receive cash awards as encouragement. Outstanding teachers, gold medal winners and research scholars will also be honoured during the ceremony.

Books authored by University teachers will be released on the occasion.

Live demonstration of digital degree upload

The University’s progress report will be presented during the ceremony. A live demonstration of uploading digital degrees to the National Academic Depository (NAD) will also be organised.

The University’s community radio 90.4 ‘Agra Ki Awaaz’ will present a special documentary showcasing highlights of the University’s centenary celebrations and various events organised as part of the celebrations.

School students will present cultural programmes, while administrative and police officials who supported the HPV vaccination campaign will be honoured. Nutrition kits will also be distributed to Anganwadi workers and books to primary schools.

Several development projects to be inaugurated

The Chancellor will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones for several development projects of the University.

Projects scheduled for inauguration include the renovation and expansion of the University Model School, Miyawaki (Nidhivan) project, renovation of Chanakya Sadan and Guest House, Centre for Legal Education ‘Centenary Building’, Kanad High-Tech Instrumentation Centre, renovation of the Baba Bhimrao Ambedkar statue site, Centenary Gate at the Chhalesar Campus, lawn tennis court, and road and parking development works.

The foundation stones will also be laid for the renovation and redevelopment of Ambedkar Bhawan and the Teachers’ Home comprising 12 residential units.

New hostels planned for students

Prof. Ashu Rani said plans are being prepared for the construction of a women’s hostel at the Gopalganj Campus and a men’s hostel at the Sultan Ganj Campus.

The process of demolishing the existing dilapidated structures has already begun, and the necessary permission has been obtained from the Public Works Department (PWD). The final action plan will be prepared following the Chancellor’s inspection.

Entry only through valid invitation cards

The Vice Chancellor appealed to media representatives to note that entry to the convocation venue will be permitted only through valid invitation cards. Journalists have been requested to reach the venue well before the scheduled time and ensure their presence.

Registrar Ajay Mishra, Controller of Examinations Dr Om Prakash, Finance Officer Sudarshan, Prof. Bhupendra Swaroop Sharma, Prof. Pradeep Sridhar, Dr Svetlana, Dr Sandeep, Tarun, Prof. Sharad Upadhyay and Public Relations Officer Pooja Saxena, among others, were present at the press conference.