Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria conferred degrees to the awardees during the sixth convocation at Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University on Tuesday, March 5, reported ANI.
A total of 10,880 degrees, diplomas and certificates were awarded to the students, out of which, 13 were awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).
Another 13 received an MPhil degree, 5,464 were conferred a graduate degree, 5.322 received a postgraduate degree and 68 were awarded a postgraduate diploma.
Out of these, 49 per cent of the awardees were female learners, added ANI.
During the convocation, 28 learners were conferred gold medals for their excellence in academics. Besides, two senior-most learners were also present at the convocation to receive their degrees. Chandra Prabha Mahanta, a 75-year-old female learner, was presented with an undergraduate degree by the university, while Mahendra Bhuyan, a 72-year-old male learner, received his postgraduate degree at the convocation.
A total of seven jail inmates serving in different jails in Assam have completed their respective academic programmes from the university.
Speaking on the occasion, the governor and the chancellor of the university said that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has set an ambitious target of increasing the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in higher education from the current rate of about 28 per cent to 50 per cent by the year 2035.
Kataria further said that attaining a formal degree is not the end of education. One should keep learning by being curious throughout their life.
“Today, when there is rapid change in the field of technology, it has become even more necessary to keep learning continuously,” Kataria expressed.
On this occasion, the governor also called upon the students to empower themselves with modern technology to bring about qualitative changes in society.
Kataria further said that KKHSOU is the only open university in North East India, established in 2006 as the 14th open university of India with its motto, Education beyond barriers.
“It is heartening that the university is committed to providing easy access to quality higher education to all learners by incorporating the latest educational and technological advancements. In the NEP 2020, the target has been set for the youth to acquire world-class skills under the challenges and requirements of the 21st century by staying connected to Indian traditions,” the governor added.
Vice-Chancellor of Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University, Prof Rajendra Prasad Das, said that the university stands for equity, justice and democratisation of higher education, particularly among the disadvantaged and marginalised sections of society.
The vice-chancellor also mentioned that the university has been striving hard to create an environment for lifelong learning and knowledge creation to build a knowledge society.
