Punjabi University to charge Rs 2,500 for convocation, student unions irked

Mohit Khanna

Patiala, January 19

The convocation for students who obtained PhD degrees from Punjabi University in recent times is set to burn a hole in their pockets as the university will charge them Rs 2,500 each for the ceremony, to be held in February.

As many as 250 PhD-holders have submitted their degrees to the university and will receive them at the convocation. As per a communique, a copy of which is with The Tribune, issued by the university, January 20 is the last day for submission of degrees. Degree-holders who fail to meet this deadline would have to shell out Rs 5,000 for registration, and anyone who registers between January 26 and February 1 would be charged Rs 10,000.

These decisions by the university have left student unions fuming. They stated that the university is turning into a corporate institution, focusing on money and playing with the sentiments of students. The Punjab Student Union has termed the move ‘unethical’.

However, a university official said that the process of receiving the degrees from the students was cumbersome, which is the reason the authorities decided to charge a fee. The official also said that no fee is being charged from students who have not yet received their degrees.