In Tamil Nadu, Lakhs Of Students Await Their College Degrees

Ritish, who completed his B Com in 2022, is a worried lot. He's trying for a job in Canada, but even one year after qualifying he has not got his degree as Madras University has not yet held the convocation.

And his plans are on hold.

"I have sure plans to go to Canada for a job. I've completed my BCom with computer applications. I am unable to do anything now without a degree certificate," Ritish told NDTV.

G Sridhar, another student, said: "Two batches got blocked due to the pandemic and cleared last year. Now our batch and the previous one have got stuck."

Like them, more than nine lakh qualified graduates, post graduates and research scholars from twelve state universities are stuck as they do not have the degrees.

The state higher education Minister Dr Ponmudi blames it on the Chancellor, Governor RN Ravi, for this mess.

He alleges the Governor wants to invite only Union Ministers as chief guests and this causes delay while there are Vice Chancellors and learned people in the state.

The issue is worse at the Bharathiar University in Coimbatore.

It doesn't have a vice chancellor for nearly a year without whom the convocation can't be held.

The Governor, many say, delays the appointment insisting on having his nominee in the search committee for the Vice Chancellor for which there's no provision.

"I don't think in any other University across the world this kind of delay has happened. They have the convocation as part of their academic calendar," Jayaprakash Gandhi, a well known career consultant, said.  

He added "It doesn't mean there should always be a chief guest. The Chancellor and Vice Chancellor can do it. The Governor and the higher education department should forget their political differences and ego and hold the convocation in time."

Last year the state assembly had passed bills to remove Governor as the Chancellor.  

However, the Governor has not given his assent, sitting on bills that aim to clip his powers. He had in an earlier interview last year said "the constitution allows him to withhold" and that he need not give assent and let the courts ultimately decide.

"That's why we had adopted an assembly resolution for the Chief Minister to be the Chancellor," said Chief Minister MK Stalin.

There is no response yet from the Governor.

However, the Raj Bhavan sources claim only seven universities had sought dates for convocation and the Governor had given nod for four.

This is being seen as yet another instance of trouble by Governors in non-BJP ruled states despite Supreme Court rulings that they ought to abide by the advice of the council of Ministers. And today's claim by Raj Bhavan sources offers little consolation for lakhs of graduates, post graduates and research scholars waiting for their degrees.