Overview
- Jawaharlal Nehru University held its 9th convocation in New Delhi with Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan as chief guest and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in attendance.
- Radhakrishnan said debate, discussion, dissent and even confrontation are vital to democracy but should culminate in decisions implemented with collective cooperation.
- Pradhan praised JNU’s academic autonomy, calling critical thinking the university’s “soul” and urging graduates to aid the goal of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
- Speakers highlighted new centres for Hindu, Jain and Buddhist studies and expanded Indian-language programmes, aligning with the National Education Policy.
- The ceremony awarded 467 PhD degrees, including 211 women and 256 men, with recent police complaints over student slogans providing a contentious backdrop.