Cover Story: Celebrating Success: 16th Convocation Ceremony

The 16th convocation Ceremony of the university in the decennial anniversary year of the university was held in an enthusiastic atmosphere. In this convocation ceremony various diplomas, degrees, three post graduate degrees, 22 research degrees were presented to 51, 522 students from across the state of Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala and Tamilnadu. In all 22 Gold medals and 42 other awards were presented to the meritorious students. The chief guests honored each of these meritorious graduates with gold medal, certificate, a memento, cash prizes sponsored by government of Maharashtra, various institutions as well as individuals and a copy of autobiography of Dr. Narendra Jadhav.

The chief guest of the convocation ceremony Dr. Narendra Jadhav, internationally renowned economist, cherished author, erstwhile Vice-chancellor of the University of Pune and presently Member of Planning Commission, Government of India; Dr. Vinaykumar Pathak, Vice-Chancellor of Uttaranchal Open University, Haldwani, Nainital, Uttaranchal as the special invitee and Vice-Chancellor of YCMOU Dr. Sudhir Gavhane, Registrar Mr. Prakash Wani, members of Board of Management and members of Academic Council were present on the dais.

Various diplomas and degrees of eight schools and a division including the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Commerce and Management, School of Computer Science, School of Continuing Education, School of Education, School of Science and Technology, School of Health Sciences, School of Agricultural Sciences, and Academic Services Division, were conferred upon the students at this occasion.

Forty jail inmates including five women undergoing sentence in various prisons also earned degrees thought the prison study centres of the university were awarded their degrees in this convocation, was a special occasion to all those who had gathered to witness the ceremony. The chief guests Dr. Narendra Jadhav, Dr. Vinaykumar Pathak and Dr. Sudhir Gavhane, Vice-Chancellor honored all the Ph. D students including two university faculties Director Manoj Killedar and Sunanda More of School of Science and Technology, on the dais.

On the occasion honorable Vice Chancellor presented the university report in his introductory speech. He said that Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University, founded in 1989, is the only Open University that has achieved tremendous success over the years. The university started with just 2 subjects, 15 study centres and 3757 students, after two decades, has more than 224 educational programmes, and 3.10 lakh students at 1800 study-centres across the country. Since its inception so far it has brought 20 lakh students in the mainstream education system, reaching them the opportunity of higher education. It has achieved the status of a ‘mega university’ and with its qualitative growth it has gained respect within the country as well as outside.

While elaborating about the university’s road map he highlighted a few projects including for its ambitious project of establishing a district center in each district of the state; establishing state-of-the-art educational complexes on five acres of land in all the tribal districts of Maharashtra, which will be equipped with classrooms supported by latest Information Communication Technology (ICT) tools, and hostels for 200 tribal children in each of these districts, the project cost estimating Rs. 150 Crores; national & international collaborations and MoUs signed with prestigious institutions and conventional universities and Open universities such as Indian Institute of Chartered Accountants (IICA), Uttaranchal Open University, Uttaranchal; Cambridge University through Words Worth to offer a world-class course on Communicative Skills in English for the youth from both urban and rural areas; Similarly the MoUs with IIT Powai (Mumbai) and IIT Kanpur; Offering IT course to foreign students through e-learning mode in collaboration with NIIT. He also mentioned how some people in the university wish to misuse the university for their personal gain and how the boards have decided to curb such evil practices.

The chief guest of the ceremony Dr. Narendra Jadhav, in his inspiring speech elaborated on the Indian economy since Independence. He said that today India has greatest number of young populations and we should direct this energy to propel the development of the nation. He said that the graduates should take this degree as a beginning of their new journey. Their quest for being a better and successful human being does not end here but begins from here. He reiterated that each one of us have a spark in our personality, and individuals should always be in search of that hidden talent in themselves, while the educational institutions should provide all the support creating a learning atmosphere that would facilitate the students to search that unique skill or talent in them.

Dr. Vinaykumar Pathak, Vice-Chancellor of Uttaranchal Open University, Uttaranchal lauded the university on its progress and said that he is happy to announce that we have found that this is the best university in the open and distance learning. So, they are going to adopt a lot of courses of YCMOU, and they will have many collaborative projects. Only personal computers and Internet will not work hence from e-learning we have to go to m-learning. We have to have blended technology, and that has to be Indianized ICT technology.

To mark the decennial anniversary year the university has started two in house monthly magazines, Yashwant Sandesh in Marathi and YCMOU Bulletin in English, were published on the occasion at the hands of the chief guests. Students, experts and officials in huge number were present on the occasion.
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