IGNOU Holds 39th Convocation Across 51 Centres; Over 10,900 Degrees Conferred from Kashmir | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: The Indira Gandhi National Open University held its 39th Convocation across 51 regional centres on Tuesday, with the national ceremony presided over by Vice President of India CP Radhakrishnan, while the Jammu and Kashmir regional function took place in Srinagar.

The regional convocation for Jammu and Kashmir was organised at the Government Dental College auditorium in Srinagar, where Vice Chancellor of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Nazir Ahmad Ganie, and Commissioner Secretary, Government of Jammu and Kashmir, Saurabh Bhagat, were present.

A total of 344 degrees were conferred on learners during the regional event, while 10,989 students received degrees overall from the Srinagar Regional Centre as part of the nationwide convocation.

Addressing the gathering, Ganie congratulated the graduating students and underscored the growing importance of distance education in widening access to learning. He said institutions such as IGNOU have helped overcome geographical constraints and are playing a key role in shaping an evolving education model.

Bhagat, in his remarks, highlighted the contribution of IGNOU in expanding access to education, particularly in remote areas, and linked its role to improving the Gross Enrolment Ratio in line with the National Education Policy 2020. He described the convocation as a milestone reflecting sustained academic effort and commitment by learners.

Regional Director of IGNOU Srinagar, AH Rizvi, said the centre has been serving students since 1999 and currently oversees 29 active study centres across Kashmir and Ladakh. He informed that 46,468 students were enrolled in various programmes in the previous year and noted that the university operates through 57 regional centres across the country, supervising more than 200 study centres.

Rizvi encouraged graduating students to upgrade their skills and adapt to emerging opportunities, including entrepreneurship, in an increasingly competitive global environment.

The convocation was attended by students, parents, faculty members and media representatives.