PUNE: Soon, degree certificates will include photographs of the students, announced Minister of Human Resource Development (MHRD) Prakash Javadekar at the 20th Convocation ceremony of Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University) on Saturday.
The Minister also spoke about the budget allocation for the education sector in the recently announced Budget.
“I have directed all universities in the country to paste photos of the degree holders on their degree certificates. This will avoid the malpractice of somebody else’s degree having somebody else’s name on it,” said Javadekar.
He further said, “We have instituted the National Academy Depository, which is an electronic depository that will have degrees and academic records in digital format. At present, degrees are issued physically but soon it will be stored digitally so that it gives the ease to possess authenticated degrees online whenever required.”
Javadekar was the chief guest at BVDU convocation ceremony in which 6,120 graduate and postgraduate students were conferred degrees on Saturday. Around 44 students received gold medals and 58 students were awarded PhD degrees. BVDU also conferred doctorate of literature (DLitt) for extraordinary contribution to humanity to Digambar Jain Acharya, Sant Shiromani Acharya.
BVDU Chancellor Shivajirao Kadam, Vice-Chancellor Vishwajeet Kadam along with members of the board of management, academic council and dean of faculties were present on
the dais.
EDUCATION BUDGET HAS DOUBLED IN FIVE YEARS: JAVADEKAR
The minister also gave the following highlights of budget allocation for the education sector, claiming that in five years of the ruling government, the budget allocated under MHRD to education sector has doubled.
- In 2014, HRD budget was Rs 47,000 crore, in five years, it has increased by 250 per cent to Rs 1.25 lakh crore.
- Rs 30,000 crore has been invested in education from higher education agency.
- The government has implemented several programmes under National Education Scheme from teacher education to every school having a library.
- Government-run schools are given Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000 every year to encourage inculcating sports activities.
- Last year, teachers education had received Rs 30,000 crore in the budget. This has now increased by 20 per cent with an outlay of Rs 36,000 crore this year.
- Budget allocation for RUSA has also increased by 50 per cent from Rs 14,000 crore to Rs 21,000 crore.