GUWAHATI, Feb 3 - The Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University (KKHSOU) in its third convocation held today at Srimanta Sankaradeva International Auditorium on the Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra premises here, conferred honorary PhD degree to The Assam Tribune editor Prafulla Govinda Baruah along with educationist Prof Tabu Ram Taid and filmmaker Rima Das.
The KKHSOU also conferred 10,330 graduate degrees, 1,754 master degrees and five PhD degrees, besides honorary DLit degree to Prof Nageshwar Rao, Vice Chancellor, Indira Gandhi National Open University.
Among those conferred degrees today are also three inmates of Guwahati Central Jail � Purna Sarma and Swargam Kumar Rabha, who received master degrees in mass communication, and Madan Chandra Kalita, who received BA degree. The university also conferred degrees to six differently abled persons.
Addressing the convocation, KKHSOU Chancellor and Governor of Assam Jagdish Mukhi said with the motto of �Education Beyond Barriers�, the university has been catering to the needs of learners across diverse backgrounds and milieu, offering a number of academic programmes ranging from certificate and diploma to bachelor and masters, MPhil and PhD programmes.
He also dwelt on �Jnan Taranga�, the first community radio service of the Northeast launched by the university in 2009, besides the initiative to provide education free of cost to jail inmates and differently abled learners. He also mentioned that under the �Mother Teresa Social Welfare Mission�, the university has adopted five remote and backward tribal villages of the Rani block.
Delivering the convocation address, Prof Nageshwar Rao said serving the disadvantaged sections for the society is the major focus of digital and technology-enabled education in the university systems. �The entry of the disadvantage and non-traditional learners into the productive workforce of the nation has tremendous implications for sustaining our economic growth,� he added.
Along with other dignitaries, Assam Education Minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya was also present in the convocation.
