New Delhi: The much-awaited Jawaharlal Nehru University’s 9th Convocation ceremony was held today, January 12, 2026. The JNU 9th Convocation has conferred degrees to PhD students who have completed the PhD programme between 16th January to 31st December, 2025. The ceremony was graced by Vice President CP Radhakrishnan, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Vice Chancellor Professor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit and others.
Addressing students at the JNU 9th convocation, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan congratulated all the students who received their marksheets and degrees. As graduates received their degrees, he urged them to carry forward the university’s values of inclusivity, social justice and responsibility, and to contribute meaningfully to democracy, public service, innovation and nation-building, aligning their aspirations with India’s journey towards becoming a developed nation by 2047.
“Through years of consistent academic contributions, JNU has established a strong and distinctive tradition of academic excellence. It has been one of the leading universities in the country that has embraced genuine academic autonomy in an inter-disciplinary environment, and critical thinking has been the soul of JNU,” Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on his official X handle.
Critical thinking, JNU की आत्मा है।
JNU में बहस, चर्चा, cultural expressions और intellectual exchange की जीवंत संस्कृति रही है।
JNU एक बौद्धिक केंद्र रहा है — जहाँ विचारों कोपरखा और विकसित किया जाता है — जो आगेचलकर राष्ट्रीय नीतियों में योगदान देते हैं।#Convocation #JNU pic.twitter.com/PyebEnKley
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) January 12, 2026
On the occasion of this convocation ceremony, Minister Pradhan also believes that all the students receiving their degrees “carry forward the tradition of JNU’s inclusivity, social justice, and responsibility; become the voice of the deprived, and formulate strategies to reduce inequalities.”
JNU की डिग्री केवल व्यक्तिगत उपलब्धि नहीं, बल्कि समाज के प्रति एक जिम्मेदारी है।
मेरा विश्वास है कि JNU की inclusivity, social justice और responsibility की परंपरा आगे बढ़ाते हुए यहाँ के विद्यार्थी विकसित भारत के लक्ष्य की सिद्धि में महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभाएँगे। #Convocation… pic.twitter.com/ZyxuK5tf7Z
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) January 12, 2026
Pradhan added, “Some of you reach Parliament and state assemblies to strengthen democracy, some fulfill the duty of national service in the Kartavya Bhawan, some strengthen India’s global role as strategic experts and ambassadors. Meanwhile, some lay the foundation of start-ups and unicorns through innovation and entrepreneurship, and some, by becoming writers, journalists, and thought leaders of society, guide the nation’s ideological discourse. The country expects from you an active, positive, and meaningful contribution in realising the resolve of our respected Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’.”
The message at the JNU convocation was clear, the nation is now looking to the new graduates to put the knowledge and skills they acquired on campus into practice. All those who received their degrees must contribute their part to upholding democratic values and reducing inequalities, and also play a crucial role in shaping India’s journey towards an inclusive future by 2047.