Rani Channamma University (RCU) has issued a letter to PhD scholar Sujata Pol, asking her to pay the required fee through the university’s student portal by December 31 in order to receive her PhD convocation certificate. The letter, dated December 16, was not accepted by Sujata, who felt the manner in which it was given to her was inappropriate.

Earlier, the university had withheld her convocation certificate after she filed a harassment complaint against her PhD supervisor. Although Sujata later withdrew the complaint, the university sent her a notice seeking an explanation for the withdrawal and questioning why her certificate should not remain withheld or legal action considered.

During this prolonged dispute, Sujata reportedly attempted suicide around three weeks ago by consuming sleeping pills. She was taken to the hospital in time and survived. She is currently serving as the principal of a private college in Chikodi taluk.

After her recovery, Sujata stated that she withdrew the complaint only after vice-chancellor Prof. CM Thyagaraja and registrar Santosh Kamagouda intervened to resolve the issue. 

She said her guide, KLN Murthy, apologised and asked her to retract the complaint. She agreed, noting that the university had already suspended him for six months, which she believed was sufficient disciplinary action.

Rani Channamma University (RCU) in Belagavi is set to hold its 14th convocation today at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha. The ceremony will be presided over by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, while former ISRO chairman A. S. Kiran Kumar will deliver the keynote address. Higher Education Minister M. C. Sudhakar will be present as the guest of honour. 

This year, a total of 38,485 students—including 36,642 undergraduates and 1,843 postgraduates—are eligible to graduate. Among them, 39 students will receive gold medals for academic excellence, and 28 scholars will be awarded PhD degrees.

The university will also confer honorary D.Litt. degrees on three distinguished individuals: social reformer Shivaji Kaganikar, heritage conservationist Vinod Doddannavar, and police officer and writer Basavaraj Yaligar. Meanwhile, construction of RCU’s new 127-acre campus at Hirebagewadi, located about 20 kilometres from Belagavi, is nearing completion and is expected to be inaugurated by March 2026. The shift to the new location became necessary after the Forest Department objected to the university continuing its operations on reserve forest land. 

Although efforts to retain the current campus have been ongoing for more than two decades, the university has provided compensatory land in Khanapur and completed the required formalities. Work is still underway to preserve at least 72 acres of the existing 176-acre campus at Bhutaramanahatti.

The article also highlights several undergraduate rank holders across different programmes, such as BA, BBA, BCA, BCom, BSc, BPEd, and BSW, representing various colleges affiliated with the university.

Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Belagavi, hosted DevFest Belgaum 2025, reinforcing its focus on promoting skill-based education alongside academic learning. The event attracted students, developers, and professionals from across Karnataka and featured discussions on emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, automation, and modern app development.

In his address, VTU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Vidyashankar S underlined the importance of practical skill development in today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape. He noted that universities must go beyond conventional teaching and foster innovation that contributes meaningfully to society. Students were encouraged to actively engage in platforms like DevFest to enhance their technical expertise and industry readiness.

The programme was attended by key university officials and faculty members, along with students from institutions across the Belagavi region. Expert-led technical sessions, interactive workshops, networking activities, and a hackathon offered participants hands-on learning experiences and exposure to advanced development tools.

Organised jointly by Team GDG Belgaum and VTU Belagavi, DevFest Belgaum 2025 highlighted the university’s vision of nurturing a strong technology ecosystem through collaboration, innovation, and skill-oriented education in North Karnataka.