Jamshedpur, June 4: Ranchi University will issue bilingual degree certificates for students who will attend the next convocation.

The batch of 2004 students of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees will be the first to receive degree certificates that will be printed in Hindi as well as English.

At present, degree certificates for both undergraduate and postgraduate students are issued in Hindi. To get an English certificate, students had to submit a requisition form along with an additional fee of Rs 150.

The vice-chancellor of Ranchi University, A. A. Khan (in picture), said the university was forced to take the decision of issuing certificates in Hindi as well as in English following a directive from the University Grants Commission (UGC).

?In 2003, UGC issued a directive to the university asking it to issue bilingual degree certificates for students passing out from 2004. Abiding by the UGC guidelines, we have decided to issue the certificates in English as well as in Hindi for the 2004 and 2005 batch in the convocation slated to be held next year,? said Khan, while speaking to The Telegraph over the telephone from Ranchi.

Such a decision, he added, was taken to avoid inconveniences to students pursuing admission in other institutes in other states and abroad.

?Every year the university receives a significant number of applications from undergraduate and postgraduate students requesting for degree certificates in English. The university?s move in this direction will definitely help such students,? said Khan.

He made it clear that the bilingual certificate will be issued in a single sheet and the students will not be charged for anything extra.

All students from 2004 batch onwards will get the certificates free.

Khan pointed out that technical institutes such as BIT (Mesra) have also started issuing degree and diploma certificates in English and Hindi.

The vice-chancellor also said that attempts are on to issue computerised degree certificates.

As of now, the university appoints calligraphers to write the degree certificates in Hindi. University officials admitted that they have a hard time trying to get people with such qualifications in order to produce the certificates.

Moreover, they added, calligraphers take advantage of the university?s handicap and sometimes charge exorbitant fee for the job. Computerised certificates, they said, could help them avoid this issue and maybe even save some money on the long run.