Presidency University this year will issue digital degree certificates that can be collected online, a decision that has led many to suspect that the institute would scrap the convocation.

So far the certificates were distributed on the day of the convocation or a day after the ceremony.

The university had last held its convocation in September 2018 and has yet to announce when it will hold the next.

Presidency’s decision to issue digital certificates has triggered the buzz that the university is reluctant to hold the convocation to spare itself the trouble of inviting the chancellor — governor Jagdeep Dhankhar — to the programme.

The governor has recently faced students’ protests on several campuses, mostly because of his comments in support of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens.

Dhankhar had to leave without being able to preside over the convocations at Jadavpur and Calcutta universities despite reaching the venues because of protests.

Asked if the protests against the governor at CU and JU had prompted Presidency’s decision to issue digital certificates, vice-chancellor Anuradha Lohia told Metro: “The university has not taken any such decision (not to hold the convocation). The governing board will decide when the convocation will be held.”

When asked about the reason for issuing digital certificates, she said: “This is for the purpose of the National Academic Depository for the benefit of students in India and abroad.”

Registrar Debajyoti Konar said: “The provision (related to the issuing of digital certificates) was finalised only recently and the decision does not mean the convocation will not be held.”

Presidency said in a notice uploaded on its website: “Subsequent to the decision taken by the governing board of the Presidency University to confer the degrees subject to the provision…. His Excellency, the Chancellor and Governor has confirmed his no objection to the conferment of the Degree Certificates and uploading of the digital version of the same on the National Academic Depository. In view of the above, the digital version of the degree certificates is available in National Academic Depository. However, for the hard copy reference of the same, the students may contact their respective Head of the Department.”

In 2018, the convocation was forced out of the campus following a sustained students’ protest over the delay in repair of Eden Hindu Hostel. The programme was held at Nandan.

Subha Biswas, a postgraduate student, said: “The decision to issue digital certificates makes it clear that the authorities do not want to hold the convocation. They are not bothered to clarify why.”