Gurgaon, March 1 (IANS): Haryana Governor Jagannath Pahadia conferred degrees to 113 students at the first convocation of the Central University of Haryana on Saturday.

The new campus of the university was also formally inaugurated Saturday in village Jant Palli of Mahendergarh district, 115 km from here.

President Pranab Mukherjee was the chief guest but since he could not reach because of unavoidable circumstances, so Pahadia did the honours.

Gold medals were also awarded to outstanding students.

Delivering the convocation address, Pahadia said since its inception in 2009, the university had expanded its academic programmes in a phased manner. He also appreciated the innovative academic and social outreach initiatives launched by the university.

Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda gave away PhD degrees to first-time researchers. He said the state government is committed to providing access to quality higher education on an equitable basis.