VTU duplicate convocation degree certificate...!!!

I would like to narrate an interesting story and hope it would not be boring. I had got an offer from a top software organisation and I was badly looking to change my company due to obvious reasons like less salary and not so challenging role. I was about to join my new office in another 1 month and they had sent me the joining checklist where they had mentioned my convocation degree certificate as one of the must and should documents to bring on my joining day. I started collecting all the necessary documents and found that my convocation degree certificate is missing. For my first company, I had provided provisional degree certificate as that time my convocation degree certificate was still not arrived. It was almost 3 years since I completed my engineering and I had completely forgotten the where abouts of degree certificate. I was anxious about not finding it and decided to go for duplicate copy as only one month was left to join. I started searching madly on Internet to know the procedure of applying for duplicate convocation degree certificate from VTU. But I couldn't get sufficient information anywhere on net. Then I went through the VTU official website for any clues. There I gotta know that I need to go through some legal procedures before applying for duplicate convocation degree certificate. But I was not clear yet so I went to my college and spoke to VTU co-ordinator. He helped me with procedure I must follow. I called up VTU Belgaum on 08312498136. A lady picked up and told me what documents to bring. I hurried myself up and decided to visit VTU directly and I didn't inform any of my close friends that I am going to VTU. Anyways, Here I am just briefing the steps to follow when you apply for duplicate copy of degree certificate.

[Also I got lot of calls asking whether I put any Ad in newspaper saying that I have lost my convocation degree certificate, which I didn't do. When I went to my college for the procedure, he suggested me to put a newspaper Ad before applying. Then I think I called up VTU (sorry, I don't remember exactly as I am editing this blog after almost 1.5 years), they said it is not needed. I got the duplicate degree certificate without putting any Ad in newspaper. I didn't even get any letter signed by Principal of my college. I could have even applied to the duplicate certificate by post sending the necessary documents and the DD. But it might take 3 to 6 months or never. So I suggest you guys not to take that risk even if you have ample amount of time to wait for your duplicate degree certificate. Put some extra effort of going directly to VTU. It would be really nice if you visit the university at least once in your life which tortured you for 4 long years ;-)]

1. Make an affidavit from any lawyer stating that you have lost your original copy and applying for duplicate one. For this, if you are staying in Bangalore then you can go to Jayanagar sub registrar office near 4th block bus stop. There you will find a typist sitting just beside the entrance. He will charge you 200 bucks to get the necessary affidavit done. Just tell him that you have lost your degree certificate with details like your name, address, college, year of passing, branch, USN no etc. He knows how and what to be written in the affidavit. It has to be printed on Rs 20/- bond paper and he will only get you the signature and seal of some lawyer. Just pay him and he will take care of making an affidavit for you.

2.Now ask the same guy to write a police complaint on behalf of you. Don't worry, he knows that too very well. After getting both documents, take few photocopies of the same. Reason I put was that I lost my degree certificate while taking photocopies in a xerox shop in Jayanagar since I was registering the complaint in Jayanagar Police station. Be careful while writing the information about where you lost your certificate because it should be logical enough to convince Police or VTU officials though neither of them will actually check it nor they will have any patience for it. But still it is better to be in safer side.

3. Go to nearest police station. I went to jayanagar police station only as suggested by the same typist. But police will make you wait and ask you to bribe them. They took around 300 bucks from me to give an acknowledgment. Show them the complaint you have written and they will put signature and seal on it. They will not give you any receipt or will not register any FIR. They will just put a seal and signature on your complaint copy, that itself is the acknowledgment. Give them a photocopy of affidavit. Be careful, they might ask you the original copy of affidavit which you should never give. Now you have an original affidavit and police complaint acknowledgment.

4. Now time is set to visit Belgaum. Do not take any DD in Bangalore. Rates are subjected to change in VTU.

After reaching belgaum, first I found a lodge near bus stop only and got refreshed. Then I came to City bus stop which is just opposite to KSRTC bus stop. I had to find a bus which goes to Shanthibaswad and waited for more than 20 minutes to board the bus. Unfortunately, no bus arrived and I decided to board an auto. As VTU is 17-18 km from bus stop, autowala would ask you more money. Try to negotiate and board it. I suggest you folks not to wait too long for bus. Then I reached VTU by 10 am and somehow found out the section where I can apply for certificate. If you can't find it, ask the security guard.

They had put up all the fee structure in notice board. That time I observed that I could apply for some other documents also. I filled application forms for consolidated marks sheet which contains 1st to 8th semester marks in a single sheet along with my degree certificate application form. I am 2007 pass out and went in June 2010 for the documents which seemed ridiculous to VTU guy. Normally for duplicate convocation degree certificate it would cost you 1400/- + 100/- for every year. so for me it was 1700/-. I went to SBI bank which is inside the campus and got the DD in 5 minutes. you can get the DD there only so don't make any DD in Bangalore. Don't even worry about, on whom you need to draw DD as bank officials will get it for you without any hurdles in quick time. Then I submitted original copies of affidavit and police complaint copy with acknowledgement and DD to VTU official. He asked us to come back by 4:30 PM that day. I didn't go anywhere and just roamed around the campus and spent some time in Library. I had my lunch in VTU canteen only. Campus looks like a software company campus and has been maintained very well. By 4 pm I went to get my documents and was eagerly waiting for the VTU official to come back. One more point, don't ever try to bribe any VTU official as they will not take money anywhere and don't embarrass yourself. By 4.30 PM he came back with my degree certificate and i was jubilant after seeing it. But one thing which hurt me is, yeah literally it hurts you seeing the DUPLICATE seal on the certificate,otherwise everything else is same as original certificate. That day I learnt that we should never loose any original documents because later you would get only duplicates. Also, Date on the duplicate degree certificate was of recently concluded semester/curriculum year. They will not print the date of the year which we actually passed out from VTU, instead they will put the current date. Not exactly the date of the day you apply, but the year. These 2 are major differences between original and duplicate degree certificates.

I boarded a city bus back to bus stop. Then I visited my relative house there and started by 9.30 pm back to Bangalore.

After 2 days of reaching Bangalore, I pinged up my close friend and narrated the whole story. He replied me "hey dude!! your convocation degree certificate is in my house!! you remember?? you had given my address that time as you were shifting your room then..! and later you forgot to collect it"