Aurangabad: The University Grants Commissions (UGC) has directed all universities across the country to issue degrees to students within 180 days of the student qualifying for the degree. The communique also carried a sage comment that withholding a student's degree could hamper 'the entry into a world of possibilities and promises'. The Commission warned that any institution found violating the norm will face punitive action including withdrawal of grants or the status as a university. "The period of 180-days is more than sufficient to perform the task which constitutes perhaps one of the most fundamental and primary duties of a university. Withholding the degree of a student who has successfully completed his tenure in the institution of his enrolment, for whatever reasons, amounts to limiting the opportunities of the student," UGC secretary Jaspal Sandhu said. The UGC has reportedly received several representations and references regarding some universities who have failed to award the degrees in time, due to which the students were unable to opt for further courses within the deadline. The circular has stated that getting the crucial document in time 'is an inviolable privilege of a student'.