Introduction
In today’s world, recognition is not just a matter of celebration — it’s a process. It involves discovering someone’s contribution, verifying their background, crafting a formal citation, and presenting the honour with due dignity. This holds especially true for honorary doctorates. But often, a simple question stirs debate: should there be a fee involved?
The concern is understandable. No one wants recognition to feel commercial. But there’s an equally important reality to acknowledge: sincerity also requires structure — and structure costs something.
The question, then, is not whether a fee is wrong. The better question is — can a modest fee support a dignified honorary journey? The answer is yes. When handled ethically and transparently, such a fee becomes a support system, not a shortcut.
Understanding the Journey of Recognition
The journey of an honorary doctorate — especially through digital platforms — involves multiple steps, each adding value and legitimacy:
- Reviewing nominations or applications
- Conducting background checks and community feedback
- Verifying work history or impact through supporting documents
- Drafting a citation that reflects real-life contribution
- Creating a certificate with proper seals, codes, and archiving
- Hosting or recording a convocation that maintains ceremonial grace
These tasks involve time, effort, technology, and human skill. When institutions operate at scale — often recognising hundreds of changemakers across the country — they need a sustainable way to do it.
A modest one-time fee helps make this journey not only possible, but professional.
What the Fee Actually Covers
Contrary to popular belief, the fee charged is not for the honour itself. The honour is earned — through a life of effort, values, and social contribution.
The fee typically supports:
- Certificate design and verification systems
- Convocation planning and digital platform hosting
- Professional writing of citations and bios
- Staff involved in validation and communication
- Optional physical dispatch of certificate and badge
- Archiving the recognition online for future verification
This is not a payment for glory. It’s a contribution toward making the moment meaningful, visible, and well-documented.
Why Free Isn’t Always Fair
While it may sound ideal to offer honorary degrees at zero cost, in practice, such models come with limitations:
- Only a few recognitions can be given due to resource limits
- Invisible achievers may be excluded in favour of celebrities
- Volunteers and team members may be unpaid or overworked
- The quality of ceremony, documentation, or communication may suffer
In the end, the dignity of the honour is at risk. It may no longer feel special, structured, or even timely.
Instead, a small, transparent fee enables fairness — where anyone, regardless of fame, can be considered and honoured with equal attention.
Real-Life Value Beyond the Ceremony
A digital honorary doctorate today isn’t just a single event. It becomes a tool for the recipient’s future:
- It helps gain visibility in media or social networks
- It earns trust in community leadership
- It boosts confidence and credibility for further work
- It inspires younger generations in families and villages
When backed by proper documentation, citations, and public presence, the value extends far beyond one certificate. And that extended value is made possible by the very systems the modest fee helps maintain.
Ethical Clarity Builds Trust
What matters most is how the fee is presented and handled. When digital universities:
- Explain what the fee covers
- Avoid hidden costs or pressure tactics
- Issue receipts and maintain process integrity
- Offer optional services (like hard copies) instead of forcing add-ons
— they build trust. The relationship becomes one of support, not transaction.
People understand and respect fairness. What they resist is exploitation or ambiguity. A clear, ethical model wins confidence from both the recipient and the wider society.
Indian Families Understand Contribution
In India, it’s common to contribute toward functions — whether it’s a marriage hall, a temple ceremony, or a community celebration. People bring rice, sweets, flowers, or donate modest amounts. These acts are not seen as purchases. They are gestures of respect, support, and shared responsibility.
In the same spirit, paying a small amount for an honorary degree — when it covers real services — is not shameful. It is simply participating in the dignified delivery of a well-earned recognition.
Not Everyone Can Be Reached Without Support
Digital honorary platforms are now recognising:
- Folk artists in rural Bihar
- Community health workers in tribal Odisha
- Water conservation volunteers in Rajasthan
- Teachers in remote Himalayan regions
To reach, honour, and support these people requires time, technology, and team effort. If everything had to be free, such outreach would shrink drastically.
The modest fee is what keeps the doors open for more people to be seen, celebrated, and uplifted.
Conclusion
Recognition is a noble act — but nobility also needs structure. A dignified honorary journey involves planning, people, and platforms. These can’t be powered by passion alone.
When a digital university charges a one-time, modest fee — clearly defined and ethically used — it isn’t selling the honour. It is simply building the road on which that honour can travel respectfully.
So yes, a modest fee can support a dignified honorary journey — not by replacing merit, but by delivering it with the care it deserves.
What matters in the end is not just the certificate — but the process behind it, and the lives it has the power to honour.