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Panjab University to confer 1,128 degrees at 69th convocation today
The convocation, being held after a two-year gap due to the Covid-19 pandemic, will be presided over by Vice-President of India and university chancellor Venkaiah Naidu
Panjab University is all set to award 1,128 PhD degrees at its 69th annual convocation at the Gymnasium Hall on the Sector 14 campus on Friday.
The convocation, being held after a two-year gap due to the Covid-19 pandemic, will be presided over by Vice-President of India and university chancellor Venkaiah Naidu. This is Naidu’s third such visit to PU, as he had attended the convocation ceremonies in 2018 and 2019 as well.
Punjab and Haryana chief ministers Bhagwant Mann and Manohar Lal Khattar, along with Punjab governor Banwarilal Purohit and his Haryana counterpart Bandaru Dattatreya, will also attend the ceremony, besides Union minister of state for commerce and industry Som Parkash.
On the occasion, apart from PhD degrees, the honorary doctor of science degrees will also be conferred upon Krishna Ella, chairman and managing director of Bharat Biotech, the company that manufactured India’s indigenous Covid vaccine Covaxin, company’s joint director Suchitra Ella and principal scientific adviser to the Union government Ajay Kumar Sood, who is also an alumnus of PU.
Moreover, PU Ratna awards will be conferred upon JS Rajput, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Rani Rampal, Jagbir Singh, Onkar Singh Pahwa and Khandu Wangchuk Bhutia.
PU’s chief security officer Vikram Singh said, “All security arrangements are in place. A VVIP route has also been designated for the day. Besides university’s security guards, around 300 Chandigarh Police personnel and 50 police officials will provide security on the campus.”
Rehearsal ends in chaos on roads outside campus
Chaos was the order of the day as PU conducted its convocation rehearsal on Thursday, leaving commuters around the varsity campus harried.
In the wake of the rehearsal, Gate Number 1 was closed for entry of vehicles, leading to traffic bottlenecks at Gate Number 2. With no help at hand, an auto-rickshaw driver was seen managing the traffic as chaos ensued on all roads leading to PU.
“There was no announcement about the traffic restrictions for the rehearsal, causing major traffic jams. The authorities should have deployed adequate staff to streamline the traffic,” said Sachin Galav, the local area councillor.
Aman of PSU-Lalkaar said Gate Number 1 was closed in the morning without intimation, forcing students to head to other gates. “In general, the rush around PU Gate Number 3 and PGIMER has increased due to opening of schools and OPDs. We will review the existing deployment in the area and see what more steps can be taken to ease the congestion,” said Manisha Chaudhary, SSP (Traffic), Chandigarh.
Restrictions in place: Take note
No entry allowed from Gate Number 1 of PU’s Sector 14 campus from 9 am to 1 pm
Gate Number 2 to be used by VIPs, guest invitees, faculty and mediapersons
Gate Number 3 to be used by students
No vehicles to be parked on the VVIP route – from Gate Number 1 via administrative block, chemistry department and physics department road up to the Gymnasium Hall
All residents/visitors advised against parking their vehicles on the roadside on PU campus
Any vehicle found parked in the unauthorised area, will be towed away by the traffic police.
