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Coronavirus scare: Punjabi university postpones its 39th convocation
The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Vice-chancellor (V-C) professor BS Ghuman with senior functionaries of the university.
Amid coronavirus scare, Punjabi University has decided to postpone its 39th convocation that was scheduled to be held on March 13.
The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Vice-chancellor (V-C) professor BS Ghuman with senior functionaries of the university.
In wake of increasing coronavirus cases in the country, University Grants Commission, Punjab’s higher education department and the district health department have issued advisories to all the educational institutions asking not to hold large gatherings in the campus, the V-C said.
“We were expecting gathering of around 2,000 students, including those from other countries, to get their PhD and MPhil degrees during the convocation. Therefore, taking preventive measures, the varsity has decided to postpone the convocation as of now,” he said.
With the call to postpone the event, the wait to receive degrees at a formal convocation gets longer for the students. The varsity has failed to organise the annual convocation since the last four years.
The failure of the university management in making convocation an annual affair in these past years has left students, mainly the PhD passouts, a harried lot. Many of them have collected their degrees in absentia from the examination branch of the university after paying a fee of ₹1,000.
The university had organised its 38th convocation in 2015, in which degrees, university medals and degrees of doctor of philosophy (PhD) were conferred on more than 400 students. As per the university norms, besides all PhD passouts, toppers of MPhil, postgraduation and undergraduation academic courses should be awarded degrees during the annual convocation.
