Last Updated on January 10, 2021 at 9:12 am
IIT Jammu had to recall its earlier decision of holding convocation in Kashmiri traditional dress as many registered their disapproval with the decision. IIT organized the event of its first convocation ceremony on Saturday and granted degrees in gown rather than Kashmiri traditional dress. People of Jammu had called the earlier decision of IIT discriminatory.
This controversy started when IIT Jammu held a press conference to provide information regarding the first-ever convocation ceremony. IIT administration announced that in order to make the event happening they will grant degrees in Kashmiri attires. Girls will have to wear Kashmiri caps while boys will use pheran. After a while of releasing this information, the University started to receive backlash on social media platforms by Jammuites. People started to raise questions like if the event is being organized by IIT Jammu then why are they forcing students to wear Kashmiri dress. When this controversy garnered attention, then ultimately Prime Minister Office (PMO) had to interfere in the issue.
MP from Jammu and Minister of State for PMO, Dr Jitendra Singh discussed the issue with the director of IIT Jammu on Friday and ordered him to resolve the controversy without any delay. Following the orders from high command, IIT Jammu announced that students will wear gowns during the event. On Saturday, the event was organized on IIT Jammu’s campus on Jagti Nagrota and students received degrees in gowns and not in Kashmiri attires.
In the first ever held convocation of IIT Jammu, 79 pass out students received received degrees. Of these 79 students, 39 attended the event to receive degrees while 40 received them online. Tejaswi Agarwal was honoured with President of India gold medal while Aakar Sharma received Director gold medal and Shreyanshu Kumar Institute silver medal.
Padma Bhushan awardee Indian American electrical engineer, Professor Arogyaswamy J Paulraj delivered the message of excellence to graduates in his convocation address.
University also dedicated a website to the graduating batch of their memories. The juniors wrote, composed and sung a beautiful song for the graduating batch. Many distinguished personalities like Chairman – Board of Governors, Sharad Kumar Saraf, director, Professor Manoj Singh Gaur, Chairman, Convocation committee, Professor Ashoke K Sarkar and Registrar, IIT Jammu- Colonel Sanjay Dahiya attended the event.
