Dress Indian for convocation: V-P M Venkaiah Naidu

TIRUPATI: Vice-President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu told a convocation at Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University in Tirupati on Wednesday that university chancellors and vice-chancellors should not be wearing convocation gowns as the official graduation dress, but should wear traditional Indian attire.

“A convocation ceremony is a crucial milestone as it marks a new beginning in a student’s career,” Mr Naidu told the graduating students.

The Vice-President’s suggestions come amidst several universities in the country doing away with the Western black gowns at their convocations and accepting their degrees and diplomas wearing traditional kurta-pyjamas.

It might be recalled that Union HRD minister Prakash Javadekar had recently urged all universities across the country that rather than going for British-inspired clothes for their convocation they should go for traditional Indian clothes.

“Universities can ask their students to come up with design options or can also refer to some designs posted on HRD ministry’s website,” Mr Javadekar had said, adding “Gandhi also advocated use of Khadi.

The Vice-President then veered into a celebration of the convocation, saying, “Today, you will be granted degrees and medals which bear testimony to your hard work, perseverance, merit and scholarship. A special mention has to be made of the hard work and dedication that your teachers had put in to bring out the best in you and to make you truly worthy of the degrees.”