VIJAYAWADA: Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan has expressed concern over non-holding of convocations by some State universities as doing so on a regular basis will “jeopardise the career of students”. “Before the Covid pandemic, convocations were being organised once in every three-four years. I’ve made it clear to the vice-chancellors during a conference with them at the Raj Bhavan that convocations should be held on a regular basis, and degrees should be awarded to the students in a timely manner to protect their future,’’ the Governor said.
According to a statement from the Raj Bhavan here, the Governor has also brought the issue to the notice of Professor K Hemachandra Reddy, chairman of AP State Council of Higher Education, asking the latter to ensure its implementation.“After the Covid situation, some of the State universities held their convocations recently, but many are yet to hold the event,’’ the statement said and added that the Governor instructed the V-Cs to hold annual convocations as per the schedule so that the career of students is not affected.
The Governor also directed the V-Cs that Covid protocols should be compulsorily followed while organising the convocations. He was of the opinion that the events should be organised virtually if the Covid situation does not permit physical meetings. Andhra University last organised its convocation on January 1, 2019, and Adikavi Nannaya University in Rajamahendravaram organised the event in 2019.
Meanwhile, Krishna University, Machilipatnam has not organised its convocation for the past four years. Earlier this year, the university issued a notification three months ago for conducting its convocation in October or November. Already, a letter has been written to Governor Harichandan, and the varsity has recently received permission for organising the event, sources said.
This year, major varsities in Tirupati—Sri Venkateswara Agriculture University, SV Veterinary University and Sri Padmavati Mahila Visva Vidyalayam (SPMVV)—organised their convocations on August 10, 28 and 25, respectively.