BHU convocation nothing colonial about it
The Indian Institute of Technology at Banaras Hindu University (IIT-BHU) will shed the colonial-era system of wearing gowns during its first convocation to be held on July 10.
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The Indian Institute of Technology at Banaras Hindu University (IIT-BHU) will shed the colonial-era system of wearing gowns during its first convocation to be held on July 10. The male students would be wearing either kurta-pyjama or kurta-dhoti,while the female students would be wearing salwar-kameez or sarees.
With this,the institute will join the gradually increasing numbers of institutions of higher learning that are shunning the colonial-era practice of wearing ceremonial gowns during convocations.
Former President A P J Abdul Kalam would be the chief guest at the function. A total of 113 students will be awarded various prizes and medals,besides their degrees,during the convocation. A decision in this regard was taken after the director,senior faculty members and others associated with the Institute suggested that the new IIT should introduce new traditions that suited our indigenous sensibilities, said Chairman (Press,Publication and Publicity Cell),Prof Ravi Pratap Singh. Previously Institute of Technology,BHU,the university received the status of IIT only last year.
Dean (Academic Affairs),IIT-BHU,Prof Surendra Kumar said: The traditional system of wearing gowns is a relic from the colonial era. This is our institutes first convocation and,therefore,we wanted to break away from this tradition,which holds little relevance today. Also,the traditional Indian dress leaves us with better aesthetic experience.
Asked whether there would be other changes in the convocation ceremony,Prof Kumar said other things would remain as they were. Usually,during such events,the convocation procession,led by the chief guest,enters the hall accompanied by drum beats and everybody is supposed to remain standing until the chief guest takes seat. This process is repeated when the chief guest leaves.
In the past couple of years,there has been a growing clamour for doing away with traditional ceremonial gowns with some institutes,such as Utkal University in Odisha,having already done it. The Berhampur University in Odisha had done away with the ceremonial hood though it had kept the gowns.
In 2010,Union Minister Jairam Ramesh,during convocation of the Indian Institute of Forest Management in Bhopal,had famously refused to don the gown saying it was colonial.
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