Indian attire replaces British-era convocation gown at KU

Vishal Joshi

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Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, May 8

Haryana’s oldest and largest university Kurukshetra University has done away with what it calls the ‘European graduate gown-culture’ for its convocation ceremony.

For the first time, students will be asked to don 'dhoti-kurta’, ‘kurta-payjama’ and 'salwar suit', all in whites.  Pawan Kumar Sharma, Dean Students Welfare, however said students could opt to wear white pant and shirt or cream-colour saree, with either black shoes or sandals for the occasion.
 

A public notice in this regard will be released soon, he said.

A committee under the DSW was instituted in the last meeting of the executive council to recommend changing convocation dress code.

Prof Sharma said it was unanimously decided to give the important academic ceremony a non-colonial appearance.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will chair KU’s 30th convocation scheduled for May 27. About 2,000 students from KU campus, including 300 PhD scholars, would be honoured.

University sources also said authorities could ask students to wear khadi clothes, although that has yet to be decided.
The decision to scrap British-era convocation gowns has invited a mixed reaction from the campus students and teachers.

“Pictures in those convocation gowns are part of every household's memories. Students may come all whites and creams dresses and there may not be a uniformity in their dress material or designs,” said a student.

Sanjeev Sharma, president, Kurukshetra University Teachers Association (KUTA), said former president APJ Abdul Kalam had suggested donning Indian attire in place of the existing convocation dress would be a real tribute to him.