A fresh complication has emerged around Jadavpur University’s convocation ceremony following a new request from Raj Bhavan. Until Wednesday night, no official clarification had been issued by the Governor’s office on the matter.
After a long wait, the appointment of a permanent Vice-Chancellor had raised hopes among students and faculty that this year’s convocation on December 24 would proceed without controversy. However, those hopes were dashed by a recent proposal from Raj Bhavan. Governor and Chancellor C.V. Ananda Bose has requested that the convocation, traditionally held at 10 am, be shifted to 3 pm.
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The proposal has left the university administration in a fix. Officials fear that beginning the ceremony in the afternoon could stretch the programme late into the night. Around 4,000 students are scheduled to receive their degrees, and even with a 10 am start, the event often runs till 9 pm. Extending it further raises concerns about logistics, travel arrangements and safety.
Jadavpur University has long followed an unwritten tradition of holding its convocation on December 24 from 10 am. However, no response from Raj Bhavan was available on the matter until Wednesday night.
This is not the first time that last-minute interventions from Raj Bhavan have disrupted Jadavpur University’s convocation. In previous years, disagreements led to the removal of then acting Vice-Chancellors Buddhadeb Sau and Bhaskar Gupta just hours before the ceremony. On both occasions, the convocation went ahead with the state government’s approval, though the Chancellor was absent.
According to a message from Raj Bhavan this time, the Chancellor will not be able to attend in the morning. He has proposed holding the court meeting around 3 pm, followed by the main ceremony from 3:30 pm onwards. However, senior administrators say that starting so late would push the event well past midnight.
A senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the proposal was “practically impossible and unrealistic.” He pointed out that students travel from other districts and even from outside the state to attend the convocation. Ending the ceremony late at night would create serious difficulties, particularly concerning the safety of women students.
Sources on campus said the entire convocation schedule had already been finalised with the Chancellor’s approval, and invitation cards had been distributed accordingly. The sudden request to change the timing has raised questions within academic circles.
University officials had earlier requested that the court meeting be held on December 21 or 22, but the Chancellor reportedly insisted on holding it on the morning of December 24. With the meeting now proposed for the afternoon, a major administrative deadlock has emerged. Without the court meeting, the convocation cannot formally begin and degrees cannot be conferred.
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The university administration has been in constant touch with Raj Bhavan to resolve the situation. Sources said a request has been sent asking that, if the Chancellor cannot attend in the morning, permission be granted for the Vice-Chancellor to conduct the court meeting and proceed with the convocation. No response has been received so far.
Senior faculty members have expressed anger over what they see as an unnecessary crisis. They point out that after two years of legal complications due to the absence of a permanent Vice-Chancellor, it is inexplicable why such problems are resurfacing now. Many fear that holding the ceremony from 3:30 pm onwards would cause immense hardship for students. Whether the convocation will follow tradition or be pushed into the night remains uncertain, with confusion continuing across the campus.
