JNTU-K defies Governor's instruction on holding convocation

Kakinada: Despite the instructions of Governor Biswabhushan Harichandan for holding convocation ceremonies every year, the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University-Kakinada (JNTU-K) authorities failed to do so for two consecutive years.

Keeping in view the interest of the students as well as their job prospects, the Governor Biswabhushan Harichandan directed the Andhra Pradesh State Council for Higher Education Chairman Prof K Hemachandra Reddy to issue orders to all universities for conducting convocation ceremonies every year without any delay. Barring JNTU-K, all other universities have already conducted the convocation ceremony with the Governor participating through virtual mode.

According to sources, the JNTU-K officials seem to have addressed a letter to the Governor for holding the convocation on the campus. Soon after they receive the letter of permission from the Governor, they would certainly conduct the convocation ceremony on the campus.

According to officials, the University was notified regarding holding of convocation in December 2020. But owing to pandemic they had to suspend the date of convocation and for that they are unable to conduct convocation in view of nationwide lockdown.

More than 50,000 students are anxiously looking forward to convocation as they have to submit their original degrees during interviews. But the delay in holding the convocation for the last two years has caused frustration among them. Bleak prospects of carrier caused despair and unhappiness among the job aspirants of various engineering colleges affiliated to JNTU-K.

According to officials, there are 241 affiliated colleges to JNTU-K. The candidates of B Tech account for 45,000 and PG students numbering 10,000 have to take their original degrees during convocation from JNTU-K. Even though students are issued provisional certificates they are valid only for six months and the employers would not accept temporary provisional certificates for the jobs.

They expressed their anguish for losing their jobs owing to Covid pandemic and some lost their jobs for non-submission of original certificates which are usually given during convocation only. The students of the JNTU-K have been requesting the authorities for issue of the original degrees in view of the decreasing Covid-19 cases in districts.

JNTU-K Registrar Prof L Sumalatha told 'The Hans India' that even though they were getting ready for holding convocation, they were compelled to give up convocation in view of the rapid spread of Covid-19 across the state. She said that 7th convocation ceremony was held in JNTU-K campus in August 2019. She said that they could not hold the 8th convocation ceremony scheduled in December 2020 owing to the pandemic. She said that they could not hold the convocation due to the postponement of the examination from April to October.

Later, they had to continue the regular examinations along with the semester examinations. She said that they gave top priority to the pending examination. She also made it clear that it was because of Covid only they did not conduct the convocation till now.