NIMS passouts call for conduct of convocation

Hyderabad: Convocation is a regular event in any higher education calendar with universities and autonomous institutions conducting the ceremony regularly to award hard-earned education degrees to students. However, NIMS (Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences), Hyderabad, the premier medical institute in both States, is an exception to this.

It is well past 10 years since NIMS held its last convocation and understandably resident doctors are an unhappier lot. NIMS offers PG studies in MD (broad specialty) and DM (super-specialty) courses. An MBBS doctor can enroll for three-year MD course and afterwards another three-year DM course at this institute. Unlike Kaloji and NTR Health Universities, NIMS does not offer MBBS (UG) course.

Unlike other universities that have Governor as Chancellor, Chief Minister of the state is the Chancellor of the institute and NIMS Director being the Vice-Chancellor. The state Health Minister is the head of the governing body of the institute. Each year, nearly 150 PG students complete their study at NIMS.

A convocation ceremony is considered as a special day in students’ academic career because on this day they are presented education degrees, which they earn after a few years of hard work and dedication in studies. It is a defining moment in every student’s life boosting their confidence and self-esteem.

Wearing the traditional academic regalia and walking up the stage is the dream of every student in front of his colleagues, friends and family members.

Worried over the situation, the outgoing students from the Resident Doctors Association have been pursuing this case with the institute’s higher ups and even taking to the notice of Health minister. When the renovated hostel building for NIMS resident doctors was inaugurated two weeks ago, this issue was also raised by the association.

“Whenever convocation issue was raised by us in the last one year, we did not get any concrete response. For reasons unknown, this event is not being held and doctors and their families are not happy. We hope Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao takes a look into this issue and directs officials to take care of the formalities," members of the Resident Doctors Association said.

The resident doctors explained that NIMS administration was unable to impress upon the present CM or past CMs about the pending convocation issue and hence the big gap. ‘Yes, CM would be very busy and pre-occupied, but getting his nod to conduct the programme and finalizing the chief guest and formalities in case CM is busy is not very difficult,” doctors said.

One reason for not holding the convocation every year was less number of students (until formation of Telangana) and lack of MBBS course unlike NTR Health University, which regularly conducts convocation to present degrees to UG and PG students, said a senior faculty.

“Earlier the number was not even 100 outgoing students and hence holding a yearly convocation was not preferred. However, the event could be held every three years without leaving a large gap. The last convocation was held during YS Rajashekar Reddy's first stint as CM of the combined state and he attended the event," the faculty member said.

Mahesh Avadhutha