Jaipur: Haridev Joshi University of Journalism and Mass Communication issued a statement Friday expressing ‘special gratitude’ to Deputy Chief Minister and Higher Education minister Prem Chand Bairwa for distributing degrees to students from the dais during the university’s third convocation ceremony on Wednesday.The statement comes after the convocation was disrupted by students who protested over not being given degrees from the stage and only 12 gold medallists were awarded. The university described the protest by students during the ceremony as “unfortunate and disappointing.”Vice-Chancellor Prof Nand Kishore Pandey said the convocation was conducted strictly according to the schedule approved by Raj Bhavan.According to the statement, a total of 271 students who passed their final examinations in 2024 and 2025 were awarded degrees. The governor and chancellor, who presided over the ceremony, presented 12 gold medals and two PhD degrees from the dais. The Governor also joined degree recipients from both faculties for a group photograph on stage.After the disruption, when degrees were being distributed, one of the protesting students, Sara Ismail, receiving a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication, went on stage, and while receiving her degree from Bairwa, turned to the audience and said, “Thank you for giving us this honour after insulting us.” The university said that it condemns the ‘inappropriate remark’ made by the student.“It is not customary at universities for every student to receive a degree individually from the dais by the Governor. The event concluded on time, after which some students demanded that all degrees be handed over directly by the governor, a request which was not feasible under the pre-determined schedule. The deputy chief minister agreed and stood for nearly two hours to confer the degrees,” said the vice-chancellor.
