No more black gown, cap at BBAU convocation

LUCKNOW: Following the advice of former President APJ Abdul Kalam, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University has done away with the colonial legacy of black gowns as convocation outfits. Instead, graduating students will wear a “cream-coloured” gown without caps in the fifth convocation of the university, on January 13.
Registrar Sunita Chandra said, “The academic council on Tuesday recommended to do away with the ceremonial gown worn during the convocation down the ages.We have adopted a colour code for our convocation”. The council’s recommendations were approved by the Board of Management (BoM), the apex body for making any changes. The university has also changed the format of awarding degrees to students. From this year, students will get the degree in a folder. The degree will cost Rs 500 instead of the earlier Rs 200, as it will have their photograph on it.
At BBAU’s third convocation address in 2010, Kalam had described the convocation robe a British relic. A similar stand was taken by then-Union minister Jairam Ramesh, who had removed his robe during a convocation in Bhopal to prove his point.
“The gown should go. It is British gown. We must have a simple Indian dress instead—an ‘angavastram’ or a Lucknow dress, maybe, which is lighter and suitable for all seasons,” Kalam had said then.
In a meeting with vice-chancellors of state universities, Governor Ram Naik had raised questions on why the hooded academicals and tams (caps) were a must wear during convocation ceremonies. What should be their colours and whether the time had come to re-design the graduation robe. He had also asked if institutions could do without these robes?