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Tamil Nadu’s Higher Education Minister K Ponmudi on Thursday, June 8, alleged that Governor RN Ravi was delaying the convocation ceremonies at several state universities. The minister added that the Governor wanted Union Ministers to be invited as guests and was citing their unavailability as the reason for the delay. Over nine lakh students are awaiting their degree certificates due to this delay, Ponmudi said.
Speaking to the media, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Minister said that several students are unable to get admissions in universities abroad as they cannot submit their degree certificates on time. "Convocation ceremonies for students who graduated in 2022, have not been held in many universities. In some other universities, convocation ceremonies have not been conducted for the academic years preceding 2022 as well. Students are being affected due to this delay. There is nothing wrong in conducting the convocation with the university authorities and state ministers,” he added.
In July 2022, Ponmudi had boycotted the convocation ceremony of Madurai Kamaraj University after the Governor extended an invitation to the Union Minister of State for Fisheries L Murugan from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He stated that his decision to boycott the ceremony was based on his opinion of the Governor politicising the event by extending an invitation to Murugan.
According to reports, several universities in the past, including the Bharathidasan University in Trichy, were awaiting the Governor’s dates for convocation in March 2023. The university was reportedly collecting Rs 3,000 to 5,500 under a tatkal scheme from individual students who wished to avail their certificates ahead of the convocation. Upon applying, the university would forward the applications to the Governor’s office, post which they acquire and distribute the certificates.
This isn’t the first time that the DMK government has been at loggerheads with Governor Ravi. From Ravi sending the anti-NEET bill back in February 2022 to the ongoing controversies surrounding the child marriage cases in the Chidambaram Natarajar temple, the ruling government and the Governor have been at cross purposes.
