MP Governor alters schedule after students' ruckus

Indore: The Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangu Bhai Patel was forced to distribute degrees to students of Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya (DAVV) after they created ruckus on Wednesday. The Governor, also the chancellor of the state universities, was having a time constraint and about to leave, but the students made a scene, making him change his programme, PTI reported citing an eyewitness.

Madhya Pradesh higher education minister Mohan Yadav, also an attendee of the programme, later told reporters that the Governor has time limits in programmes, while the number of students to get their degrees were high. It was on his request the Governor agreed to stay back, breaking his schedule and completing the degree and medal presentation, he said.

DAVV administration said that the convocation was planned to distribute 148 PhD degrees and to felicitate 113 graduate and undergraduate students with gold medals for academic excellence. The Governor's schedule had 90 minutes for the ceremony, and 50 PhD scholars and 50 meritorious students were supposed to get their degrees and medals, respectively. The rest were to receive theirs from the Vice-chancellor, DAVV said.

During the commotion, a woman scholar was spot crying, saying that she came all the way from Mumbai to receive a medal from the Governor but was not called to the dais.