JNU convocation held after 46 years
New Delhi, Aug 8: After keeping its convocation ceremony suspended for 46 years, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) revived the practice on Wednesday conferring Ph.D. degrees on more than 400 students.
It was in 1972 that the JNU had held its first convocation ceremony with renowned actor Balraj Sahni as the chief guest. Sahni had spoken in his address on Indian films, art, poetry and its people's habit of aping the West.
The ceremony was suspended thereafter allegedly because of an anti-establishment speech by student leader V.C. Koshy who is believed to have spoken at the same function.
At Wednesday's function held at the AICTE auditorium here, Space scientist and current Chancellor of the university V.K. Saraswat, who was the chief guest, gave away the degrees.
JNU Vice Chancellor M. Jagadesh Kumar in his address urged the students to become "discoverers and innovators" and use their ideas for the good of society.
"The best ideas are born when minds are free. JNU is committed to this freedom of thought and critical thinking with an emphasis on our fundamental responsibilities," Kumar said, according to a statement shared by his office.
He also said the convocation ceremony will be organised every year.
A group of students, however, criticised the ceremony, calling it a "publicity stunt" of the VC who, they accused, is hell-bent on destroying JNU.
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Two found hanging in hotel room in Kerala's Kottayam
Kottayam (Kerala) (PTI): A young man and a woman were found dead inside a hotel room here in a suspected suicide after their families allegedly did not approve their marriage proposal, police said on Saturday.
The deceased were identified as Nandakumar RPC (22) of Puthupally and Asiya Thanamma (19) of Variserry, Parumbaicadu, who were found hanging in the room in Sasthri Road, Kottayam, on Friday evening, police said.
According to officials of Kottayam West police station, both had been in a relationship for the past few years.
They had informed their family members about the relationship and their plan to get married, but the proposal was reportedly not accepted, police said.
The duo checked into the hotel on Thursday.
However, when they failed to vacate the room even after the checkout time, hotel staff broke open the door and found them dead on Friday evening, police said.
A suicide note was recovered from the room in which they stated that their families’ disapproval of their marriage was the reason for taking the extreme step, police said.
Earlier, Asiya’s family had lodged a missing complaint, following which Gandhinagar police registered a case, officials said.
The bodies will be handed over to relatives after postmortem examination, police added.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the state’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416.)
