Indian attires, Sanskrit pledge at IIT ISM convocation

Students of the IIT Indian School of Mines (ISM) here would wear Indian attires and not the traditional gown that they had been wearing for 92 years, during its convocation tomorrow.

They would also have the choice of taking the convocation pledge in Sanskrit at the first convocation after the ISM attained the IIT status in 2016.

"The institution has set new dress code for the students for the convocation. Boys would wear pale white or pale cream kurtapyjama. Girls will wear offwhite sari with matching clothes or off-white or pale cream salwar and kameez," Dean of Infrastructure J K Patnayak said.

Besides, all the students will carry a stole, Patnayak told reporters on the eve of the convocation.

To a question, he said earlier the students used to wear 'colonial' gown during convocations, and now it has been changed to promote Indian traditional dresses.

"The students will take pledge either in Sanskrit or in English at the convocation. Sanskrit has been adopted as it is a symbol of Indian culture," Patnayak said.

However, Sanskrit is not mandatory and a student can take pledge in English if he or she so prefers, he said.

The ISM started its journey in 1926 and got IIT status in 2016. Till date, students used to wear gowns in convocations and take pledge only in English.

The dean of infrastructure said 3835 students of 2015-16 and 2016-17 sessions would be given degree during the convocation.

"Altogether 1500 of them have got registered to take the degree personally (in the dress directed by the ISM)," Patnayak said adding that IIT ISM director Rajiv Shekhar would present them degree.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been scheduled to be the chief guest of the convocation on May 25. But his programme was cancelled at the eleventh hour due to some unavoidable circumstances, Patnayak said.

Thereafter the authorities rescheduled the programme and it would now be a two-day affair beginning tomorrow.