President to attend multiple events in Jabalpur today:To honour 20 meritorious students at RDVV’s 36th convocation ceremony

President Droupadi Murmu will visit Jabalpur on Sunday, June 21, to attend the 36th convocation ceremony of Rani Durgavati University (RDVV) as chief guest. Governor and Chancellor Mangubhai Patel, Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, Higher Education Minister Inder Singh Parmar, PWD Minister Rakesh Singh, Rajya Sabha MP Sumitra Valmiki and other public representatives and officials will also be present. The President arrived in Jabalpur on Saturday evening by a special Air Force aircraft and stayed overnight at the Circuit House. On Sunday, she will first attend the state-level International Yoga Day programme at Garrison Ground, Sadar, reaching at 7:20 am for the event scheduled from 7:30 am. She will return to the Circuit House at 8:35 am and later leave at 11:30 am for RDVV, where she will attend the convocation ceremony from 11:50 am to 12:50 pm. Distribution of 20 gold medals at convocation ceremony A controversy recently erupted over the distribution of degrees and gold medals at the convocation ceremony. Following this, the university decided that President Droupadi Murmu would confer gold medals on 20 meritorious students, while Higher Education Minister Inder Singh Parmar would distribute the remaining medals and degrees after the President’s departure. Some students expressed displeasure over the arrangement, and during Friday’s rehearsal, a female student raised objections, which officials addressed through discussion. As part of the preparations, a full-day rehearsal was held at the university on Friday, covering the movement of gold medalists, research scholars, professors and guests to the stage, the presentation of honours and seating arrangements. Convocation Committee conveners Prof. S.S. Sandhu and Prof. Rakesh Bajpai said all arrangements have been thoroughly reviewed in line with the President’s protocol. President’s presence at convocation after 20 years For the first time in almost two decades in the history of Rani Durgavati University, a convocation ceremony is being organised in the presence of a President. Before this, in 2006, the then President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam had attended the university’s convocation ceremony. At that time, he had shared several pictures of the event on his website. Strict security arrangements, several routes to be restricted In view of President Droupadi Murmu’s visit, Dumna Airport, Circuit House, Garrison Ground and the university campus have been placed under tight security, with heavy police deployment and restricted entry. Traffic on the university road will remain restricted from 11 am to 1:15 pm during the convocation. The President’s convoy will enter through Gate No. 2, Gate No. 3 has been designated as an emergency exit, VIP parking will be at Gate No. 1, and parking for other vehicles at Gate No. 4. After the ceremony ends at 12:50 pm, the President will leave the university, reach Dumna Airport at 1:10 pm and depart for Gwalior at 1:20 pm aboard a special Indian Air Force aircraft.