What to wear and not to wear at upcoming JIPMER convocation
A notice by the Jipmer administration issued a couple of days ago stated that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had approved the following dress code — traditional Indian attire — for the upcoming convocation ceremony.
According to the notice, the approved dress for male graduating students is either off-white, half-collar kurta (full sleeves) with pyjama/pajami or off-white shirt (full sleeves) and dhoti. The footwear code stipulates formal shoes (brown/black) and forbids sneakers, slippers, or sandals.
For females, the approved wear is either off-white saree with gold border with a blouse in gold or base colour of the saree, or off-white 'Judithar/Salwar Kameez with Gold border (full sleeves)'.
Women are allowed to wear sandals but only those 'which should not create noise while walking'.
'Hence, all graduating students who will be receiving their degrees in person during the upcoming Convocation are hereby informed to strictly adhere to the above dress code....'. 'No graduating student will be allowed to attend the Convocation in a dress other than the specified for the Convocation,' the notice stated.
By way of offering more clarity on what attire makes the cut, the notice also attached images of the sets of dual option of dresses deemed acceptable for gentlemen and ladies to wear for the convocation ceremony.
According to an official source in Jipmer, the institution is only implementing a proposal sent by the Union Ministry, and its role was limited to offering suggestions on culturally appropriate options of attire. The Ministry has now approved what is acceptable for convocation ceremonies in Jipmer, the official added.
The Union Health Ministry has, since at least the last year, been pushing Centrally-administered hospitals and medical teaching institutes to do away with the colonial-era vestige at convocations and, instead adopt region-specific Indian traditional dress. Much earlier, in 2015, the University Grants Commission (UGC) had called upon all higher education institutions to adopt traditional attire for their convocation ceremonies
Past attempts for revising the dress code for convocations in favour of traditional wear have evoked mixed reactions — those who hail it as another step towards decolonisation and critics who see them as political tools of revivalism.
'Since the notice appeared on our site, reactions have been split on whether this new dress code, totally new for our institution, is actually a good thing or not,' said Mruthalagi SP, a junior resident.
While students who have longed to go ethnic are naturally happy, they also find the narrowing of options to just two dress types and specific colours restrictive. The 14th convocation, coming after a delay, will feature a large number of students from various batches.
Students had usually been renting out the gown and robe to wear over their costumes, usually carefully chosen for a dream occasion, and get through the few hours of the convocation ceremony. 'Now, with the new stipulation on costume, it remains to be seen whether there is broader acceptance in the fraternity when the convocation day arrives', a student said.
Jipmer is yet to finalise the 2025 convocation date, sources said. The institution is learnt to be keen on having the Union Health Minister as chief guest for the ceremony.
Earlier, this month, the administration had pushed the 2025 convocation registration deadline to July 7 based on students request. The exact date and timing of the convocation will be published shortly on the Jipmer website. Graduation stoles will be provided on the convocation day, the institution said in a communication to students.
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