After uproar, Pune University removes vegetarian condition for gold medalist

Pune: After the backlash on social media, the Savitribai Phule Pune University has decided not to confer the gold medal given in the name of Ramchandra Shelar till his family removes the condition that only those students who are vegetarian and teetotallers, can apply for the honour.

When the varsity posted a circular on its website recently, listing the eligibility criteria of the now scrapped gold medal, it was met with sheer outrage. But the backlash seems to have taught them a lesson as they omitted the medal prize from the website in a bid to assert that the institution has taken steps to undo their action.

Professor (Dr) Nitin R. Karmalkar, Vice-Chancellor, said that the sponsors of the Maharishi Keertankar Shelar Mama Gold medal are the Shelar family. “And their traditions keep them from indulging in non-vegetarian food and alcohol. The Shelar family, in honour of Maharishi Keertankar Shelar, started the medal back in 2006. And they wanted it just so,” he said. He said, “Now, with the consent of the Shelar family, we will be annulling the scholarship,” he said.