Bengaluru: The rise in gold prices has taken the sheen out of Bangalore University’s 52nd convocation, with many meritorious students holding a flash protest on Friday on being denied gold medals. Out of the 203 gold medal winners, only 93 were given medals, while the rest got cheques.
The university authorities only added insult to their injury by stating that they were ready to give away gold medals to all the toppers, provided they pay the difference amount paid by donors and actual price of the medals.
It all started little before the end of convocation, when some students complained that though they were announced gold medal winners, the university only gave them cheques and not medals.
A student, who wished to remain anonymous, said that she bought fame to the university by winning gold medals in the national level sports championship. But now the university is not ready to give her a gold medal for academics.
The issue become complicated when university authorities informed the students that only first rank holders will be given gold medals and the rest will get cash awards.
Registrar Prof. Ningegowda said that due to the increase in the gold prices and fall in bank interest rates, the deposits made by the donors was not earning enough interest to buy gold medals. Hence we are giving the interest amount directly to the students in the form of cash, he added.
Another officer said if students are keen to have gold medals, they need to bear the extra amount over and above the bank interest amount. “Students can approach us with the additional amount,” he said. This statement further complicated the situation. Normalcy was restored only after Vice-Chancellor Dr B. Thimmegowda announcing university will look into the issue.
Visually challenged boy tops BA exam
Venkatesh, a visually- challenged student, was the cynosure of all eyes at the convocation hall. He was one of the recipients of the gold medal at under graduate level.
Venkatesh, a student of APS college have won gold medal in BA (Music). A native of Talagunda village of Kolar district, Venkatesh had secured distinction in PU. “Currently, I am pursuing MA (Economics) from Bangalore University and aim to become an IAS officer,” he said.
