Utkal struggles with last-minute hiccups - Times of India

BHUBANESWAR: With only a day left for President Pranab Mukherjee's visit here, Utkal University was struggling hard on Tuesday to make arrangements for its 45th convocation on April 25. The venue where the President is scheduled to deliver the convocation address was far from ready even though the varsity engaged an event management company by spending Rs 35 lakh to prepare the air-conditioned venue. Though the varsity had given a deadline of Tuesday to complete the work, it was nowhere near completion. Fitting of air-conditioners and side covering and decorative work were yet to be completed. Several faculty members expressed concern about the delay in preparations during a review meeting on Tuesday. "It is a matter of concern. We have asked the agency to speed up the work and complete it by tonight," said post graduate council chairman P K Mishra. The President, governor SC Jamir and chief minister Naveen Patnaik are scheduled to come to the varsity through the main gate (from Saheednagar side) at 10.55 am on Thursday. A reception committee will welcome the dignitaries by offering Pattachitra paintings. The convocation is scheduled to get over by 12.15 pm. Conventionally, the varsity conducts rehearsal of Academic Council and Senate members two days before the convocation. But since the venue was not ready on Tuesday, the varsity is likely to conduct the rehearsal at 3pm on Wednesday, a day before the event. "Rehearsal will be held on Wednesday," Mishra said. In another glitch, the varsity was unable to procure Sambalpuri uttariyas (a traditional full-length scarf) of a similar colour that it dee med all graduating students and dignitaries are to wear to the convocation. Since handloom weavers were unable to honour the bulk order at the last moment, the varsity has now ordered uttariyas of at least four different colours and designs. Though the varsity decided to shed the British legacy of ceremonial robes during the convocation, the entrance gate near the convocation venue has been decked up in a style that resembles the traditional graduation caps kept atop books. The main entrance near Vani Vihar has been lent a temple architecture design, while billboards of the President and chief minister Naveen Patnaik dot the varsity campus. All roads in the campus leading up to the convocation venue have been re-laid while walls have been painted afresh for the occasion. The varsity will award 226 scholars with PhD degrees, 96 students with gold medals and three eminent persons (Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Dr Sanatan Rath and retired Justice R K Patra) with honor ary degrees. via Top Stories - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNHq1CLBSPlSSeKqvcRBUMoDD_SQNA&url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/Utkal-struggles-with-last-minute-hiccups/articleshow/19704596.cms

Put the internet to work for you. via Personal Recipe 2953939