Students Baburaoji Gholap College Savitribai Phule Pune University Satyapal Singh artificial intelligence The change of dress code at the 114th(SPPU) convocation, done towing a call given by the Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development,, was fashioned by a group of 20 students from Baburaoji Gholap College’s Fashion Technology course.To ensure that everybody got the attire of offwhite kurta, white pyjama, a traditional sash (uparna) and the controversial Puneri pagdi right, the students were present at the green room on Friday.They guided the Vice Chancellor, Nitin Karmalkar, chief guest and director of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), Shekhar Mande, the registrar, pro-vice chancellor and other members of the management council, as well as the students who won the gold medals, so that everything was draped in similar length and style.Speaking to Mirror, Deepali Joshi, head of the department, Fashion Technology, Gholap College, explained, “We had a meeting for replacing the earlier British-era gown and mortarboard with an ethnic costume. Once the kurta and pyjama was decided on, we chose to add the uparna to complete the Chhatrapati Shivaji Era look and our students were available at the green room to ensure it was draped correctly.”The annual ceremony saw the distribution of one lakh degrees, conferring of 439 PhDs, with 70 students receiving gold medals in different streams. Clearly enjoying the new dress code, Nilesh Bhapkar of Baramati who got three gold medals in Mathematics, commended, “It was an interesting change and a welcome one. The uparna came as a last minute addition which we were helped into by the students from the design school.”In his speech Mande urged, “India may have missed the bus in the past three industrial revolutions but should be able to participate in the fourth one powered byand automation. Scientists and researchers need to start engaging with the society and the polity, rather than keep away as they have in the past.”Though the awardees had no issue with the new headgear, the unions which questioned the use of the Puneri pagdi, a Peshwa legacy, and demanded it be replaced with the Phule pagdi to acknowledge the contribution made by Mahatma Jyotiba Phule to education, were seen protesting during the convocation ceremony. Members of Loktantrik Janata Dal United disrupted the proceeding with their sloganeering. Member of Nationalist Congress Party’s youth wing, National Students Union of India (NSUI) and Students Federation of India (SFI) brought a pony adorned with the Puneri pagdi to the campus.The Chatturshrungi police station detained eight students for disturbing the programme. “We detained them between 12.30 pm and 3.30 pm before letting them off with a warning,” informed Sandesh Kenjale, police inspector, Chatturshrungi police station. Sticking by his stated stand, NSUI’s Satish Gore, argued, “The Puneri pagdi has no connect with education and the Phule pagdi should have rightfully been part of the dress code on display on the dias.” Loktantrik Janata Dal United member Kuldip Ambekar protested, “By detaining us SPPU has stopped us from expressing ourselves.” Karmalkar refused to comment on the protests.However, the objection to the Puneri pagdi did not seem to extend beyond the agitating unions. Gold medal winner who took to the new costume, completely oblivious to the ongoing protests, did not subscribe to the view even when apprised of the situation. “It is education that matters and degrees. We are happy with the dress code this time and had no issue with the pagdi,” said Rogangar Bhushra Altaf, who took home two gold medals in Master of Education. Similarly, Nikhil Jog who got his Master’s degree in Commerce, dismissed, “The pagdi does not symbolise anything. Finally, it is education that is important. Students need to focus more on that than political thoughts.”

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