The 50th convocation ceremony of Tribhuvan University (TU), held at Dasharath Stadium on Saturday, witnessed massive crowds of thousands of graduates and their family members, stretching lines from Thapathali to Shahid Gate.
The chaotic traffic management and overcrowding at the event sparked criticism, with many questioning TU’s practice of organising a single, annual convocation for all graduates of the year.
Record attendance at the convocation
According to TU Controller of Examinations Pushpa Raj Joshi, Saturday’s event recorded the highest participation in TU’s history, with 14,308 graduates and an estimated total attendance of 30,000, including parents and guardians.
“This was the largest convocation ever in TU’s history,” said Joshi. The overwhelming number of attendees created challenges for the organisers, but the event was successfully concluded thanks to everyone’s cooperation.
During the ceremony, Joshi announced, “An event of this scale has not happened before and will not happen again.” He emphasised that the increasing enthusiasm among graduates and their families has made conducting a single convocation impractical.
Shift to faculty-based and semi-annual convocations
To address these challenges, TU is planning to implement a new modality for graduation ceremonies. “Convocations will now need to be organised every six months or based on faculties,” Joshi stated. He proposed hosting a main convocation along with separate ceremonies conducted by faculty deans to manage the crowd and logistics effectively.
The idea of conducting faculty-specific ceremonies has also been supported by TU Professors’ Association President Basanta Dhakal. He suggested holding separate convocation ceremonies for undergraduate and postgraduate students, noting that biannual events would be more manageable.
“Most graduates are undergraduates. Organising two ceremonies a year will ease the management,” Dhakal said. He also proposed reserving an annual ceremony for medal and award recipients.
Senate discussions on convocation reform
The proposal for revamping the convocation format has been discussed in TU’s Senate. During the previous Senate meeting, Bishnu Dhungel, the President of the Free Students’ Union (FSU) at the Law Campus, had submitted a proposal advocating for faculty-specific convocations.
Dhungel argued that separate ceremonies would enhance students’ sense of pride in their achievements. “Faculty-wise convocations provide a personal touch and dignity to the event,” he said.
Expert opinions and logistical feasibility
Former TU Vice-Chancellor Kedar Bhakta Mathema also supports faculty-based convocations. “The current format is poorly managed. Conducting ceremonies by faculty would make the process more organised,” he said.
Students and faculty members believe that hosting smaller, faculty-specific ceremonies could make it feasible to hold events at TU’s own grounds, such as its cricket field, which has hosted large events like the NPN Cricket Tournament.
“If the numbers are reduced through separate ceremonies, organising them within TU’s premises becomes practical,” said Dhungel.
Breaking records and guinness book aspirations
Saturday’s ceremony also broke TU’s record from the previous year, when 12,374 students graduated. This year, the number rose to 14,308.
Joshi revealed that last year’s convocation was part of an effort to secure a Guinness World Record, which is now in the documentation process. “We completed all necessary procedures and sent the documents. The provisional certificate is valid for three years, and we expect the official record confirmation soon,” he said.
Tribhuvan University’s decision to adopt a new graduation modality is expected to ease logistical challenges and enhance the overall experience for graduates and their families.
