In Tribhuvan University's 65-year history, the 50th Convocation Ceremony at Dasharath Stadium saw a record attendance of 14,308 students. According to Joshi, the total attendance included the graduates' parents, spouses, children, and other family members, which is estimated at around 30,000.
During the Golden Convocation Ceremony on Saturday, Controller of Examinations of Tribhuvan University, Pushparaj Joshi, stated, “A convocation of this scale has never been held in the history of TU, and it is unlikely to happen in the future.”
While TU demonstrated its capacity to host such a large-scale event, the university has decided to change the format of its convocation ceremonies. According to Controller Joshi, convocations will be held every six months, or, if feasible, separate ceremonies will be organized for each faculty. Currently, Tribhuvan University consists of nine faculties.
The university's Executive Council, chaired by the Vice Chancellor, has already decided to modify the format of the convocation ceremonies. While organizing separate ceremonies for each faculty member is one option, many have suggested that holding convocations every six months would be more practical to avoid the challenges of organizing nine individual events.
According to the Examination Control Office, last year’s 49th Convocation Ceremony had 12,374 graduates and their family members in attendance. Joshi remarked, “The interest among students in participating in the convocation ceremonies is increasing yearly. However, gathering such a large number of people in one place is no longer feasible.”
Joshi noted that although students and their families were invited to arrive at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, crowds began forming as early as 6:30 a.m. The Examination Control Office handled the entire management of the convocation.
While the event's atmosphere was filled with joy and excitement among the graduates and their families, challenges arose due to traffic congestion and difficulties managing the massive crowd.
Joshi added, “The number of people gathered for Saturday’s convocation might be the highest ever seen in any event in Nepal’s history. Thankfully, the program was completed successfully. Now, I feel a sense of relief.”
Tribhuvan University Convocation