“Gandhiji always insisted on bringing the benefits to the marginalised people of the society. Every student should help the society with his knowledge wherever it is needed,” he said. An ardent advocate of organic farming, Devvrat also projected it as the solution to all health problems.

Notably, in a deviation from tradition, the 70th annual convocation of Vidyapith was held in the evening unlike previous times when it was held in the early hours of the day. The event also broke the recent tradition of holding it on October 18, the foundation day.

Vidyapith Vice Chancellor Harshad Patel attributed it to the occasion of Guru Purnima that was celebrated on Sunday. “…being Guru Purnima most of the people visit other places. Also, keeping it in the evening facilitates students to reach Ahmedabad from far places and not to come a day in advance. The same applies to the guests as well,” he told The Indian Express.

On the change of month, Patel said that the first 16 convocations were not conducted on October 18 either. “Later, too, twice it was not conducted on October 18 during late Elaben Bhatt, and twice during Morarji Desai and Ramlal Parikh’s tenures as Chancellors. Nowhere has it been written that it should be held on October 18. Since all results were declared by April 30, there is no point in holding back the convocation till October. On the foundation day we will hold a separate event other than the education activity of Gujarat Vidyapith,” he clarified.

The Chancellor’s term has now been fixed for five years. “Chancellor Acharya Devvrat himself requested to fix his term from lifetime to only five years,” Patel, who is also Vidyapith Mandal secretary, said.

While earlier the president of the Gujarat Vidyapith Governing Council or Mandal was the Vice-Chancellor of the university, now the Chancellor is the president, as per the amendments earlier this year.

Devvrat awarded degrees to 972 students, including 39 Ph.Ds, five M.Phils, 457 postgraduates, 424 graduates and 47 PG diplomas. Apart from Devvrat, the other chief guests also included Padma Bhushan Rajashree Birla and National Stock Exchange Managing Director and CEO Ashish Chauhan. While Birla chairs the Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiatives and Rural Development and is also a Vidyapith trustee, Ashish Chauhan is also the Chancellor of Allahabad University and a UGC member.

Birla advised students to be imaginative and strive continuously to achieve their goals. “Gandhiji’s ideals and moral values ??are a source of inspiration and a guide,” Chauhan said.