Tumkur University Toppers Receive Cheques After Gold Medals Miss Flight

During the 19th convocation of Tumkur University in Bengaluru on June 3, graduating toppers were handed monetary cheques instead of physical gold medals after the consignment of medals missed its flight. The logistical delay forced the university administration to scramble for an alternative during the graduation ceremony.

The university had arranged 90 gold medals for the graduating students. These medals were minted and packed in Indore, but the company contracted to supply them failed to deliver them on time.

According to Tumkur University Vice-Chancellor M Venkateshwarlu, the supplier initially agreed to deliver the medals on June 1, which was then postponed to the night of June 2. After missing that window, the company rebooked the consignment on a 7:30 a.m. flight on June 3. However, the boxes were found to be overweight at the airport, and by the time the issue was resolved, the flight had departed without the cargo.

With the graduation ceremony already underway and no medals on hand, the university administration decided to hand out cheques instead. The toppers received cheques valued between Rs 6,000 and Rs 7,000. These amounts were calculated based on the annual interest earned from the Rs 1 lakh deposits made by individual sponsors for each medal.

The temporary substitution drew criticism from the graduating students. One topper expressed frustration, noting that their certificates do not explicitly state they are gold medallists, leaving them with no immediate proof of their academic achievement.

In response, Vice-Chancellor Venkateshwarlu stated that the university is hoping to receive the physical gold medals soon. The university has offered students the option to return the cheques and collect their actual medals once they arrive.

The Indore-based supplier had previously secured the contract through the state's e-procurement portal last year and delivered the medals successfully. This year, although they provided photos of the completed medals to the university, the physical delivery failed to arrive in time.