Chennai: The 167th Convocation Ceremony of Madras University was held yesterday on the university campus, with Governor R.N. Ravi presiding over the function.

At the ceremony, a total of 1,93,685 graduates from the 2023-24 and 2024-25 batches were awarded degrees. In science, Professor M.G. Raghunathan received a doctorate, while two individuals were awarded doctorates in literature. In total, 951 doctorates and 1,323 degrees were conferred at the venue.

Former ISRO scientist Sivathanupillai, speaking at the event, said, “We must work together to make India a developed nation by 2047. The country's economy is growing rapidly, and India will soon become the third-largest economy. The India-Russia BrahMos missile is a major breakthrough in defence technology. During Operation Sindhur, its operational capability brought the enemies to their knees.”

Transgender academic Jency, assistant professor at Loyola College, received her doctorate. She urged the Tamil Nadu government to provide job reservations for transgenders, emphasizing, “We don't want incentives for studying; we just want jobs.”

Vice-Chancellor and Higher Education Minister K. Chezhiyan boycotted the ceremony, alleging Governor Ravi's actions tarnish the reputation of Tamil Nadu students and the state assembly.