Emotional moment at the General Zorawar Singh Auditorium Complex marked the maiden convocation of the Central University of Jammu (CUJ)where Abdul Hase, in his late 50s, received the MPhil degree of his son, Aamir Ali Ansari, posthumously during the first convocation of the Central University of Jammu (CUJ).

After an announcement was made for receiving Aamir’s degree posthumously, the entire hall, consisting of academicians, scholars, students and civil society members, gave a standing ovation to the dejected father who could not control his emotions as he received the degree.

Aamir’s family had travelled to Jammu from his ancestral village, Kharjarwa, in Deoria district of Uttar Pradesh, for the event.According to the family, Aamir, a student of tourism management, was riding a motorcycle after dropping his friend when he had met with an accident near the Narwal area in Jammu on April 16 last year. He had sustained brain injury and died on April 20 last year.

He had completed his MPhil degree at the Central University of Jammu last year and was pursuing PhD.“It was his last souvenir (degree) in the university. Had we not taken it, it would have hurt him deeply,” said Aamid Ali, elder brother of Aamir.He said the entire family, including his father Abdul Hase, mother Jaishun Nisha, sister Saima Khatoon and brother-in-law Mohammad Ayub Ansari had come to Jammu to receive Aamir’s degree.

“Since he received Aamir’s degree, my father is inconsolable. He has not been able to control his tears. I left my studies because I did not want any disruptions in his education because we belong to a poor family,” Ali said, adding, “My brother was a brilliant student. He completed his graduation from Aligarh Muslim University and got admission in the masters course in the university here.”

14 students were awarded PhD degrees, 20 were given MPhil degrees and 43 got gold medals. Besides, 885 postgraduate students were also awarded degrees on the occasion.The university came into existence on August 8, 2011, but the convocation was held for the first time on Sunday. The students, who passed out from the university till 2017, were awarded degrees and gold medals.

Nobel laureate His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama was the chief guest while Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Prime Minister Office and former Chief of Army, NC Vij (Retd) were the prominent guests.

Union Minister of State in Prime Minister Office Jitendra Singh and former Chief of Army NC Vij were awarded Doctor of Philosophy (honoris causa) degrees by Vice Chancellor Prof Ashok Aima.