Tumkur University Toppers Receive Cheques After Gold Medals Miss Flight

At the 19th convocation of Tumkur University on June 3, graduating toppers were handed monetary cheques instead of physical gold medals after a logistical mishap caused the medals to miss their flights from Indore.

The university had prepared 90 gold medals for the graduating students. However, the Indore-based company contracted to supply the medals failed to deliver them on time for the ceremony.

According to Tumkur University Vice-Chancellor M Venkateshwarlu, the supplier initially agreed to deliver the medals on June 1, which was later postponed to the night of June 2. The supplier then missed that flight and rebooked for a 7:30 a.m. flight on June 3. Although the packed boxes reached the airport, they were deemed overweight. By the time the weight issue was resolved, the second flight had also been missed.

Faced with an empty-handed ceremony, university officials decided to distribute cheques valued between Rs 6,000 and Rs 7,000 to the toppers. The amounts were calculated based on the annual interest earned on the Rs 1 lakh deposits made by individual sponsors for each medal.

The temporary solution 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 achievement. The student added that they did not want the cheque.

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

The supplier involved had previously secured the university's medal contract through an e-procurement portal last year and successfully delivered them. This year, although the company sent photos of the completed medals ahead of time, the physical delivery failed to arrive.