What should have been a moment of pride and celebration for the graduating students of the National Institute of Design (NID) has instead sparked outrage, with students accusing the administration of turning the convocation into a bureaucratic and politically motivated spectacle.

In a scathing email addressed to NID’s administration, a graduating student has condemned the way the 44th convocation ceremony was conducted, calling it a "cold, soulless, bureaucratic sham". The email, widely circulated among students and faculty, criticised the exclusion of parents, juniors, and even the Student Activity Council (SAC) from key aspects of the event, raising serious concerns about transparency and student representation.

A red carpet for VVIPs, a sidewalk for graduates

One of the key grievances voiced by students was the exclusion of parents from key campus spaces, including studios and workshops where students had spent years honing their craft. Instead, they were reportedly confined to Eames Plaza, while elaborate arrangements were made for the President of India, the event’s chief guest.

Students alleged that they were asked to walk beside the red carpet instead of on it, so as not to ‘dirty’ it before the President’s arrival. “If that doesn't sum up just how little NID values its own students, I don’t know what does,” the student wrote in the email.

A convocation without celebration

Students were further angered by the administration's decision to bar juniors from attending the convocation. Many also complained that the live-streaming link was cut off the moment the President left, preventing friends and family who were not physically present from witnessing the ceremony.

The Student Activity Council (SAC), which is supposed to represent student concerns, was allegedly kept in the dark about the convocation arrangements. “If you’re going to run things behind closed doors, why even have an SAC?” the email questioned.

'You only convocate once' – except this time

The final straw for many was the last-minute cancellation of YOCO (You Only Convocate Once), a long-standing tradition where graduates gather for a final farewell. A notice issued at 8.30 pm—after students had already assembled—banned postgraduate students from attending, forcing them to leave without a proper goodbye.

Students demand change

The letter, which has resonated with many in the NID community, calls for an end to VVIP-centric convocations and urges future batches to prevent their graduation from being “hijacked for political agendas".

In a parting message to faculty, the student pleaded, “Stand with the students, not with the power-hungry administration that clearly has no interest in preserving what NID once stood for.”

Till going for publication, NID’s administration had not responded to the concerns raised. However, the controversy has sparked a larger debate on the institution’s evolving culture, transparency, and the balance between tradition and protocol.