Bhopal: Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia on Monday followed in the steps of Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh.
Ahluwalia, and others who attended the convocation at Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM) here, shunned the conventional gown and headgear.
While other men were in shirt-trousers and tie, the deputy chairman of Planning Commission did not wear a tie too, showing respect to a hot Bhopal day. The women were in saris.
He later said that he did not like the typical convocation dress.
Reporters asked him whether Ramesh's last year's appeal to do away with the traditional gown on convocations had an effect here.
Ahluwalia said that Jairam had his 'effect' on many things.
"I am of the opinion that dress for the convocation should always be weather-friendly, like in south, where they used to wear their traditional dress," Ahluwalia said.
An IIFM official later said it was the institute's decision to shun the traditional convocation garb this year.
PTI
First Published: Monday, April 04, 2011, 15:50