IIT Bombay holds convocation ceremony in a virtual reality mode amid pandemic

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has put a halt to everything with many nations imposing strict lockdowns to curb the virus outbreak. Schools and colleges worldwide have also faced the brunt of the pandemic. However, IIT Bombay welcomed the new normal with open arms by hosting their convocation ceremony in a virtual reality mode.

The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay was the first major college to do away with face-to-face lectures due to the pandemic. And now it achieved yet another milestone by holding its 58th convocation virtually on August 23. But what’s even more interesting is the way the ceremony was held. The students were seen in their digital avatars on a virtual stage coming together for the convocation.

A huge number of students participated in the event from their homes and had their e-avatars receiving medals and degrees from the virtual avatars of the chief guest and dignitaries. The nearly two-hour long event was streamed live on YouTube. Press Information Bureau (PIB) Maharashtra took to Twitter to share updates from the digital convocation ceremony.

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In a number of videos shared on the micro-blogging site, the guests could be seen addressing the students virtually. Another clip shared by PIB features the digital avatar of a student being awarded President of India's Medal for 2020 by Chief Guest and Nobel laureate Professor D Haldane. Check out the video here:

Also check out some other videos and glimpses from the one-of-its-kind digital convocation ceremony:

Netizens applaud IIT Bombay for hosting virtual convocation ceremony

The videos from the event have gone viral on social media, with many users applauding IIT Bombay for its efforts in hosting a digital ceremony. Check out some of the reactions here:

This marks the first time in the institute’s history that it hosted a digital ceremony, giving away medals, awards and degrees to the virtual avatars of the students. Maharashtra, which is the worst-hit state in the nation by the deadly virus, has recorded more than 6.7 lakh cases. India’s tally has now surpassed 30 lakh, making it the third worst-affected country.

(Image credit: PIB Mumbai's Twitter)

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