LUCKNOW, June 1 -- For the first time, the University of Lucknow (LU) has decided to curtail the expenditure on its upcoming convocation ceremony by shifting the event from the campus to the Scientific Convention Centre in Chowk. The convocation is scheduled to be held on July 31. The move comes on the instructions of governor and chancellor Anandiben Patel. According to an official release, traditional convocation ceremonies involved expenditure of nearly Rs.1 crore on marquees, decorations, waterproofing arrangements and other logistics. By opting for the convention centre, which costs around Rs.1 lakh to rent, the university claims it has achieved substantial savings. The university said the move reflects financial discipline, transparency and good governance in line with the chancellor's vision. The university also highlighted a series of measures aimed at increasing internal revenue. These include the implementation of a consultancy policy under which faculty members can provide technical expertise to industrial, corporate and government organisations. In line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the university has introduced more than 3,350 new seats in self-financed and industry-oriented programmes such as BCA (Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning), BSc (Cyber Security), MSc (Data Science) and BCom (E-Commerce). The university has also introduced NRI-sponsored seats in BTech and five-year integrated LLB programmes to boost revenue through premium fees and foreign exchange inflows. Additionally, a digital portal is being developed to market and sell artworks created by students of the Faculty of Fine Arts through e-commerce platforms. "It is unjustifiable to expend millions of rupees on temporary tents and marquees. Savings from the convocation and additional revenue generated through reforms will be invested in student welfare," vice-chancellor Prof JP Saini said....