<p>The Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) will go out of its way to honour a wheelchair-bound gold medalist on stage at its annual convocation on Saturday. </p>.<p>When university authorities called up Dr Chandni Nair to inform her that she had won a gold medal in the Pharm D course and invited her to the convocation, she mentioned her disability and said she would come only on one condition: the medal should be presented to her on stage. </p>.<p>“We accepted her condition,” said Dr M K Ramesh, vice-chancellor, RGUHS. </p>.<p>On the convocation day, a university staffer will wheel Dr Nair to the back of the stage. As her name is announced, she will be taken to the stage and presented with the medal. </p>.<p>Dr Chandni, who studied at Oxford College of Pharmacy, Bengaluru, has been suffering from myopathy (a disease that affects the muscles) since childhood and is dependent on a wheelchair. </p>.<p>“During my seven-year stay in the college, I was very happy. The college has a disabled-friendly infrastructure where I never felt ignored or disappointed,” she told <span class="italic">DH</span>. She is working in Bengaluru. </p>.<p>During the convocation, the university will award degrees to 43,883 students.</p>.<p>Of them, 36,409 are undergraduate degrees, 6,796 postgraduate degrees, 82 PhDs, 146 super-specialty degrees, 78 postgraduate diplomas, 362 fellowships and 10 certificate courses. </p>.<p>Eighty-three students will be presented with 100 gold medals. Not surprisingly, girls have outshone boys, winning 67 gold medals. </p>.<p>Dr Shwetha N (Pharm D) and Abhishek Pandey (B Pharm) will get four gold medals each.</p>.<p>Dr Suman B Godi (BDS), Dr Shashikala V (BAMS), Rojina Matangulu (BPT) and Shamiyath Nusaiba will be awarded three gold medals each. </p>.<p>Dr Pratiksha J Pai and Dr Sannidhi (both MBBS) and Veena Sureshsing Shiggavi (nursing) will get two gold medals each. </p>.<p>The university will award honorary doctorates to Nirmalanandanatha Swami of Adichunchanagiri Mutt, Dr B N Gangadhar, former director, Nimhans, and paediatrician Dr Rajan Deshpande. </p>.<p>Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, will be the chief guest and deliver the convocation address. </p>
<p>The Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) will go out of its way to honour a wheelchair-bound gold medalist on stage at its annual convocation on Saturday. </p>.<p>When university authorities called up Dr Chandni Nair to inform her that she had won a gold medal in the Pharm D course and invited her to the convocation, she mentioned her disability and said she would come only on one condition: the medal should be presented to her on stage. </p>.<p>“We accepted her condition,” said Dr M K Ramesh, vice-chancellor, RGUHS. </p>.<p>On the convocation day, a university staffer will wheel Dr Nair to the back of the stage. As her name is announced, she will be taken to the stage and presented with the medal. </p>.<p>Dr Chandni, who studied at Oxford College of Pharmacy, Bengaluru, has been suffering from myopathy (a disease that affects the muscles) since childhood and is dependent on a wheelchair. </p>.<p>“During my seven-year stay in the college, I was very happy. The college has a disabled-friendly infrastructure where I never felt ignored or disappointed,” she told <span class="italic">DH</span>. She is working in Bengaluru. </p>.<p>During the convocation, the university will award degrees to 43,883 students.</p>.<p>Of them, 36,409 are undergraduate degrees, 6,796 postgraduate degrees, 82 PhDs, 146 super-specialty degrees, 78 postgraduate diplomas, 362 fellowships and 10 certificate courses. </p>.<p>Eighty-three students will be presented with 100 gold medals. Not surprisingly, girls have outshone boys, winning 67 gold medals. </p>.<p>Dr Shwetha N (Pharm D) and Abhishek Pandey (B Pharm) will get four gold medals each.</p>.<p>Dr Suman B Godi (BDS), Dr Shashikala V (BAMS), Rojina Matangulu (BPT) and Shamiyath Nusaiba will be awarded three gold medals each. </p>.<p>Dr Pratiksha J Pai and Dr Sannidhi (both MBBS) and Veena Sureshsing Shiggavi (nursing) will get two gold medals each. </p>.<p>The university will award honorary doctorates to Nirmalanandanatha Swami of Adichunchanagiri Mutt, Dr B N Gangadhar, former director, Nimhans, and paediatrician Dr Rajan Deshpande. </p>.<p>Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, will be the chief guest and deliver the convocation address. </p>