Rajasthan: A video from Haridev Joshi University of Journalism and Mass Communication in Jaipur has been going viral on social media, showing a girl student taking a sharp dig at the university while receiving her degree from Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Prem Chand Bairwa.
In the clip, as she walks up to the stage to collect her degree, the student says, "Beizzati karke izzat dene par university ka bahut-bahut shukriya” (thank you so much, HJU, for giving respect after insulting us), sparking widespread reactions online.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, during the third convocation ceremony at Jaipur's Haridev Joshi University of Journalism and Mass Communication. The event, held in the auditorium of the Rajasthan International Centre, featured dramatic scenes as several students raised slogans against the management over how degrees were distributed.
According to a report by The Indian Express, the student seen in the viral video was identified as Sara Ismail. She told the publication that students from the last two batches had arrived in Jaipur expecting to receive their degrees on stage from the Governor.
“We were asked to wear sarees with a red border; male students wore kurta pajamas and black sandals. Students came from across the state with their parents. After speeches that went on for nearly two hours, only gold medalists were called on stage, while the rest of us were told to collect our degrees later,” she said.
According to Sara, this led to anger among students, who urged the administration to reconsider. When their request was denied, they began raising slogans. “Later, they did call us and distribute degrees one by one, but by then, the anger was very high. That’s why I said that line. So much of our time was wasted,” she added.
She went on to say that the protest was not personal, but rather about respecting students and their families, many of whom had spent time and money to attend what they hoped would be a memorable event.
The ceremony was attended by the university's Chancellor, Haribhau Bagde, as well as the guest of honor, Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Prem Chand Bairwa.
Officials stated that as the protest grew, the university administration took corrective action. After the Governor had left, the Deputy Chief Minister returned to the stage, and degrees were distributed individually to students.
According to The Indian Express, students argued that the university should have made it clear in advance that not every student would be honored on stage because they had traveled with their families to celebrate a significant milestone and had spent a significant amount of money on clothing.
