[Watch] Blackout during President Murmu’s convocation address in Odisha varsity

Baripada: A serious ‘technical glitch’ occurred during President Droupadi Murmu’s address at the Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanjadeo (MSCB) University here putting entire state machinery into dock.

The power went off for around 9 minutes between 11.56 am and 12.05 pm at the auditorium of the state-run university when the President Murmu was delivering the convocation address.

Despite disruption of power supply into the auditorium, the President continued her speech without any pause in darkness. She could be able to read out the speech with help of dim light coming from the podium.

[Watch]

Sources said that the power supply was intact at the university as the Air conditions and fans were functioning. However, the lights went off suddenly during the President’s speech.

The Vice Chancellor of MSCB University Prof. Santosh Tripathy regretted the inconvenience that occurred during the convocation ceremony.

President Droupadi Murmu is on a three-day visit to her home district Mayurbhanj in Odisha since May 4 for different official programmes. On first day of her visit, she attended a programme at Brahma Kumaris Centre, Hatbadra, Satapautia, where she launched ‘Addition Free Odisha’ campaign.

On May 5, she went to her Rairangpur residence and spent about 20 minutes in the holiday home. From there, she visited Pandit Raghunath Murmu’s village Dandbosh and later to the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) and spent the night at Baripada.

On last day of her 3-day visit, she reached Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanjadeo (MSCB) University, Baripada at around 10 am. to attend the convocation ceremony of the educational institution. Following the programme, she is scheduled to fly back to Kalaikunda airport of West Bengal, from where she will return to Delhi today.