In the end, the sparring duo — Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss and AIIMS director Dr P Venugopal — exchanged a smile at the delayed 35th convocation ceremony of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here on Tuesday.

Throughout the two-hour long ceremony in which 749 students were awarded the degrees, they did not even look at each other directly. But after the function, when they came down from the dais accompanying the chief guest, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia towards the exit gate, Dr Ramadoss smiled and the cardiologist responded.

And this was the only sign of truce between the two who are at each other’s throat for the last two years on the control and management of the AIIMS. They also fought sharply on the reservation issues.
The convocation — arranged after a gap of two years — was also in the eye of storm as Dr Ramadoss rejected the first date on September 25 even after agreeing to it first.

Following an instruction from the Delhi High Court, the AIIMS administration announced September 25 as the date for convocation in August. But after a few weeks, it was suddenly changed to October 23 at the instance of the Health Ministry due to the “non availability” of the minister. During the fiasco on degree signing, Union Health Secretary Naresh Dayal also asserted that the convocation will be held on September 25.
But an aide to the minister had stated that the earlier date was announced by the AIIMS administration without consulting Dr Ramadoss. Since one month’s notice is required before convocation, the ceremony would be held on October 23.

Interestingly, one of the students, Kumar Harsh, a member of the Venugopal camp who was in the forefront of the anti-quota agitation, received his Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree in radiotherapy from the Health Minister with a wry smile.