Bhubaneswar, April 30: Utkal University authorities today constituted a three-member “in house” inquiry team to probe into the mismanagement during the varsity’s 45th convocation on April 25, inviting criticism for not including any one from outside the varsity.

The committee, led by former PG Council chairman Samson Moharana, has deputy registrar M. Sahoo and his former counterpart P.K. Sarkar as members.

Educators have rued that at least some members from outside the varsity should have been included in the inquiry team to make it a fair process. “So many invitees, parents and students faced inconvenience during the convocation. They should have included at least one member in the team. The fault is as much on part of the varsity as on the event management group. Therefore, unless a third party is included in the team, the probe may not be a fair one,” said a faculty member requesting anonymity.

The team’s first meeting will be held tomorrow.

The convocation, in which President Pranab Mukherjee was the chief guest, was marked by mismanagement. The air-conditioners stopped functioning after a group of students, who had been denied entry despite having the entry pass, tried to barge into the venue. A portion of the makeshift arrangement gave away disconnecting the air-coolers and leaving the audience high and dry under the burning sun. Although the two-hour convocation went peacefully, the arrangement invited a lot of criticism. The authorities, for the first time, had handed over the event to a private party for Rs 35 lakh. The inquiry team has been asked to verify the terms and conditions in the agreement of the event management company and if it was correctly followed.