Presidency University has brought forward this year's convocation to August 22 so that more students can attend it and announced that the certificate-awarding ceremony will from now be held on the earliest possible weekend after August 15.

Last year, the Presidency convocation had been held on December 21.

"This year the convocation will be held on August 22. From now on, it would be held on a Saturday or Sunday after August 15 depending on the availability of the dignitaries who will grace the occasion," Anuradha Lohia, the vice-chancellor, said.

This year the convocation is being held on a Saturday.

The first convocation of the university was held on August 22, 2013, a Thursday.

Presidency registrar Debojyoti Konar explained what prompted the authorities to hold the convocation in August.

The results of the final- year exams of the undergraduate and postgraduate courses are published by the end of July. "So August is the ideal month for us to award degree certificates to the students completing the undergraduate and postgraduate courses," Konar said. "The results of the special supplementary exams are also published by then."

Last year, many students had failed to attend the convocation in December as they were busy pursuing higher studies or doing research in other states or abroad. The university had to send the certificates to those students by post.

Also, since last year's convocation had clashed with the National Eligibility Test, the university had to hold a special convocation on January 5. Around 100 students were awarded certificates at the special convocation.

Asked why the convocation was not held in August last year, a Presidency official said: "There was little time to organise the event in August as the statute marking the birth of the governing board as the sole decision-making body of the institution had only come into effect in July."

The names of the prospective recipients of the DLitt and DSc (honorary) degrees are finalised by the board. "The newly-constituted board needed some time to approve the names. So, the convocation was held in December 21," the official said.

Vice-chancellor Lohia said the names of this year's DLitt and DSc (honorary) recipients would be announced soon. "The names have been sent to the office of governor Keshari Nath Tripathi, who is also chancellor of Presidency University," Lohia said.