Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, Mr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, on Monday followed in the steps of Union Environment Minister, Mr Jairam Ramesh, and shunned the conventional gown and headgear at the Indian Institute of Forest Management's convocation here.

Mr Ahluwalia, and others who attended the ceremony at IIFM, did not wear the traditional robes.

While other men were in shirt-trousers and tie, the Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission did not wear a tie also. The women wore saris for the occasion.

Mr Ahluwalia later said that he did not like the typical convocation dress.

Reporters asked him whether Mr Ramesh's appeal last year to do away with traditional gown on convocations had an effect here.

Mr Ahluwalia said Mr Jairam had his “effect” on many things.

“I am of the opinion that dress for the convocation should always be weather-friendly, like in south, where they used to wear their traditional dress,” Mr Ahluwalia said.

An IIFM official later said it was the institute's decision to shun the traditional convocation garb this year.

Last April, while addressing students at the seventh convocation of the IIFM, Mr Ramesh had termed as “barbaric”, the practice of wearing the traditional coloured robe at convocations.

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