Uttarakhand is set to host two important security and military officials on Saturday, September 19. National Security Advisor Ajit Kumar Doval and Chief of Defence Staff General NS Raja Subramani are visiting the state, with separate programmes scheduled at different locations.
Ajit Doval will attend the first day of the two-day convocation ceremony at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee as the chief guest. General NS Raja Subramani will also be present as a distinguished guest.
The IIT Roorkee convocation is being held on September 19 and 20. According to information provided by the institute, degrees will be awarded to a total of 2,701 students this year. Undergraduate students will receive their degrees on September 19, while the ceremony for postgraduate and PhD students will be held on September 20.
IIT Roorkee has completed preparations for the convocation. Institute Director Professor KK Pant had shared details of the event during a press conference. He said degrees would be awarded to students for their academic achievements during the two-day programme. The first day has been specifically scheduled for undergraduate students. Students, teachers, parents and alumni of the institute will attend the ceremony.
On September 20, degrees will be awarded to postgraduate and PhD students. Harshavardhan Chitale, Chief Executive Officer of Hero MotoCorp, will be the chief guest on the second day.
Dr. Kapil Garg, founder and managing director of Oilmax Energy and managing director of Asian Energy Services, will attend as the distinguished guest. Harish Salve, Chairman of the IIT Roorkee Board of Governors and former Solicitor General, will preside over the ceremony.
Ajit Doval's presence at IIT Roorkee is also drawing particular interest among students. As National Security Advisor, Doval holds a key position related to the country's security system and strategic affairs. His address at the convocation will be an opportunity for the students. During the ceremony, he may address students on the challenges and responsibilities facing the country and society after education and on contributing in their respective fields. However, the detailed subject matter of his speech has not been made public before the programme.
Security arrangements have been tightened in the military area of Lansdowne ahead of the arrival of Ajit Doval and CDS General NS Raja Subramani. According to a Jagran report, both officials will reach Lansdowne on Saturday afternoon. Their programmes have been scheduled within the military area, and Army Police have taken charge of security arrangements. Senior officials of the local administration and police are also overseeing the arrangements.
A helicopter schedule has reportedly been finalised for the officials' arrival in Lansdowne. According to the report, they are scheduled to reach Lansdowne by helicopter if weather conditions remain clear. If the weather deteriorates, the helicopter may land at the Victoria Cross winner Gabar Singh Camp in Kotdwar. An alternative arrangement has been kept in place to take the officials to Lansdowne by road from there.
Police and the Army have finalised security preparations in view of the Lansdowne programme. Special monitoring is being maintained over entry and movement within the military area. Local administration officials are also inspecting arrangements at and around the programme venue. According to the report, the programmes are being held within the military area, so the general public will not have an opportunity to meet the officials.
Before the arrival of the two officials in Lansdowne, Lieutenant General Dinesh Singh Rana, Colonel of the Regiment of the Garhwal Rifles and Garhwal Scouts, had also reached the location. He reviewed preparations for the programme along with Commandant Brigadier Vinod Singh Negi.
A briefing of police officials regarding security and administrative arrangements was also proposed, following which security personnel were to be deployed at different locations.
General NS Raja Subramani assumed office on May 31, 2026, as India's third Chief of Defence Staff and Secretary of the Department of Military Affairs. According to the Ministry of Defence, he had said that emphasis would be placed on advancing jointness, integration and coordination among the armed forces, along with the development and modernisation of indigenous defence capabilities.
General Subramani's military career has been associated with the Garhwal Rifles. According to official information from the Ministry of Defence, he was commissioned into the Garhwal Rifles in December 1985.
He has held several key responsibilities, including General Officer Commanding of 2 Corps, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Central Command and Vice Chief of the Army Staff. Before becoming CDS, he also served as Military Adviser in the National Security Council Secretariat.
The presence of the NSA and CDS in Uttarakhand on the same day has led to special preparations at both the security and administrative levels in Roorkee and Lansdowne. In Roorkee, the focus is on conducting the IIT convocation in an orderly manner and ensuring that the programme for students proceeds smoothly, while security arrangements have been prioritised in Lansdowne because of the military programme.
The IIT Roorkee convocation marks an important stage in the academic journey of the students. A total of 2,701 students are scheduled to receive degrees over two days. Undergraduate students will receive their degrees on the first day, when Ajit Doval will attend as the chief guest. The institute has stated that the necessary preparations for the ceremony have been completed.
The programme involving the NSA and CDS in Lansdowne is linked to the military area. For security reasons, public movement and access to the programme venue will be restricted. Police, Army and administrative officials are continuously monitoring the arrangements. Keeping weather conditions in consideration, an alternative road route has also been kept ready alongside the helicopter arrangement.
Thus, on Saturday, Uttarakhand will host the convocation ceremony of IIT Roorkee, one of the country's prominent technical institutions, where thousands of students will receive their degrees, while a military programme involving two senior officials associated with the country's security system will take place in Lansdowne. The concerned administration and institutions have completed arrangements for both programmes.
