Mandal, the father of four sons and two daughters, came to receive his coveted degree at the convocation of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) today. Unable to walk a few meters on his own, he was accompanied by his granddaughter Joyeeta.

A war veteran who fought in the Second World War along with the Allied Forces, Mandal completed his graduation in 2002-03. Asked how he plans to complete the mammoth task of research on Netaji, the oldest

student at IGNOU’s Kolkata centre points to the director, Sujit Ghosh. “Sujit will help me,” he said bubbling with confidence.

Ghosh reminisces the day when Mandal first approached him in his office a decade ago asking if anyone could do a graduation course through distance education.

There are others in the convocation who have gone against the flow as well. Rupa Roychowdhuri (46) with 90 per cent physical disability is waiting on a wheelchair to receive her degree. Roychowdhuri completed her graduation in mathematics in IGNOU. Earlier, she had completed a certificate programme in computers from the open university.

Roychowdhuri is a bright student, said her uncle Premananda Roychowdhury. She was about to take admission in Loreto College when an accident cut short her academic pursuits. Now she is a teacher.