Chandigarh, Dec. 13 -- Panjab University (PU) will hold its 73rd annual convocation on Saturday, with Punjab governor and UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria set to preside over the ceremony. A total of 767 students will be receiving their degrees - 420 graduates and postgraduates, and 347 PhDs, this time. This year's convocation breaks from tradition. Typically, the convocation is attended by the Vice President of India, who is the Chancellor of the varsity, and occasionally by the highest constitutional office-bearers. In the previous convocation, held earlier this March, both the Chancellor, and President Droupadi Murmu were present. This time around, however, Chancellor CP Radhakrishnan has cancelled his visit to the campus. Had he come, it would have been his maiden visit after assuming the post. The cancellation came due to the tense atmosphere created on campus, by the continuous protests over Senate reforms and election delays earlier. PU authorities have confirmed that although the Chancellor will not attend the convocation in person, he will send a recorded message for the graduating group. The data paints a striking picture of gendered academic performance at PU - women dominate almost every segment. Among UG-PG degrees, women account for 332 of 420, and the postgraduate category shows the sharpest skew-251 women against just 66 men, meaning for every male PG graduate, nearly fourwomen will walk across the stage. The gap widens further in research. Women make up 220 of 347 PhD awardees, or roughly two out of every three doctoral degrees being conferred this year, a continuation of a long-term trend at PU where women consistently outperform men in advanced degrees. In terms of academic breadth, the Faculty of Science remains the university's powerhouse, leading both the UG-PG and PhD segments with 161 graduates and 104 doctoral degrees, respectively, making it the only faculty to cross the 100-mark in both categories. Business Management & Commerce (74) and Arts (65) follow as major contributors. A total of four Honoris Causa Degrees and four PU Ratna Awards will also be conferred during the ceremony....