Bangalore University baffled over ‘gold’ in gold-plated medals

BENGALURU: In less than two months, Bangalore University is supposed to offer gold-plated medals to 330 students. It had called for tenders to get these made, but the bids have turned out to be less than the actual cost of the gold-plated medal. Officials say this is because the traders, who have been making the medals for BU for 10 years, are not an assurance that each medal will contain the required 1.3 g gold.

BU has called for tenders again, this time to ensure that the metals are present in correct proportions. The varsity wants to get 1.3 g gold embedded into 20 g silver medals. It had received bids for Rs 3,300 and Rs 3,900. However, 1.3 g of 18-carat gold currently costs about Rs 3,000 in Bengaluru, while 20 g silver costs over Rs 800, and the price of the box containing the medal is Rs 700, which totals to over Rs 4,500, excluding labour charges.

“We don’t want people to question how these medals cost less than the gold and silver put together,” said a senior BU official. Three days back, the varsity called for a short-term seven-day tender. “We will mention the same in the Central Purchase Committee report, which will be placed before the syndicate — that the bidders were not able to provide the actual amount of gold and hence the re-tendering was done.” BU expects the medals to be made in 10 days from the day the work order is issued. The varsity is also trying to get the President Ram Nath Kovind or Vice President Venkaiah Naidu to be the chief guest at the convocation this year.