The next two lectures are postponed to the post-lunch session. Delegates pile their plates high with oil-drenched food, in anticipation of an impending famine. Purees, 2-3 vegetables, rice, dal, sweets, curds and papad are all balanced precariously on a small plate. Comments about the quality of the food fly fast and hard and the success or failure of the conference is decided based on how good or bad the food is. An announcement for the commencement of the post-lunch session is made.
Delegates start straggling in.
Within fifteen minutes, most of the delegates are sleeping, some actually snoring. The disheartened speaker loses interest and then runs through the lecture in less than the allotted time. At the end of the day, if all the scheduled lectures have not yet been delivered, the last one or two are cancelled or postponed to the next day. This results, either in a delay of the inauguration or cancellation or postponement of some of the lectures. If the chief guest is hard-pressed for time, the inauguration may start on time.