The Mysuru-based Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) on Friday announced that it was conferring an honorary doctorate on President Droupadi Murmu at its 18th annual convocation to be held in Mysuru on Sunday.
The university said two others were also being conferred with the honorary doctorate on the occasion. They are N. Ramachandraiah, founder chairman, Sri Lakshmi Group of Institutions (SLGI), and S.N. Venkata Lakshmi Narasimha Raju, president, Children’s Education Society, and Chairman of Oxford Educational Institutions.
Announcing this at a press conference here, Vice-Chancellor Sharanappa V. Halse said the President was chosen for the honour as she happens to be the first tribal woman to become President and she had also served as a teacher.
He said the university’s Board of Management (BoM) unanimously decided to confer the honorary doctorate on the President and the Screening Committee represented by three sitting vice-chancellors ratified the recommended names for the honour. The Governor, who is the chancellor of the universities, approved the university’s decision, the VC said.
He said that Rashtrapathi Bhavan has been informed about the university’s decision to bestow the honour on the President at the convocation on Sunday at 11 a.m. but KSOU was yet to receive a reply.
“The President is visiting Bengaluru on July 3. We are considering conferring the honorary doctorate on her during her visit to Bengaluru at Raj Bhavan. We are awaiting permission from the authorities,” Prof. Halse said.
