Bengaluru University to Confer Honorary Doctorates on Cricketer Venkatesh Prasad and Musician Arjun Janya
In a significant academic event, Dr Manmohan Singh Bengaluru City University is set to hold its 5th annual convocation this Saturday, where distinguished personalities including former cricketer Venkatesh Prasad and renowned musician Arjun Janya will be honored with honorary doctorates. They will be joined by four other notable individuals in receiving this prestigious recognition.
Massive Student Turnout for Degree Conferment
The convocation will witness a grand scale, with a total of 37,393 students receiving their degrees. Among them, 21,912 are female students, constituting 58.6% of the recipients, while 15,458 are male students, making up 47.3%. This highlights a strong representation of women in higher education at this institution.
Additionally, 23 PhD scholars will be awarded their doctorates, with the majority specializing in commerce and education fields, underscoring the university's focus on these disciplines.
Undergraduate and Postgraduate Degree Distribution
Breaking down the numbers further, 29,886 students will receive undergraduate degrees across various streams:
- Commerce: 18,538 students
- Education: 6,912 students
- Science: 1,664 students
- Arts: 2,772 students
At the postgraduate level, 7,484 students will be conferred degrees, with the distribution as follows:
- Commerce: 4,811 students
- Science: 2,014 students
- Arts: 604 students
- Education: 55 students
Academic Excellence Recognized with Awards
The convocation will also celebrate academic achievements, with 71 students receiving rank certificates, 73 gold medals, and cash prizes. Notably, Sneha T from the department of chemistry will be awarded the highest number of gold medals—four. Hailing from a rose farming family in Devanahalli, Sneha is currently a lecturer at BGS Science Academy and Research Centre.
Reflecting on her journey, Sneha shared, "When I took science in PU, I liked chemistry the best. I was fascinated by the reactions, thermodynamics and especially organic chemistry." She plans to pursue a PhD in the future, showcasing her dedication to the field.
Other top performers include Abhishek Sriram from Seshadripuram Institute of Commerce & Management, who will receive three gold medals for securing the highest marks in Bachelor of Commerce, and Divyasree S from Krupanidhi College of Commerce and Management, who will be similarly honored for Bachelor of Business Administration.
Controversy Surrounds Honorary Doctorate Selections
The list of honorary doctorate recipients also includes educationists TK Narayanappa, Mohan Alva, and Bava Mohammed Farookh, along with sports administrator K Govindaraj. However, this selection has sparked criticism from some syndicate members, who point out that many of the candidates have political affiliations, raising questions about the criteria for such honors.
As the university prepares for this landmark event, it not only celebrates the academic accomplishments of thousands of students but also honors contributions from various fields, albeit amidst some debate over the honorary awards.
