Karnataka University conferred honorary doctorates on Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, Union Minister Mallikarjun Kharge, actor-turned politician Ambareesh and the first and former librarian of the university Prof K S Deshpande, at the 63rd Annual Convocation at Gandhi Bhavan here on Friday. However, Jagadish Shettar was honoured with the degree in absentia.
Governor Hansraj Bharadwaj conferred the doctorates to the luminaries in the presence of Vice-President M Hamid Ansari, who delivered the convocation address. Higher Education Minister and Pro-Chancellor C T Ravi did not attend the ceremony.
‘It is an honour from the university’
Dharwad: Cine actor turned politician M H Ambareesh was overjoyed after receiving an honorary doctorate from the Karnataka University at its 63rd annual Convocation on Friday.
He expressed his gratitude saying that an honorary degree from a well-known university is an honour. He said that the wish of his father to see him as a doctor has been fulfilled even if it is just a name tag. My two brothers are doctors and my father had nurtured the hope of making me one, he added.
Recalling that honorary doctorates were conferred on cine actors Dr Rajkumar and Dr Vishnuvardhan, Ambareesh felt that receiving such an award in the absence of those stalwarts was sad.