TUMKUR: The Tumkur University honoured six dignitaries from various fields by conferring them with honorary doctorate degrees at its second annual convocation held at the Dr Hh M Gangadharaiah Memorial hall here on Friday.
Freedom fighter-Gandhian S Doreswamy, former vice-chancellor of Mysore University- economist M Madaiah and former Rajya Sabha member P Selvidas, veteran cine actress M Leelavathi, engineer-turned-social activist Y M S Sharma and legal expert Ravivarma Kumar were conferred with the degrees by the chancellor-governor Rameshwar Thakur.
Tumkur University V-C O Anantharamaiah, who considers Dr Selvidas his guru from the time he was the dean of the Faculty of Arts in Mysore University, touched the latter’s feet.
H h S Doreswamy after being honoured criticised the state government for not punishing the guilty in the cases of illegal mining and encroachment of government land despite Lokayukta Santhosh Hhegde and A T Ramswamy, respectively, submitting the reports based on the evidence. Another doctorate degree recipient Ravivarma Kumar expressed concern over the universities turning promoters of caste politics.