BANGALORE: Veteran scientists Prof C N R Rao and Prof Anthony K Cheetham were conferred with Doctorates Honoris Causa by Tumkur University (TU) on Monday. Governor and Chancellor of the university H R Bhardwaj conferred the honorary doctorates on the two scientists at Raj Bhavan.
“The honorary doctorate for Prof Rao holds no meaning to him. He has more doctorates than the number of states in India. It is like the law of diminishing returns, with your popularity always increasing,” said Governor Bhardwaj.
Prof C N R Rao said that he this honour was special, as it came from his own State. “This is my 53rd doctorate. I have another one from France coming up, but this is special as it comes from where I belong,” stated Prof C N R Rao.
In his address, Prof Rao elucidated his views on Karnataka becoming the No 1 State in the country. “Karnataka should be first in everything. Information Technology is easy to achieve. Progress in science education is difficult and we should work towards this. Karnataka should be a model state producing youngsters to lead the future,” he said.
This was the third doctorate for For Prof Cheetham from University of Cambridge. “I am standing in a building built by the British. I am here as a friend. I have been visiting India for 38 years. I have published 60 papers with Prof Rao and this is the first time we are receiving a honorary doctorate together,” he said.
Governor Bhardwaj further applauded Tumkur University for the progress it has made in the last couple of years. “Tumkur University is an upcoming university in the state. There is a need to develop universities in the State and we can do so with collaboration with foreign universities. When the British PM spoke about Mysore University when he was here, I asked him to visit TU instead,” he said, adding that he had high hopes from the unversity in the years to come.