Kolkata: Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is set to receive yet another international recognition with a renowned university in Japan deciding to confer upon her an Honorary Doctor of Literature (D.Litt.).
According to Nabanna sources, Yokohama University in Japan will bestow the honorary degree on the Chief Minister in recognition of her contributions to governance, education, social empowerment and culture this week.
The felicitation ceremony is likely to be held on November 12 at the Dhana Dhanya Auditorium in Alipore. A delegation from the Japanese university is expected to arrive in the city to personally hand over the honour to the Bengal Chief Minister. The recognition is being seen as not just an acknowledgment of her political leadership but also of her consistent efforts toward promoting education, women’s empowerment and cultural values in Bengal.
Over the years, Mamata Banerjee has been conferred honorary D.Litt. degrees by three other prestigious universities in India. She first received the honour from the University of Calcutta in 2018, when then-Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi presented her with the degree. Five years later, in 2023, she was again honoured by St. Xavier’s University, with the award handed to her by Governor C.V. Ananda Bose. Additionally, she holds an honorary doctorate from the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Bhubaneswar.
Banerjee has often been described as a leader with deep literary and cultural inclinations. She has written several books of poetry and prose, earning recognition in literary circles as a creative and thoughtful personality. Over the years, Banerjee has emerged as one of India’s most respected leaders for her administrative acumen, mass connect and sensitivity to social issues.