Modi declines to accept honorary doctorate from BHU

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declined to receive an honorary doctorate from the Banaras Hindu University (BHU), citing his policy of not accepting such degrees, official sources said on Thursday.

Modi will be visiting BHU on February 22 to attend its convocation during which the University had proposed to confer him with honorary Doctorate of Law. BHU, in a statement, had said that it proposed to confer Doctor of Laws (LLD) (honoris causa) on Modi in recognition of his “yeoman services as an innovator, reformer and an outstanding leader in public service and governance”.

It had requested for his consent but the PM has said he will not accept the doctorate, the sources said. In 2014, a university in Louisiana had proposed to confer an honorary doctorate on Modi in recognition of his contribution towards uplifting people in Gujarat, to which he did not agree.