St Xavier’s University, New Town, will award DLitt (Honoris Causa) to chief minister Mamata Banerjee during its annual convocation on February 6. The chief minister will deliver the convocation address, said an official of the university.
Bengal governor C.V. Ananda Bose, the visitor to all the private universities, including St Xavier’s, will preside over the ceremony.
Father Felix Raj, the vice-chancellor of the university, said their executive committee recommended the name of Mamata Banerjee for the D.Litt this year for her contributions to the establishment of the university and to the development of higher education in Bengal.
“We will confer the D.Litt degree on the chief minister for her personal interest and support she has exhibited right from the inception of the university. She will become an honorary alumna of the university on this occasion,” said Father Felix Raj.
On this day, Mamata Banerjee is also scheduled to inaugurate the Loyola Tirtha, the newly-constructed administrative block of the university that houses the office of the VC and other senior officials.
Father Felix Raj said the Jesuit University is presently running 17 courses at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels under the faculty of arts and social studies, faculty of commerce and management, faculty of science, Xavier Business School and Xavier Law School.
More than 3,000 students are on the roll presently.
“We look forward to having 10,000 students on the roll by 2030,” said Father Felix Raj.
The university is planning to acquire more land from the government to house the management school and law school, said Father Felix Raj.