List of politicians & Bollywood actors having honorary doctorate degrees

Bengaluru, Feb 22: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, Feb 22, declined to accept an honorary doctorate degree offered by the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and also apologised for having refused "politely" a proposal in this regard.

BHU had 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".

This is not the first time that Modi has declined a doctorate. In the run up to his US visit in 2014, a university in Louisiana had proposed to confer an honorary doctorate on him in recognition of his contribution towards social transformation, especially for empowering women and minorities in Gujarat which he declined.

Even as chief minister, he had declined honorary doctorates from various universities. [PM Modi declines doctorate offer from BHU]

But there are few Indian politicians and many Bollywood actors and singers, who have been conferred with honorary degrees from various national and international universities. Let's have a look at them:

President Pranab Mukherjee: University of Jordan, Al-Quds university in the Palestinian Authority, Hebrew University of Jerusalem (In Oct 2015)

Dr Manmohan Singh: In 1997, University of Alberta awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Law degre.

In July 2005, University of Oxford awarded him an honorary Doctor of Civil Law degree.

In October 2006, the University of Cambridge conferred honorary doctorate degree to him.

In 2008, he was awarded honorary Doctor of Letters degree by Benaras Hindu University.

In 2008, he was honorary doctorate degree by University of Madras.

In 2010, he was awarded honorary doctorate degree by King Saud University.

N Chandrababu Naidu:

Chicago State University (CSU) to conferred a Doctorate of Honour degree to Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu in recognition of his "efforts to bring socio-economic development in the state", in Dec 2015.

Japanese PM Shinzo Abe: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was conferred with an honorary doctorate in International Relations by Jawaharlal Nehru University for Japan's role in India's economic development, in Dec 2015. [JNU confers honorary doctorate on Japanese PM Shinzo Abe]

Bollywood actors/ singers

Amitabh Bachchan:

Jhansi University, Delhi University, De Montfort University, Leeds Metropolitan University, Queensland University of Technology, Jodhpur National University and Academy of Arts

Shahrukh Khan: In Oct 2015, Shah Rukh Khan received an honorary doctorate from the University of Edinburgh.

Akshay Kumar:

University of Windsor in 2008

Javed Akhtar:

University of Pondicherry in 2010

Shabana Azmi:

Jadavpur University, Leeds Metropolitan University, Jamia Milia Islamia, Simon Fraser University, TERI University

Sharmila Tagore:

Edinburgh Napier University in 2012

Shilpa Shetty:

University of Leeds in 2007

Preity Zinta:

University of East London in 2010

Vidya Balan: Degree of Doctor of Arts Honoris Causa by Rai University in Mumbai, in June 2015. [Vidya Balan conferred with honorary doctorate]

Lata Mangeshkar:

Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Shivaji University, Pune University, Khairagarh Music University, Hyderabad University, New York University, Baroda University.

AR Rahman:

Anna University, Aligarh University, Middlesex University, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Berklee College of Music.

Godman:

Gurmeet Ram Rahim

He received an honorary doctorate degree from the UK-based World Records University in Jan 2016. [Gurmeet Ram Rahim is now Dr Gurmeet Ram Rahim]

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