Shilpa Shetty conferred doctorate

Mumbai, July 18: Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty was conferred an honorary doctorate by the Leeds Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom.

The doctorate was conferred upon the actress, who became a household name in Britain after winning the controversial 'Big Brother' reality show, at a student graduation ceremony, informed her spokesperson Dale Bagwagar.

Earlier, in honour of the International Indian Film Academy's (IIFA) visit to Yorkshire last month, the Leeds Metropolitan University had conferred honorary degrees on Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan, Shabana Azami, Yash Chopra and Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel.

''The honorary doctorate is in recognition of Shilpa's outstanding contribution to cultural diversity and good relations between the people of United Kingdom and India. It is a proud moment for all of us,'' added Mr Bagwagar.

UNI