SRM university to confer Bindra with Doctorate

Chennai, Sep 4 (UNI) Abhinav Bindra, who ended the 128-year-long wait by winning India's first-ever individual Gold at Beijing Olympics, will be honoured with a Doctorate by the SRM University, a leading private educational institution in Tamil Nadu on September 7.

University Vice-Chancellor Prof P Sathyanarayanan told reporters here today that the 25-year-old bespectacled shooter would be conferred with the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Literature (DLitt) during the University's fourth convocation to be held at its campus in the suburban Kattankulathur on September 7.

He said Tamil Nadu Governor S S Barnala would deliver the convocation address and confer the honour on Bindra.

SRM University is the first educational institution in India to confer the Doctorate on Bindra.

Prof Sathyanarayanan said during the convocation, the SRM University would also confer Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science (DSc) on Eminent Space Scientist and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief Dr G Madhavan Nair.

During his visit, Abhinav Bindra would also lay the foundation stone for a Sports Academy to be set up by the University at a cost of Rs 10 crore to provide world class infrastructure to nurture sports talent.

The academy would have a synthetic eight-lane athletics track, world class shooting range, synthetic tennis courts, besides facilities for other sports like volleyball, basketball and badminton.

The Sports Academy would become operational from the 2010-11 academic year.

During his stay, the University authorities would also hold discussions with Abhinav Bindra to work out the modalities for setting up the world class shooting range.

University Chancellor T R Pachamuthu would preside over the convocation.

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