West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday was given a honorary D.Litt degree by Calcutta University even when the Calcutta High Court is hearing whether to accept a suit by a former educationalist challenging the decision of the university senate to confer the honorary degree to her.
On Wednesday, the Calcutta High Court division bench ruled, “Whether she (chief minister) is fit to be given the D.Litt will be dependent on the order of the court.”
Calcutta University, however, gave away the degree to Banerjee at its convocation at Nazrul Hall in South Kolkata.
Chancellor of the University, Keshari Nath Tripathy, who is also the Governor of West Bengal, gave away the D.Litt to Banerjee.
The controversy has resulted because she was the first serving chief minister of West Bengal to be given the degree. Two other chief ministers had received the degree but not while being in office.
They are Bidhan Chandra Roy, who received it in 1944, eight years before he became chief minister, and Jyoti Basu in 2007, almost eight years after he left his job.
The chief minister said she did not want to come to take the degree seeing the controversy.
“But my education minister, Parthada, coaxed me to come here. I also felt I was not fit to receive it. But I am proud that the senate has found me eligible. Don’t worry, I will not use it,” said Banerjee after receiving the award.
In last two times, Banerjee did not attend the convocation ceremony despite being invited by the university.
“It’s not only most unethical, but against the basic principle and values of such an old university. It’s unprecedented and not consistent with the law of the university,” said Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharjee, advocate of the Ranjugopal Mukherjee, former vice chancellor of the North Bengal University.
The chief minister not only received the degree but also gave out many other awards for students and other experts including former governor of West Bengal, M.K. Narayan, while the chancellor looked on.
Calcutta University’s advocate in the Calcutta High Court, Saktinath Mukherjee, told the court, “The court cannot decide on Calcutta University’s decision on whom to give awards.”
