London, Sept. 10: Cambridge is to confer an honorary degree on Manmohan Singh, just as Oxford did last year.

“He will receive a degree of Doctor of Law on October 11,” said a spokeswoman for Cambridge University.

Unlike Amitabh Bachchan, who received an honorary degree from De Montfort University, Leicester, earlier this summer, the Indian Prime Minister is entitled to prefix his name with “Dr”.

This is because in 1962, Singh did his PhD from Nuffield College, Oxford.

Singh described Oxford as “one’s own alma mater” in his speech on July 8 last year but this should be regarded as mere politeness on his part. If Punjab University, where he received his BA and MA in 1952 and 1954, respectively, is discounted, Cambridge can claim to be his real alma mater.

This is because he came to St John’s College and got a first in economics. Singh is currently an honorary fellow of St John’s, where the most distinguished Indian is fellow economist Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta.

Normally, those who do PhDs have to do an MA first. But since a Cambridge BA converts in time to an MA without any extra work, Singh moved on to Nuffield College, Oxford, where he got his PhD in 1962.

The Oxford ceremony last year was held a day after the suicide bombings in London. This year, he is coming for the India-UK economic summit.

Although much in Cambridge has changed since he was an undergraduate here in the 1950s, there is enough to remind him of the old days.

There has been a formal notice about the honour beingconferred on him: “Congregation of the Regent House on Wednesday, 11 October 2006: Notice 7 August 2006.

“The Vice-Chancellor reminds members of the University that an additional Congregation will take place on Wednesday, 11 October 2006, at 11.15 am, at which the Chancellor will admit Dr MANMOHAN SINGH, M.A., Prime Minister of India and Honorary Fellow of St John’s College, to the degree of Doctor of Law, honoris causa.”

His name is in capitals so that it indicates he is a big shot — or that he will, as a Prime Minister, put a lot of lucrative contracts in Britain’s way (though such sentiments are never publicly expressed).

There are strict rules on dress for the occasion but, after 800 years, the univer- sity has not got a policy yet on turbans. The Indian Prime Minister, however, should have a good time at the after-show party: “A reception for all those attending the Congregation will be held afterwards…. Refreshments will be served.”

One more thing: Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, who is the Chancellor of Cambridge University, will bestow the degree if he does not have anything better to do.