Siliguri, April 5: The North Bengal University will confer the DLitt degree (Honoris Causa) to sarod player Ustad Amjad Ali Khan during the varsity’s annual convocation on April 9.

Sources in the varsity said the Honoris Causa Committee had proposed the names of the sarod maestro for DLitt and S. Chandrasekharan, the president of the Chemical Research Society of India, for the DSc degree.

“According to the procedure, every year the Honoris Causa Committee of the varsity selects the names of personalities, from both India and abroad, to whom the DSc and DLitt degrees are to be conferred which is approved by the executive council and sent to the chancellor for his consent,” said a varsity source.

This time the committee had proposed the two names which were approved by governor M.K. Narayanan, who is also the chancellor of the university.

A programme has been organised by the NBU authorities on April 8 to felicitate the recipients.

Khan and Chandrasekharan, who is also the chairman of chemical science division of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, will be arriving in Siliguri on that day.

The 65-year-old musician, popularly known as Sarod Samrat, has received many awards including the Padmashree, Sangeet Natak Academy Award, Tansen Award, Unesco Award, UNICEF National Ambassadorship Award, Padma Bhushan and the International Music Forum Award.

“It is a great honour for us that a personality of such a great stature has consented to be present at the varsity and this marks a great achievement for us,” said an official.

Last year, NBU had conferred the DSc degree (Honoris Causa) to Manoj Kumar Pal, former director of the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics.

Andre Beteille, former professor of the Delhi School of Economics, was awarded the DLitt (Honoris Causa).