Kathmandu, March 14

Tribhuvan University, the country’s oldest and biggest university today conferred honorary degree of Doctor of Letters (DLitt) to national poet Madhav Prasad Ghimire and senior litterateur Indra Bahadur Rai amid a special convocation organised here today.

However, Rai was absent from the ceremony due to health complications.

President Bidhya Devi Bhandari handed over the certificate of DLitt to national poet Ghimire for his contribution to Nepali literature, especially poetry.

Addressing the august gathering of TU Senate members, professors, ex-officials of TU, teachers and others, President Bhandari congratulated Ghimire and Rai and said it was a very important and appreciable act on the part of the varsity.

She said, “The main aim of the university is to produce highly qualified academic human resources in the country and for this there was a need of appropriate academic environment,” adding, “Honouring academic personalities is a must for production of high quality academic human resources in the country.”

She stated that there was competition between developing countries for their progress and development and in this perspective; the universities must be developed as ‘centres of excellence’.

“The development of varsities in this way directs the way of the country’s development.

Therefore, TU being the oldest and biggest university must be developed as Centre of Excellence and everybody should support this endeavour,” she added.

Similarly, Prime Minister and Chancellor of TU, KP Sharma Oli said that such honorary degree increases confidence of awardees.

He also stated that the university should not miss honouring deserving people, while it would devalue its worth by conferring such degrees to less worthy people.

Congratulating Ghimire, he said that he had also learned about patriotism from Nepali literature.

“There is no doubt about the importance of knowledge, science and technology for the development of the country, but at the same time good behaviour and development of civilisation is equally important,” he said, adding, “Through the medium of literature and art, the process of gaining knowledge and good behaviour becomes complete.”

He also applauded the special contribution made to Nepali literature by people living outside the country. Ghimire expressed his gratitude to the varsity for conferring DLitt on him in his 90’s.

He said that he had started his journey of literature by writing poems on the Sun and at present too he was writing an epic on the Sun.

“Poetry is a form of words that makes the surroundings beautiful and life joyful,” he said. He also wished for opportunity to produce literature for the welfare of people after the establishment of democratic republic nation.

Similarly, during the ceremony, Prof Tirtha Khaniya said that the university has plans to reform.

He said, “We have formed various committees to look into affiliation, property of TU, developing the varsity as a national university.”