Rudrapur (Uttarakhand): National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval was conferred with an honorary Doctorate of Literature (D Litt) on Thursday by Uttarakhand Governor LT General Gurmit Singh during the 34th convocation ceremony of GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in Uttarakhand’s Pantnagar. The university called NSA Doval’s presence a source of motivation for the students at the convocation.
Doval served in various capacities in Intelligence Bureau (IB), and in the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and he retired as an Indian Police Services (IPS) officer (Kerala cadre). The university organised the convocation after a gap because of the Covid pandemic and 2,503 students were awarded degrees at the convocation with around 5,000 spectators. Students Roshni Chand for the academic session 2020-21 and Survi Rawat for 2021-22 were awarded the Chancellor's medal whereas Vice-Chancellor gold medals were awarded to 26 students, silver medals to 22 students and bronze medals to 21 students from both sessions.
Also read: Uttarakhand: NSA Ajit Doval to get his honorary Doctorate conferred on Feb. 16
Doval was the special guest at the convocation while Agriculture Minister Ganesh Joshi was also present on the occasion. Expressing gratitude for the honorary degree, NSA Ajit Doval said that Pant University is the pride of India. "After partition, 22 million hectares of cultivable land went to Pakistan and many thought India won't be able to feed its 35 crore population then. Now our population is 135 crore, and food grain production has gone up to 315 million tonnes. We can not only feed our people, but also export food grains," he said. Doval was born in Uttarakhand in 1945 and he led India’s surgical strikes in September 2016 and February 2019 Balakot airstrikes across the border in Pakistan. Doval also acted as a crucial member in curbing the Doklam stand-off as his decisive measures provided support to tackle insurgency in the Northeast.
