Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday proposed a Chair in the name of Mother Teresa at St Xavier's University on behalf of her government. "I propose a respected Chair for Mother as a mark of respect towards her. The move is aimed at providing better academic facilities to the students as well as issuing a message to the world that West Bengal gives respect to Mother Teresa. We also have a Mother's Wax Museum here," she said at the 4th annual convocation of St Xavier's University.
Banerjee said she had also visited the Vatican during Mother Teresa's canonisation ceremony. Earlier, the CM was conferred a D Litt (Doctor of Literature) degree by St Xavier's University, Kolkata, for her contribution to the field of higher education. "I'm an ordinary citizen and I want to dedicate this honour to the people of my state. May this honour help me to fight for unity and protect our Constitution," Mamata said.
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Lauding the efforts of the university, Banerjee said within just four years, St Xavier's University has managed to earn several laurels for itself. There is no global university that is better than St Xavier's, she told the students, who were felicitated today. "Victory will embrace you where ever you go," Banerjee said. She said the number of universities has risen from 12 to 30 during her tenure.
Governor CV Ananda Bose, who handed over the degree to Mamata Banerjee said, "Mamata received similar awards for her political achievements, but now she has been felicitated for her excellence in literature, painting and poetry. She has thus elevated herself to an eminent statesman." "When knowledge invades politics there is excellence, but when politics invades knowledge there is chaos," Governor said. The university will hand over degrees to a total of 770 students of which 33 will be awarded gold, silver and bronze medals. Two faculty members will be awarded degrees for completion of their PhD programmes. It may be recalled that in 2018, Mamata was conferred with D Litt by Calcutta University.
