Subhanshu Shukla to get honorary degree at AKTU convocation in Lucknow

Astronaut Group Captain Subhanshu Shukla will attend the convocation ceremony at a university in Lucknow, where he will be felicitated with an honorary Doctor of Science degree, its vice chancellor said on Monday.

Shukla will be the chief guest at the ceremony, he said.

The 23rd convocation of Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU) will be presided over by Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, and see Minister of Technical Education Ashish Patel attending as a special guest, Vice Chancellor Prof JP Pandey said.


Pandey said the university is moving towards expanding its horizons in science and technology education.

"From the next academic session, AKTU will also begin a minor degree course in space technology," he told PTI.

Shukla, a group captain in the Air Force, recently scripted history after becoming only the second Indian, following Rakesh Sharma, to visit space and the first to dock at the International Space Station.

The convocation will award degrees to 53,943 students across disciplines and PhDs to 86 scholars. In all, 88 medals will be conferred, including 37 gold, 26 silver and 25 bronze.

Among the top achievers, Nancy, a BTech Computer Science Engineering student from Pranveer Singh Institute of Technology, Kanpur, will receive the Chancellor's Gold Medal, while Unnati Gaur of RD Engineering College, Ghaziabad, will be honoured with the Kamal Rani Varun Memorial Gold Medal.

Public Relations Officer Pawan Kumar Tripathi said in addition to academic honours, the university will recognise innovation and entrepreneurship by presenting Student Startup Awards in six categories, including women-led startups, social impact, tech innovation, accessibility, sustainability, and health innovation.

The university has also introduced several initiatives to strengthen its academic ecosystem, he said.

Recently, 30 new pre-incubation centres were set up under the "One District, One Incubation Centre" scheme. AKTU has also rolled out options for BTech students to pursue minor and honours degrees, aiming to enhance their employability and align learning with industry demands, Tripathi added.

Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Technical University, formerly Uttar Pradesh Technical University, is the state's largest affiliating technical university, with over 750 affiliated engineering, management and professional colleges across Uttar Pradesh.