Bhubaneswar: Three eminent persons including Pramod Kumar Mishra, the Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, were conferred with honorary doctorate at the 53^rd convocation of Utkal University here today.

President Droupadi Murmu graced the occasion as the chief guest. Odisha Governor Raghubar Das and Higher Education Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak were also present at the ceremony.

Apart from Mishra, Director General (DG) of India Meteorological Department (IMD) Mrutyunjay Mohapatra and Managing Director (MD) of Hindalco Satish Pai were conferred with the honorary doctorate at the ceremony.

Moreover, as many as 166 scholars were awarded with PhD degree and 95 meritorious students with gold medals at the convocation ceremony.

Vice-Chancellor Sabita Acharya, faculty members and students attended the ceremony.

Utkal University is the oldest university in Odisha and the 17^th oldest varsity in the country. The public university was established at the premises of erstwhile Ravenshaw College in Cuttack in 1943. The varsity later moved to its permanent campus in the Odisha capital here.