Sharnbasva University honoured three distinguished personalities with honorary doctorates during its seventh convocation held at the Dr. Sharanabasappa Appa Anubhava Mantap in Kalaburagi on Sunday.The honorary degrees were conferred by the 9th Peetadipathi of the Sharnbasveshwar Samsthan and Chancellor of Sharnbasva University, Dakshayini S. Appa, along with Doddappa Appa. Those honoured were Krishi Pandit Award winner and head of the Shri Guru Channaveereshwar Virakta Matha, Muttyan Bablad, Gurupadalinga Mahashivayogi; president of the Hyderabad Karnataka Education Society and MLC, Shashil G. Namoshi; and Sajjada Nasheen of the Hazrath Khaja Banda Nawaz Dargah, Syed Muhammad Ali Al-Hussaini. The third honorary doctorate was presented in absentia.Gold medals and awardsFor the first time, the university instituted two special cash awards and gold medals in the name of Late Dr. Sharnbaswappa Appa for overall toppers among male and female graduates.Simra Nishath Bandenawaz Kalakeri secured first rank in MSc Mathematics with an outstanding 9.95 CGPA, while Rahul stood first in BTech (Mechanical) with 9.76 CGPA. Both received a cash prize of ₹21,000, a gold medal and a commendation certificate.Presiding over the convocation, Dr. Dakshayini S. Appa awarded gold medals and rank certificates to 199 meritorious students, including 45 gold medalists, and conferred PhD degrees on 21 research scholars. Apart from these, five more cash awards instituted in the names of eminent personalities were also distributed.In her presidential address, Dr. Dakshhayini Appa recalled the visionary efforts of the late 8th Mahadasoha Peetadhipathi and founder Chancellor Sharnbasappa Appa in empowering the region through quality education and realising his lifelong dream of establishing Sharnbasva University.Congratulating the graduates, she said the convocation marked the beginning of their real professional journey and urged them to strive for excellence while contributing to nation-building. She also expressed pride in the university’s women-centric approach, noting that women students outshone their male counterparts in ranks and gold medals.Vice-Chancellor Anilkumar Bidve welcomed the gathering.Published - December 14, 2025 08:21 pm IST