President confers honorary degree on Afghan counterpart

Afghan President Hamid Karzai was today conferred an honorary doctorate degree by President Pranab Mukherjee at a professional university here.
Sharing the dais with Mukherjee, who was the chief guest at the convocation of Lovely Professional University, Karzai said he was humbled to have the degree from a university which was amazing by all standards of academic excellence and grandeur in size and the biggest university of India.
He tendered an apology to Mukherjee, Government of Punjab and LPU students for having come late, saying his plane had developed some problems.
Karzai said, "India, as a friend of Afghanistan, has made immense contribution in uplifting its youths. India has contributed two billion dollars from the hard-earned money of its tax-payers for the betterment of Afghanistan."

The Afghan President lauded India's fast growth in industry, technology and economy.
"India is on the path of progress and prosperity. It is one of the greatest civilisations on earth. The power and energy you (students and youths) generate is good for India and beyond," Karzai, who is here on a three-day visit, said.

He called India a great power of technology and sciences, and said it stood for the goodness of mankind.
Highlighting the need for development of education, especially higher education, in Afghanistan, he said the Chancellor of LPU Ashok Mittal had assured him to take as many students in his university from Afghanistan as the country sent on scholarships.

He said India had 2,000 Afghan students studying in its various universities and LPU had 22 Afghan students.
Delivering his convocation address, Mukherjee said, "Tolerance for polarisation, honesty, self discipline and upright conduct should be our guiding force."
He underlined the need of vocationalisation of education. "There cannot be progress without innovation, research and development," he said.