Oxford, June 18 (IANS) Montek Singh Ahluwalia, the deputy chairman of India’s Planning Commission, was Wednesday conferred an honorary doctorate by Britain’s premier Oxford University. Ahluwalia, 64, was conferred the honorary degree of Doctor of Civil Law at the at the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford. He was among six experts who were honoured at the Encaenia, the ceremony at which the university awards honorary degrees to distinguished men and women and commemorates its benefactors.

“Learned and brilliant counsellor, who have explained economic growth in your writings and promoted it in your career, I, on my own authority and that of the whole university admit you to the honorary degree of Doctor of Civil Law,” declared Oxford Chancellor Lord Patten to the thumping of desks while conferring the degree on Ahluwalia.

Ahluwalia, who is in Britain to attend a seminar on globalisation, was considered by the university as among the prime shakers of the Indian economy.

Considered as one of the architects of India’s economic reforms along with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, Ahluwalia gained MA and MPhil degrees as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford.

Referring to his education at Oxford, the chancellor was all praise for Ahluwalia and said: “I trust that we may be forgiven a touch of self-congratulation at the fact that so distinguished a man acquired some part of his expertise in this place.

“He worked at the World Bank for a number of years before being summoned to India by his prime minister. He came back to America for a second stint, and then once more returned home, again at the prime minister’s request. One can readily see from this how highly his judgement and experience are valued.”