Monday, February 14 2005 15:59 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

London: The Oxford University has decided to confer an honorary degree of Doctor of Civil Law on the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a spokesman of the University said today (Feb 14, 2005).

Singh will receive the honour from his alma mater on a date to be mutually agreed.

Singh, who did his higher studies at Cambridge and Oxford, where he completed a D Phil in Economics, is among ten leading international figures due to receive an honorary degree this year.

Besides Dr Singh, others selected for the honour include Nobel Prize-winning writer Toni Morrison (Doctor of Letters).

"After a career in academia, Dr Singh has held a number of political and economic appointments in India and at international organizations including secretary in the Ministry of finance and governor of the Reserve Bank of India," the University said in a press release.

Eight of the awardees will get their honorary degrees at the university's annual honorary degree ceremony on June 22.

The others to be honoured with a degree of civil law include Sir William Castell, vice chairman of the General Electric Company and Dr Oliver Sacks, clinical professor of neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.