Bihar’s Sharad Sagar and Padma Vibhushan Raghunath Mashelkar Awarded Honorary Doctorate by JECRC University

PATNA – Noted social entrepreneur and Indian youth icon from Bihar Sharad Vivek Sagar was conferred with an honorary doctorate degree by JECRC University in Jaipur, Rajasthan on Saturday, January 6. At JECRC University’s 7th Convocation Ceremony held in Jaipur, Shri O.P Agrawal, the Chairperson of the University, announced in presence of distinguished guests, academicians, graduating students and parents, “Today, we stand on the threshold of a momentous occasion, as we proudly extend our highest honours to a luminary whose life story embodies the spirit of resilience, vision, and transformative leadership. It is with great privilege and profound admiration that JECRC University, Jaipur, confers the title of Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters, Honoris Causa, upon Shri Sharad Vivek Sagar.”

Sagar was one of two individuals chosen for the university’s highest honour. Alongwith Sagar, noted scientist and Padma Vibhushan awardee Dr. Raghunath Anant Mashelkar was also awarded an honorary doctorate. Praising Sagar in his Convocation speech, Dr. Mashelkar said, “This is my 48th honorary doctorate. And, I haven’t heard a speech more inspiring than Sharad Sagar’s.” Later in the evening, Dr. Mashelkar tweeted about receiving the honorary doctorate saying, “It was an honour to share the stage today with 50 years younger Sharad Sagar. His firebrand oratory at JECRC University’s convocation coupled with thought leadership was one of the most inspiring that I have heard for a long long time.”

Sagar is globally renowned social entrepreneur, noted thought leader, powerful orator and a widely followed youth icon from Bihar. Raised in small towns and villages of Bihar, Sagar founded the national organization Dexterity Global at the age of 16. Today, leaders trained in the Dexterity system have received over ₹175 crores in scholarships from top universities across the world, served as India’s youth ambassadors to the UN, won national and international awards, competitions and fellowships and started their own leadership initiatives.

The citation of the honorary degree bestowed upon Sagar read, “Hailing from the heartland of Bihar, Shri Sagar has emerged as a global force, an illustrious social entrepreneur, and a beacon of inspiration for the youth of our nation. His work, marked by resilience, innovation, and a commitment to empowering the youth, aligns seamlessly with the values we uphold at JECRC University. May this Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters serve as a testament to his remarkable achievements and unwavering dedication to the betterment of society.”

In 2021, Sagar became the first Indian to be elected President of the Student Government at Harvard Graduate School of Education. In 2022, Dainik Jagran bestowed upon Sagar the Editor’s Choice Award for India’s Youth Icon, recognizing him for redefining education and leadership for millions of young Indians. In 2023, Femina listed Sharad Sagar among 60 of India’s most admired men, alongside India’s legendary actors, athletes, influencers and business leaders such as Mukesh Ambani, Virat Kohli, Neeraj Chopra, Anand Mahindra and Shahrukh Khan.

Receiving the honorary degree, Sagar said, “I’m humbled to receive this honour alongside Dr. Mashelkar. He and I were born half a century apart. As I stand in his giant shadow and receive this honour, I am in deep and humble recognition of the fact that this is not the recognition of one person. This is the recognition of one idea – that I took forward as a 16-yr-old at Dexterity Global – the idea that talent is equally distributed but opportunities are not. That any child, anywhere in our country, if provided with educational opportunities and training at the right age and stage can contribute to our national life in the same way as Gandhi and Ambedkar, Vikram Sarabhai and Verghese Kurien and our very own Dr. Mashelkar. That, every child must receive the opportunity to merge their academic life with India’s national life, their educational journey with India’s national journey.”

At the age of 16, Sagar founded the national organization Dexterity Global. At the age of 24, Sagar was listed on the global Forbes 30 Under 30 list. In 2016, Sagar was in national and global news when he became the only Indian to be invited by US President Barack Obama to the White House for a special gathering of young leaders. Later that year, the Nobel Peace Center invited Sagar to the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony. Sagar remains one of the youngest and most-invited experts on India’s most watched TV show Kaun Banega Crorepati. In 2017, at the age of 25, Sagar became the youngest Indian to be invited as the Chief Guest and Convocation Speaker of a university.

Besides his organizational leadership, Sagar is regarded as a firebrand public speaker in English and Hindi and delivers over 250 major public speeches across 20+ states in an average year. He is frequently invited by eminent institutions in India and around the world to deliver guest lectures on education, leadership, entrepreneurship and nation-building. After a stirring speech at Vivekananda Memorial Hall in Vadodara, a leading Indian media house called Sagar, “the Vivekananda of 21st Century.”