LUCKNOW: Higher education minister Akhilesh Yadav will confer honorary doctorate on his father Mulayam Singh Yadav at the first convocation of Dr Shakuntala Devi Mishra Rehabilitation University slated today.Akhilesh is also the chairman of General Council (GC) of the university. The university’s apex authority, one of the most important powers of the GC is to review the broad policies and programmes of the university. The GC has also instituted two gold medals on the name of Mulayam Singh Yadav. Mulayam is the chief guest at the convocation function and will deliver the convocation address.The university is named after social worker Dr Shakuntala Devi Mishra, mother of BSP general secretary SC Mishra. Dr Shakuntala was known for her efforts for socio-economic uplift of the blind and the differently-abled persons.The university was inaugurated by BSP supremo Mayawati in November 2011. She had then dedicated the university to her grandfather Mangalsen, and had said, “Though he (Mangalsen) lost vision during his lifetime, he continued to work and support the family. It was because of him that I got an opportunity to pursue higher education.”On Tuesday, 77 students will be conferred with medals. In the medal tally, there are 27 chancellor medals, 33 chief minister medals, six vice-chancellor medals, and nine Dr Shakuntala Misra gold medals meant only for differently-abled students. The Mulayam Singh Yadav gold medals are for PG students with the highest marks in political science. A total of 633 degrees of academic session 2010-12, 2011-13, and 2012-14 will be awarded.Special ramps will be put up for the convenience of special students at the function. Live telecast of the function is likely to take place at different locations in the city via mobile vans.Governor Ram Naik, in his capacity as the visitor of the university will preside over the function in which eminent musician Ravindra Jain and Ut Rike Zeshan, director of the institute for sign languages, Central University of Lancashire will also be awarded.