The Indian High Commission presented the prestigious Indian Government, Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Honorary Fellowship award to Professor Biman Chand Prasad, the Dean of Faculty of Business and Economics. Professor Prasad is the first one from the Pacific region to receive such an award.
This award from the Indian government allows leading foreign scholars to visit and work with distinguished colleagues from the Indian Universities.

The award was announced on 20 January, 2011 at a function held at the Indian High Commission in Suva.

According to Indian High Commissioner to Fiji, H.E. Vinod Kumar, the fellowship programme deputes distinguished fellows/selected writers and scholars from all around the world to carry out research and consultations specializing in any area like history, sociology, arts, music, philosophy, politics and economics for a period of three to twelve months in leading universities and institutions in India. It also enables scholars to interact with Indian scholars, writers and intellectuals, and to reactivate and expand the ambit of Indian studies and research.   

Professor Prasad, who will be associated with the School of International Studies at Jawarharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India under the programme, said that he was pleased to receive such a prestigious award.

He highlighted that, "the programme would provide a platform to enhance a better understanding of economic relations between India and the Pacific," adding that, "as India is an emerging global economic power it will have an impact in the Pacific."  

Professor Biman Chand Prasad (right) and Indian High Commissioner to Fiji, H.E. Vinod Kumar