Oxford: "A rare bird, as common as a swan that's black" - with these words, Oxford University conferred an honorary degree on Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at a tradition-laden ceremony at the 650-year old Convocation House here yesterday.

Manmohan Singh thus became only the fifth Indian to be so honoured, the others being Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore (1940), former prime minister Indira Gandhi (1971), film director Satyajit Ray (1978) and Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen (1996).

Manmohan Singh, who studied at Nuffield College here and was awarded his D.Phil by the university in 1962, is one of 10 distinguished men and women who are being presented with honorary degrees by the university this year.

The university citation, read out by chancellor Chris Patten, praised Manmohan Singh as a "brilliant economist, a sagacious statesman, and an indefatigable champion and defender of his people..... an Oxonian and a citizen of the world.."

The citation began by saying: "There are people who have learnt the art of governing with true statesmanship; they are not common, but they do exist. There are people who have mastered difficult discipline of economics, the gloomy science, as it has been called; there are people who remain utterly incorruptible even when they get to the very top. Anyone who combines all these virtues surely deserves to be called, in Juvenal's words, A rare bird, as common as a swan that's black."

The citation, among other generous words of praise for Manmohan Singh, said the univesity was proud that "so distinguished a man acquired some of his expertise here" and hoped "that he regards us with affection, like the stone elephant on the former Indian Institute at the end of the Broad, which looks down upon the bustle of Oxford with a friendly expression."

Manmohan Singh said that English, a legacy of the Raj, has been "enriched by Indian creativity" and Indians and people of Indian origin were the largest single component of English speaking people in the world.

"Of course, people here may not recognise the language we speak, but let me assure you that it is English!" the prime minister said to ripples of laughter from a distinguished audience present at the hoary Convocation House of Oxford University where he received an honorary doctorate from his alma mater.

Today, emphasised Manmohan Singh, English in India is seen as just another Indian language.