Days after a move to confer doctorate on Vishwanathan Anand by the University of Hyderabad sparked a row over his nationality, the varsity's vice-chancellor today said dates for the convocation of the world chess champion would be decided soon.

"Let me put the record straight. Anand did not refuse the doctorate. I received an e-mail from him saying that he will receive the doctorate," University of Hyderabad, Vice Chancellor, Prof Sayed E Hasnain said here.

"Dates will be fixed soon for the special convocation for the award of the doctorate," Hasnain said during the closing ceremony of the International Congress of Mathematicians 2010.

A move to confer an honorary doctorate on Anand by the University was embroiled in a controversy on on Tuesday last with the Union Human Resource Development Ministry raising doubts over his nationality as he holds an Indian passport but lives in Spain.

HRD Minister Kapil Sibal spoke to Anand and urged him to accept the award. The University of Hyderabad then decided to confer the doctorate to Anand on a later date.

Sibal also apologised to Anand and made it clear that his nationality was never questioned by the ministry.

Anand said he decided to decline the doctorate for the time being simply because he was busy and wanted to have a proper ceremony.

"I accepted the minister's apology. There was no issue in that. It was just that the day was simply filled up," he had said.

Meanwhile, well-known physicist-turned British author and journalist Simon Lehna Singh, who specialises in popular writing on mathematical and scientific topics, has been awarded Leelavati Award for outstanding contribution to public outreach in Mathematics.

The Award carries a citation and a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh.

Renowned Maths historian Prof R C Gupta was honoured with the Kenneth O May Prize, which he was supposed to get at the International Commission for the History of Mathematics at Budapest in July last year.

The International Mathematical Union's general assembly elected Ingrid Daubechies of United States as its president for the 2011-14 term along with a 10-member team.