While Dr Kalam will be here for two days on March 6 and 7, the PM is likely to be in Varanasi on March 14 and 15.

Dr Kalam, who last visited Varanasi on March 3, 2006, as the chief guest at the 88th convocation of Banaras Hindu University (BHU), will attend a host of programmes during his two-day stay.

After his arrival on Thursday afternoon by a special flight, Dr Kalam will grace the annual convocation of the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies (CIHTS) at Sarnath.

He will then leave for BHU to attend a special programme at K N Uduppa Hall, where four experts will make presentations about the strides made by the BHU in the sphere of science.

The experts are Shyam Sunder Agrawal of the Institute of Medical Sciences), R M Singh of the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, S Kak of the Institute of Technology and O N Srivastava of the Faculty of Science, according to BHU spokesman Rajesh Singh.

On March 7, Dr Kalam will attend an international conference on Buddhism and World Cultures at CIHTS, Sarnath, and return to BHU to address a gathering at the Swatantrata Bhawan auditorium.

“Before leaving for Delhi by a special flight in the evening, Dr Kalam will hold an interactive session with BHU students, where ten select students will query him on various counts,” Singh added.

The Banaras Hindu University will also have a date with PM Manmohan Singh who is likely to grace its annual convocation on March 14, a senior BHU official said.

During his stay in Varanasi on March 14 and 15, Singh is also likely to have a darshan of the famous Ganga Arti on the banks of the river and also offer prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple.

While the official protocal of the PM’s visit is yet to arrive at the ADM (Protocal) Office, DIG (SPG) Vivek Srivastava was in Varanasi on Monday to oversee security arrangements for the visit.

Accompanied by top police officers, including Senior Superintendent of Police S B Shirodkar, the SPG officer visited the Banaras Hindu University, the Kashi Vishwanath temple and the Dashwashamedh Ghat, which hosts Ganga Arti every evening.