Three people, including the former head of ISRO, will get honorary degrees from PU
Panjab University’s 71st Annual Convocation, scheduled for March 7 at the Gymnasium Hall, will bestow four university-wide Ratna Awards in addition to three honoris causa degrees.
The Honoris Causa Degree committee of the university has recommended Dr. Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan, PhD, Professor Unnat P Pandit, PhD, and Professor Balram Bhargava, PhD, for awards. Dr. JK Bajaj, Ph.D., Bahadur Singh Chauhan, Ph.D., Ninder Ghugianvi, PhD, and Sachin Bansal, PhD, have been awarded Gyan, Khel, and Udyog Asanas, respectively. These names are probably going to be approved by the university senate on Wednesday.
Degrees awarded honorably
NIIT University and the Central University of Rajasthan are led by Dr. Kasturirangan. From 1994 until 2003, he served as the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). The “Innovation Guru,” Prof. Pandit, is an intellectual property specialist who left NITI Aayog’s bureaucratic position to pursue a career in academia. Professor Bhargava is a cardiology professor at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), located in New Delhi. He was awarded the 2019 Dr. Lee Jong-wook Memorial Prize for Public Health in recognition of his accomplishments as a clinician, innovator, researcher, and teacher.
Ratna Prizes
Recipient of the Padma Shree, renowned physicist Dr. Bajaj transitioned into a reputable social scientist after completing substantial research in fields like Indian society, economics, and politics, as well as the country’s scientific and technical heritage. Chauhan was a famous shot putter who spent 25 years as the National Chief Coach. India won twelve medals at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games under his direction. Ghugianvi, a writer from Punjab, has written 57 novels and was recently selected as a resident writer at Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University in Wardha, Maharashtra. This is an accolade that is not often bestowed upon a Punjabi writer. Entrepreneur Bansal, a native of Chandigarh and the creator of the mobile shopping app Flipkart will receive the Udyog Ratna.
Neeraj, Krishna Ella, and others are invited.
In the meantime, the university will extend invitations to several additional prominent figures from across the world who were not able to attend the past convocations in order to receive the honor. Neeraj Chopra, the gold champion in javelin throwing at the Olympics, is on the list, along with Ayushmann Khurana, Krishna Ella, Suchitra Ella, and Dr. Gagandeep Kang.
The panel has not yet provided suggestions.
Contrary to popular belief, students attending the 71st convocation are probably going to wear robes rather than traditional clothing. Following Punjab Engineering College’s lead, the PU administration considered altering the convocation dress code from robes to traditional Indian clothing last year.
The varsity assembled a subcommittee to discuss the issue and provide suggestions last year. However, the vice-chancellor of the institution, Prof. Renu Vig, said that the committee’s recommendations are still waiting.
