NCC honorary Colonel rank for Nauni University V-C Prof Rajeshwar Singh Chandel

Solan, May 6

The National Cadet Corps (NCC) has bestowed the honourary rank of Colonel upon Prof Rajeshwar Singh Chandel, Vice-Chancellor of Dr YS Parmar University of Forestry and Horticulture, Nauni.

He is among the distinguished company of 19 Vice-Chancellors (VCs) nationwide, who have been bestowed with this honour.

Prof Chandel will now hold the title of Colonel Commandant of the university’s NCC Wing. The initiative aims to infuse the NCC’s ethos of discipline and patriotism into the university campuses by appointing V-Cs as Colonel Commandants during their tenure. By nurturing a spirit of national duty among students, the programme seeks to strengthen their inclination towards military service.

Expressing gratitude, Prof Chandel, himself a former NCC cadet and holder of the NCC B certificate, emphasised the university’s commitment to starting NCC units within its constituent colleges at Neri and Thunag.

Currently, the main campus hosts two NCC units with a capacity of 102 and 60 cadets. Under Prof Chandel’s leadership, NCC activities within the university have flourished, with regular camps attracting participation from cadets from different educational institutions.

Highlighting the diverse career opportunities beyond agriculture and forestry, Prof Chandel underscored the role of NCC training in developing students’ mind set for service in the armed forces.

He said the university has a proud history of alumni serving in the armed forces and even rising to the ranks of Brigadiers and Colonels. The university aims to facilitate mentorship opportunities between former military personnel and aspiring cadets, he said.

The announcement of Prof Chandel’s honorary Colonel rank has been appreciated by the university staff and students.