Ex-ISRO chief among 3 to get honorary degrees at Panjab University

Deepankar Sharda

Chandigarh, February 20

The Panjab University will confer three Honoris Causa Degrees and four university’s Ratna Awards, during its 71st Annual Convocation, slated for March 7, at the Gymnasium Hall.

A university’s committee has recommended names of Dr Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan (Doctor of Science), professor Unnat P Pandit (Doctor of Laws) and professor Balram Bhargava (Doctor of Science) for Honoris Causa Degrees, while Dr JK Bajaj (Gyan Ratna), Bhadur Singh Chauhan (Khel Ratna), Ninder Ghugianvi (Sahitya Ratna) and Sachin Bansal (Udyog Ratna). The university’s senate is likely to approve these names on Wednesday.

Honoris Causa Degrees

Dr Kasturirangan, Chancellor, Central University of Rajasthan, and NIIT University. He headed the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from 1994 to 2003. Prof Pandit, an intellectual property professional, also known as ‘Innovation Guru, moved from the bureaucratic role at NITI Aayog to academics. Prof Bhargava, a winner of the 2019 Dr Lee Jong-wook Memorial Prize for Public Health for his achievements as a clinician, innovator, researcher and trainer, is a professor of Cardiology at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.

Ratna Awards

Padma Shree awardee Dr Bajaj is a renowned physicist evolved as an established social scientist having worked extensively in areas such as scientific and technological tradition of India, Indian Society, economy and polity and others. Decorated shot putter, Chauhan remained the National Chief Coach for 25 years. Under his stewardship, India won dozen of medals in the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games. Punjabi writer Ghugianvi, who has been appointed as Resident Writer at Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University, Wardha, Maharashtra—an honour given to a Punjabi writer for the first time has authored 57 books. Chandigarh-born entrepreneur Bansal, who is known as founder of mobile shopping application Flipkart, will be awarded with Udyog Ratna.

Invitation to Neeraj, Krishna Ella and others

Meanwhile, the university will also invite many other nations’ well known personalities, who couldn’t attend the previous convocations fort receiving the honour. The list includes, Olympics gold medallist javelin thrower, Neeraj Chopra; Ayushmann Khurana, Krishna Ella, Suchitra Ella and Dr Gagandeep Kang.

Panel yet to submit recommendations

• Contrary to expectations, students are likely to will wear robes instead of traditional attire during the 71st convocation. Last year, the PU authorities were mulling changing the dress code for the convocation, shifting from the robes to traditional Indian attire, after taking a cue from Punjab Engineering College
• Last year, the varsity had formed a panel to deliberate on the matter and come up with the recommendations. However, the recommendations of the committee are still pending, confirmed university’s vice chancellor, Prof Renu Vig