Neeraj Chopra to get Panjab University Khel Ratna

Chandigarh, May 11

The Panjab University Senate has in principle approved the felicitation of various achievers, including Olympics javelin gold winner Neeraj Chopra, during the 70th convocation of the university on May 20.

The Vice-President of India and Chancellor of PU, Jagdeep Dhankhar, will award the honours to the achievers. Chopra will be conferred the Khel Ratna award.

The Senate also approved conferring Doctor of Science (DSc) (honoris causa) on Dr Gagandeep Kang (the first Indian woman scientist to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Society), Sumitra Mahajan (former Lok Sabha Speaker), Dr Sudha N Murty (educator, author, philanthropist and Chairperson of the Infosys Foundation) and Justice Ranjan Gogoi (former Chief Justice of India and Rajya Sabha MP).

Approval was also accorded for the Panjab University Ratna awards for Dr Rattan Singh Jaggi (Gyan Ratna), Dr Veena Tandon (Vigyan Ratna), Chopra (Khel Ratna), Dr Irshad Kamil (Sahitya Ratna), Rakesh Bharti Mittal (Udyog Ratna) and Ayushmann Khurana (Kala Ratna).

A total of 450 research scholars are expected to be awarded with doctorate. Nearly 500 graduate and postgraduate students will be awarded gold medals.

The Chief Ministers of Haryana and Punjab, along with the Governors of both states, are likely to attend the convocation expected to be held at the gymnasium hall.