NCC confers honorary rank of Colonel on Nauni varsity VC

The NCC conferred its honorary Colonel rank on Prof Rajeshwar Singh Chandel, Vice Chancellor of Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, at a ceremony held on the university campus today.

The Dr LS Negi Auditorium was filled with applause as Chief Guest Brig Roveen, Group Commander of Shimla NCC, pinned the badges of rank on the VC. The event was organised by the 1 HP Boys Battalion, Solan.

Prof Chandel is among the distinguished company of 19 Vice Chancellors nationwide, who have been bestowed with this honour. Prof Chandel will now hold the title of Colonel ‘Commandant’ of the university’s NCC Wing. This initiative aims to infuse the NCC’s ethos of discipline and patriotism into university campuses by appointing Vice Chancellors as Colonel Commandants during their tenure. By nurturing a spirit of national duty among the students, the programme seeks to strengthen their inclination towards military service.

In his acceptance speech, Prof Chandel expressed his pride and dedication to the students and staff of the university. He reaffirmed his commitment to supporting the NCC’s mission of fostering discipline and leadership.

A former NCC cadet himself, Prof Chandel, who holds an NCC ‘B’ certificate, emphasised the university’s plans to establish NCC units at its constituent colleges in Neri and Thunag.

He praised the NCC for its role in nurturing youth discipline and preparing them for military careers and he commended the defence personnel for their selfless service.

Brig Roveen congratulated Prof Chandel on receiving the honorary Colonel rank, commending his work in advancing low-cost, environment-friendly agricultural practices for small and marginal farmers in the Himalayan region and his promotion of the NCC activities on campus. He encouraged students to embrace true leadership through hard work and dedication.

The ceremony concluded with NCC cadets of the university presenting a ceremonial guard of honour to the Vice Chancellor. Colonel Rajiv Thomas, Commanding Officer of the 1 HP Boys Battalion; Colonel Sanjay Shandil, Commanding Officer of the 1 HP Girls Battalion; along with administrative officers Colonel AP Singh and Major Taruna, also attended the event.