Govt announces 10 varsity chairs in names of eminent women

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 24

The government today announced establishment of 10 university chairs in the name of eminent women leaders of the country. The announcement coincided with National Girl Child Day.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development will set up these Chairs in different fields with an aim to carry out research and encourage women.

The initiative “Establishment of Chairs in the universities in the name of eminent women administrators, artists, scientists and social reformers” was launched with the assistance of University Grants Commission (UGC) under the Ministry of HRD.

The chairs proposed by the UGC and approved by the ministry are: Administration in the name of Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar; literature (Mahadevi Verma); freedom fighter –northeast (Rani Gadinilu); medicine and health (Anandibai Joshi); performing arts (Madurai Subbulakshmi); forest conservation (Amrita Devi Beniwal); mathematics (Lilavati); science (Kamala Sohonie); poetry and mysticism (Lal Ded) and education reforms (Hansa Mehta).

The financial implications of the proposal is Rs 50 lakh per chair per year and the total expenditure for establishing 10 Chairs will be around Rs 5 crore per annum.

The Chairs will be established for five years initially as per guidelines. The Ministry today did not name which universities would host these chairs.