Chandigarh University chancellor Satnam Singh Sandhu nominated as Rajya Sabha MP

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New Delhi, January 30

President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday nominated Chandigarh University’s chancellor Satnam Singh Sandhu to the Rajya Sabha.

A notification in this regarding said, “In exercise of the powers conferred by the sub-clause (a) of clause (1) of Article 80 of the Constitution of India, read with clause (3) of that article, the President is pleased to nominate Satnam Singh Sandhu to the Council of States to fill the vacancy caused due to the retirement of one of the nominated members.”

Started as a journalist in vernacular

The man behind one of the biggest universities in the country, Sandhu is one of the 12 persons nominated by the President. He founded the university at Gharuan, SAS Nagar, in 2012. Ferozepur-born Jat Sikh, Sandhu started as a scribe for a Punjabi vernacular. In 2001, he started Chandigarh Group of Colleges (CGC) at Landran in Mohali, and within 11 years, he founded Chandigarh University, Gharuan. At present, the university has a strength of 50,000 students in 34 departments.

Sandhu is an educationist and chancellor of Chandigarh University. He hails from the farming background.

In 2001, Sandhu set up Chandigarh Group of Colleges at Landran, Mohali. In 2012, he founded the Chandigarh University which landed in the QS World University Rankings 2023, as the first among private universities in Asia.

Sandhu also runs two NGOs, New India Development Foundation and Indian Minorities Foundation.

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the nomination today.

“I welcome the nomination of Satnam Singh Sandhu to the Rajya Sabha. His rich work in community service and his passion towards education, innovation and learning will be big source of strength for the Rajya Sabha. I wish him the very best for his tenure,” Dhankhar said.

PM posted his picture with Sandhu on X and said, “I am delighted that Rashtrapati Ji has nominated Satnam Singh Sandhu to the Rajya Sabha. Satnam has distinguished himself as a noted educationist and social worker, who has been serving people at the grassroots in different ways. He has always worked extensively to further national integration and has also worked with the Indian diaspora. I wish him the very best for his Parliamentary journey.”