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5fth Global Alumni meet: No word on PU senate polls, V-P Dhankhar stresses on need for umbrella alumni body

By, Chandigarh
Dec 22, 2024 08:00 AM IST

Students and senators have been protesting over the pending elections for nearly two months, and Dhankhar, it was expected, may clear the air on the issue.

Vice President of India and Panjab University (PU) chancellor Jagdeep Dhankhar pressed on the need for the varsity to have an umbrella association for its various alumni bodies but didn’t mention the pending senate elections, in his much-anticipated speech at the Fifth Global Alumni meet on Saturday.

From left: Gujarat governor Acharya Devvrat, V-C Renu Vig, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar and his wife Sudesh at the 5th Global Alumni Meet at Law Auditorium, Panjab University, in Chandigarh on Saturday. (RAVI KUMAR/HT)
From left: Gujarat governor Acharya Devvrat, V-C Renu Vig, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar and his wife Sudesh at the 5th Global Alumni Meet at Law Auditorium, Panjab University, in Chandigarh on Saturday. (RAVI KUMAR/HT)

Students and senators have been protesting over the pending elections for nearly two months, and Dhankhar, it was expected, may clear the air on the issue.

V-P said there should be a national alumni association, having pass-outs of IITs, IIMs and eminent universities such as PU, stating that it will benefit the nation.

He also spoke about how alumni can give back to the varsity, while pointing out how the endowment fund of Harvard University is larger than the GDP of many countries. “When I go to different places, I find different alumni associations for PU. There’s nothing wrong with it but I would urge that an umbrella organisation be formed for all the various associations,” he said, adding that it would lead to better coordination and benefit the varsity and its students.

Like last year, he also reminded alumni of their duty towards their alma mater. “Everyone must come forward and contribute towards PU. The fiduciary amount doesn’t matter as much,’ he said and added that there is nothing wrong with Indians contributing to foreign universities. But they should think about Indian universities as well.

Gujarat governor and an alumnus of PU’s Centre for Distance and Online Education, Acharya Devvrat was also present and celebrated the university’s legacy of shaping global leaders. Former governor and an alumnus of PU’s chemistry department, Krishan Kant Paul (Retd IPS) recalled his childhood and spoke about his father, a faculty member at PU. He reminisced about joining PU in 1964 as a student of the Honours School in Chemistry.

Shekhar Gupta, the founder of The Print and an alumnus of Panjab University’s School of Communication Studies shared the serendipitous turn of events that led him to join the department. On a visit to the university to get his marksheet corrected, he learned about the entrance test for the journalism course happening that very afternoon. Taking a chance, he appeared for the test, cleared it, and embarked on a life-changing academic journey. His speech highlighted the unpredictable yet transformative role PU played in shaping his career.

Vice-chancellor Renu Vig spoke about how the chancellor is always concerned about the welfare of the university while Dhankhar also lauded the working of the university under Vig.

After the conclusion of the main event, department-wise meetings were held where Shekhar Gupta delivered the third professor PP Singh Memorial Lecture at School of Communication Studies. At the Department of Political Science, former IAS officers, chief secretaries and sisters Urvashi Gulati and Keshni Arora were present and spoke about the importance of PU in their lives and how their father former prof JC Anand had inspired them. A musical evening and dinner was also hosted at Alumni House in PU South Campus in the evening.

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