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72nd convocation: Manu Bhaker among five picked for Panjab University Ratna awards
The Panjab University convocation will also see prominent figures like mathematician RJ Hans-Gill, spiritual leader Kamlesh D Patel and social worker Sushri Nivedita Raghunath Bhide receiving honorary degrees
Panjab University (PU) is set to honour five distinguished individuals with the prestigious PU Ratna awards at its 72nd annual convocation on March 12, with Olympic medallist and PU alumna Manu Bhaker leading the list.
The ceremony, to be graced by President of India Droupadi Murmu as the chief guest, will also see prominent figures like mathematician RJ Hans-Gill, spiritual leader Kamlesh D Patel and social worker Sushri Nivedita Raghunath Bhide receiving honorary degrees.
Hans-Gill and Patel will be awarded Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa), while Raghunath Bhide will receive Doctor of Literature (Honoris Causa).
Hans-Gill is recognised for her ground-breaking work in Number Theory and Discrete Geometry, while Patel, a multi-faceted personality, is celebrated for his contributions to science, pharmacy, environmentalism and spirituality. Bhide, a Padma Shri awardee, is revered for her lifelong dedication to social service and the promotion of Indian culture. She has also authored numerous books.
Alongside the honorary degrees, the university will confer five prestigious Ratna awards. Gurtej Singh Sandhu, a semiconductor innovator with 1,382 US patents and vice-president at Micron Technology, will receive the Vigyan Ratna.
Harmohinder Singh Bedi, chancellor of the Central University of Himachal Pradesh and a Padma Shri awardee, will be honoured with the Sahitya Ratna for his research on Punjab’s cultural and literary contributions to Hindi literature.
Pushvinder Jit Singh, managing director of Tynor Orthotics, will be awarded the Udyog Ratna for his entrepreneurial success, having expanded his company’s footprint to over 60 countries.
Olympian Manu Bhaker, a proud PU alumna, will receive the Khel Ratna for her outstanding achievements in shooting, while renowned playback and Sufi singer Jaspinder Narula, a Filmfare Award winner, will be honoured with the Kala Ratna for her significant contributions to music.
The convocation will also see Murmu deliver the convocation address, the sixth President of India to do so after Pranab Mukherjee, APJ Abdul Kalam, Giani Zail Singh, Neelam Sanjiva Reddy and Rajinder Prasad in 2015, 2007, 1985, 1981 and 1951, respectively.
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