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Panjab University convocation: Krishna Ella among 4 to be awarded DSc degrees
After a meeting held on Monday, the authorities had decided to start a shuttle bus service to drop students, who will receive their degrees and their parents, to ISBTs in Sector 17 and Sector 43, and the Chandigarh railway station
Panjab University, during its 71st annual convocation on Thursday, will confer the Doctor of Science (DSc) degree on the executive chairman of Bharat Biotech International Ltd, Dr Krishna M Ella, and managing director Suchitra Ella for their contribution in creating Covaxin.
Their names were cleared in the PU senate meeting organised before the 69th convocation in 2022, but they could not attend the ceremony.
Meanwhile, other awardees who will be honoured by the varsity include professor Unnat P Pandit, former programme director of Atal Innovation Mission. He will be conferred with a Doctor of Laws degree. The chief of the cardiothoracic centre at All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), New Delhi, Balram Bhargava, will also be conferred with a DSc degree. Former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan will not be present to receive the DSc degree. Flipkart founder Sachin Bansal will also be unable to receive the Udyog Ratna award in person.
Dr JK Bajaj will be given Gyan Ratna, Bahadur Singh Chauhan will be felicitated with Khel Ratna and Ninder Ghugianvi with Sahitya Ratna.
Last year, Olympian Neeraj Chopra and actor Ayushmann Khurrana were absent to receive their PU Ratna awards and their presence in this year’s ceremony is also unlikely.
Shuttle buses, hostel rooms arranged for students
While the convocation for the first time is being organised in the evening, it is expected that the function can last till 11 pm.
After a meeting held on Monday, the authorities had decided to start a shuttle bus service to drop students, who will receive their degrees and their parents, to ISBT, Sector 17 and Sector 43 and the Chandigarh railway station. Lodging arrangements for the degree holders will also be made in the hostels of PU. They can reach out to the Dean of Students Welfare (DSW) by 4 pm on March 6 through email at dsw@pu.ac.in to confirm.
