E-Paper
Arun Nigavekar, former UGC chairman, no more
Arun Nigavekar, former chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) and former vice-chancellor of the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), passed away in Pune on Friday afternoon
Arun Nigavekar, former chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) and former vice-chancellor of the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), passed away in Pune on Friday afternoon. He was 79-year-old and passed away due to a prolonged illness.
Nigavekar was an eminent physicist. From 1998 to 2000 he worked as vice-chancellor at SPPU, then Pune University. After that he went to become vice-chairman, and then chairman, of UGC between 2000 and 2005.
His significant contributions have been on the use of technology to improve higher education and the internationalisation of higher education.
His path-breaking contribution was the initiation of the concept of quality in higher education, for which he was aptly called the father of the quality movement in higher education in India, by former President of India, the late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. He was awarded numerous fellowships for his outstanding performance in academics.
Talking about his demise, SPPU vice-chancellor Prof Nitin Karmalkar said, “He was initially professor of Physics and then he became HOD of the department in Pune university. He worked as vice-chancellor for around 2.5 years and then went to Delhi to become chiarman of UGC. Indian Science Congress was formed during his tenure and leadership. He was a good teacher, administrator and a soft-spoken person. He always helped me during my work as vice-chancellor and his demise is a big loss to the academic sector.”
