Railways to set up Kalpana Chawla Chair with PEC university

The Indian Railways on Monday signed an MoU with PEC University of Technology to set up ‘Kalpana Chawla Chair’ on geospatial technology at the Chandigarh-based institution for her contribution to aerospace engineering.

The Indian Railways on Monday signed an MoU with PEC University of Technology to set up ‘Kalpana Chawla Chair’ on geospatial technology at the Chandigarh-based institution for her contribution to aerospace engineering.

Astronaut Kalpana Chawla, STS-107 mission specialist, is pictured on the flight deck of the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Columbia just one day after the launch. (Photo: NASA)

The Indian Railways have decided to set up the academic chair in geospatial technology at Kalpana Chawla’s alma mater, a Railways statement said in New Delhi.

PEC University of Technology, Chandigarh

Chawla was a student at the PEC University, earlier known as Punjab Engineering College, during 1978-82.

It will carry out academic activities at the university through teaching, research and development in the thematic area of geospatial technology and its application to railway engineering.

“The chair will liaison with the Indian Railways to advise them on technology-demanding rail projects where use of remote sensing data or global positioning system is required,” the statement said.

It added: “This will enable railways to develop in-house solutions to problems which are otherwise often outsourced to western countries.”

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