A total of 19 Vice Chancellors from various universities across the country were recently conferred honorary rank of Colonel by the National Cadet Corps (NCC).
A total of 19 Vice Chancellors from various universities across the country were recently conferred honorary rank of Colonel by the National Cadet Corps (NCC). Among these distinguished individuals were notable figures such as Prof. Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Dr. Jayakara SM from Bangalore University, Prof. Vijay Kumar Srivastava from The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Dr. Girish Chandel from Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyala, and Dr. Rajeshwar Singh Chandel from YS Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry, among others.
The ceremony, presided over by the Additional Director General of the respective NCC directorates on April 30, saw the conferment of the honorary rank of Colonel upon these Vice Chancellors. In addition to receiving the rank, they were also presented with the official gazette notification and ceremonial baton.
With this honour, they now hold the prestigious title of Colonel 'Commandant' of their respective university's NCC Wing.
The government issued a notification on April 13, appointing 19 Vice Chancellors as Colonels during their tenure.
These include Dr. Neelima Gupta from Dr. Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyala, Dr. V Geethalakshmi from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Prof. SN Sridhara from Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, Prof. G Ravi from Alagappa University, Prof. Ganga Prasad Prasain from Tripura University, Prof. Renu Vig from Punjab University, Dr. Ranpal Singh from Chaudhary Ranbir Singh University, Rashmi Mittal from Lovely Professional University, Prof. Hemlata K Bagla from HSNC University, Dr. R Karabhari Kale from Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Technology University, Dr. Ujwala Shirish Chakradeo from SNDT Women’s University, Prof. P Nagabhushan from Vignan’s Foundation for Science, Technology and Research, and Prof. Hari Bahadur Srivastava from Siddharth University.
It must be noted that this is the defence ministry’s charter through the NCC. “The Indian Army is not involved in the recommendation or appointment process,” a source said.
Previously, honorary ranks were conferred upon sports celebrities such as Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Indian Army), Sachin Tendulkar (Indian Air Force), Kapil Dev (Indian Army), and others.
“This new policy extends similar honours to academic leaders, recognising their contributions to nation-building," the source added.
The source also emphasized that bestowing honorary ranks upon Vice Chancellors highlights the significant role academia plays in nurturing disciplined, well-rounded, patriotic, and morally grounded youth.
“The integration of Vice Chancellors as Colonel Commandants could encourage the establishment of more NCC battalions in colleges akin to the National Service Scheme (NSS), imbibing discipline and nationalistic fervour among students," the source concluded.