First female Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University honoured

The Women Studies Centre, Punjabi University, Patiala, honoured Inderjit Kaur Sandhu, 98, a former Vice-Chancellor of the university, during the 13th International Conference on the theme Women in Leadership: Issues and Challenges.

Sandhu was not only the first female Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University, but also of any university in North India.

In 1975, when Sandhu was appointed at the top post, she was one of only three women heads of universities in the world.

She also became the first woman chairperson of the Staff Selection Commission, New Delhi, a Central government recruiting agency, in 1980.

Born in 1923 in the undivided Punjab, she studied at Patiala and Lahore. Immediately after completing her Masters in Philosophy, she started teaching, while also earning her MA in Punjabi when it was introduced at that level for the first time.

She remained associated with the profession till her retirement.


Having joined a job just prior to Partition in 1946, she had to face several challenges. But she remained rock solid and mobilised all possible resources to help the people who were forced to migrate to India.

In particular, she was involved in Punjab and Kashmir. She set up a school and remained active on several administrative posts in educational institutions in Punjab.

Weathering many storms, her spirit remains high at 98.


The present Vice-Chancellor, Prof Arvind, his wife Prof Kavita and the Director of the Women Studies Centre Prof Ritu Lehal and her team visited Sandhu at her home in Chandigarh to personally honour her.

Arvind took the initiative of making the meeting memorable by recording the interaction of Sandhu with the team from Punjabi University.

Her recorded message was played during the inaugural session of the conference. Her son Roopinder Singh, a former Senior Associate Editor of The Tribune, presented the first copy of the second edition to the Festschrift on his mother titled "Inderjit Kaur Sandhu: An Inspiring Story" to the Vice-Chancellor.-IANS