Chandigarh, Nov 28, : , During the 13th International Conference on Women in Leadership: Issues & Challenges, the Women Studies Centre, Punjabi University in Patiala, honored Inderjit Kaur Sandhu, 98, an ex-Vice-Chancellor of the university. Sandhu was the first female Vice-Chancellor at Punjabi University and of any university in North India.
Sandhu was the only woman to head universities worldwide in 1975, when she was appointed as the top university official.
In 1980, she was also the first woman to chair the Staff Selection Commission, New Delhi (a Central government agency for recruiting).
She was born in 1923 in the undivided Punjab.She studied at Patiala as well as Lahore.
After completing her Masters of Philosophy, she began teaching and also earned her MA in Punjabi, when it was first introduced at that level.
She was still involved in the profession until her retirement.
She was forced to face many challenges after she took up a job in the days just before Partition in 1946.She remained strong and mobilized all resources to help those who were forced to move to India.
She was particularly involved in Kashmir and Punjab.She established a school and was active in several administrative positions in Punjabi educational institutions.
Despite many storms, her spirit is strong at 98.
To honor Sandhu, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Arvind, Prof Kavita, and Prof Ritu Lehal, the Director of Women Studies Centre, visited her Chandigarh home.
Arvind decided to make the meeting memorable by recording Sandhu’s interaction with the team from Punjabi University.
During the conference’s inaugural session, her recorded message was played.
Her son, Roopinder Singh (a former Senior Associate Editor at The Tribune), presented the first copy the second edition of the Festschrift on his mom titled “Inderjit Kaur Sandhu: An Inspiring Stories” to Vice-Chancellor.
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