JNU Appoints its First-Ever Woman VC, Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit; Know Details Here

New Delhi: Professor Santishree Pandit from Savitribai Phule University, has been appointed as the first woman vice-chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi on February 7, 2022. 

This 59-year-old professor is also an alumna of JNU where she studied M.Phil along with a PhD in International Relations. 

“President Ram Nath Kovind, who is Visitor to the University, has approved the appointment of Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit as JNU Vice-Chancellor. Her appointment is for a period of five years”, as per a senior MoE official. 

Welcoming Professor Pandit, M Jagadesh Kumar, the former VC of JNU expressed his congratulatory note that reads, “It gives me pleasure to inform you that professor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, Department of Politics and Public Administration, Savitribai Phule Pune University has been appointed as the next Vice-Chancellor of JNU. She is the first female Vice-Chancellor of JNU”. 

“My hearty congratulations to Professor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit. I am handing over the charge to her today and wish her success in her new role”, Professor Kumar further added. 

JNU congratulates Prof. Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit for being appointed as the new Vice Chancellor of JNU for a period of five years.@EduMinOfIndia @ugc_india pic.twitter.com/PMzdDyZ6mV

— Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) (@JNU_official_50) February 7, 2022

JNU’s New VC Professor Santishree Pandit’s Career: Brief Overview

Professor Pandit was born in St. Petersburg, Russia (USSR) on July 15, 1962. She has been a part of academia since 1988. 

Some of the prestigious institutions that she has been a part of are the American Studies Research Institute, Hyderabad, the Indian Association of American Studies, the All India Political Science Association, the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, the Indian Secular Society, etc. She has also been a part of the University Grants Commission (UGC), the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), etc. 

She began her professional career at Goa University in 1988 and later, shifted to Pune University in 1993. 

She also has penned many important books such as ‘Parliament and Foreign Policy in India’, ‘Restructuring Environmental Governance in Asia-Ethics and Policy 2003’, etc. During her career, she has supervised 29 PhDs. 

Former JNU VC Jagadesh Kumar has now been appointed as the Chairman of the UGC. He is to replace D P Singh who served as the UGC VC from 2018 to 2021. This is a crucial moment as the UGC is to be instrumental in implementing the National Education Policy along with several reforms of the higher education sector. 

Also Read: JNU Vice-Chancellor Jagadesh Kumar Assigned as UGC Chairman