Women as leaders discussed, ex-VC Inderjit Kaur remembered at Punjabi University

Patiala, Sep 5 (IANS) A seminar on 'Women Leadership in Academics' was organised by the Women Studies Centre on the occasion of Teacher's Day at the Punjabi University here on Tuesday.

Professor Inderjit Kaur Sandhu, the first woman Vice Chancellor of the university (1975-1978) and the first woman Chairperson of the Staff Selection Commission, Delhi (1980-1985), was recognised at the event. 

Fittingly, the keynote speakers on the occasion were women academics, including Pratibha Goyal, Vice Chancellor of Dr Rammanohar Lohia Avadh University, Ayodhya, who is a former student of Punjabi University, and Navjot Kaur, Registrar of Punjabi University.

Jaspreet Talwar, Principal Secretary, Higher Education and Languages, Punjab, was the chief guest at the event. Professor Arvind, Vice Chancellor of Punjabi University, delivered the presidential address. 

While delivering the keynote address, Pratibha Goyal spoke about women's leadership in academia.

In 1975, there was one woman VC, but now there are about 75 universities in India with women Vice Chancellors, she stressed. 

Principal Secretary Talwar shared her experience as a woman administrator, as she spoke about how women administrative service members were earlier excluded from field postings like deputy commissioner etc., but now many more are being entrusted with this responsibility.

Recalling her experience, she said that people do not care whether their officer is a woman, yet bias can set in while selecting candidates for such postings. 

Late Inderjit Kaur's son Roopinder Singh, who retired as Senior Associate Editor with 'The Tribune', shared memories of his mother with references to campus life at Punjabi University. He recalled how his mother led from the front and was always an administrator with a heart.

Vice Chancellor Arvind said that women still struggle to achieve equal social status, adding that special consideration has been given to the representation of women in leadership roles at Punjabi University.