Who is Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit? Meet first woman vice-chancellor of JNU | Profile

Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit has become the first woman to hold the position of vice-chancellor at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). She was appointed by the Ministry of Education on February 7.

She was appointed as the next Vice-Chancellor of JNU, by the President of India Ramnath Kovind, in his capacity as the Visitor of the Jawahar Lal Nehru University as per ANI.

She is a professor of political science at the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Savitribai Phule University in Maharashtra.

JNU is her Alma Matar

The 59-year-old Pandit is also an alumna of JNU, where she pursued her MPhil as well as a PhD in International Relations.

Her thesis was on 'Parliament and Foreign Policy in India -- The Nehru years'.

Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit's Teaching Career

She began teaching at Goa University in 1988 and moved to Pune University in 1993. During her career in academia, she has held various administrative positions.

Also, she had served as a member of the University Grants Commission (UGC), the Indian Council of Social Science Research, and as a nominee for Visitor positions at central universities.

The New Vice-Chancellor's vision

She said that her focus would be the implementation of the National Education Policy and to provide a gender-sensitive environment for academic excellence. In her career, she has guided 29 PhDs.

After getting appointed as the Vice-Chancellor of JNU, Shantishree Dhulipudi Pandit, in her official letter, said, "As vice-chancellor, JNU, I thank both the prime minister and the Minister of Higher Education for giving me this opportunity as the first woman and alumnus of this esteemed university from the state of Tamil Nadu,"

Pandit said she is looking forward to working with students and faculty members. "The immediate focus of this administration would be to provide clean administration, students-friendly and gender-sensitive environment for academic excellence."

"We would strive to implement NEP-2020, the vision of our Hon'ble Prime Minister especially in interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary areas of studies, JNU rising to greater heights of academics and research. The focus would be in constructing Indo-centric narratives," she added in her statement.

Appreciation from M Jagadesh Kumar

Pandit is the successor of M Jagadesh Kumar, who was holding the charge of acting vice-chancellor at JNU after his five-year term ended last year, was appointed as the chairman of the UGC last week.

"It gives me pleasure to inform you that Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit from 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 her. I am handing over the charge to her today and wish her success in her new role," Kumar said in a statement.

According to a report by PTI, the newly appointed JNU Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit said her focus would be implementing the National Education Policy and providing a gender-sensitive environment for academic excellence.

(With inputs from PTI, ANI)