M A I N   N E W S

S.S. Boparai is Punjabi varsity V-C
Prabhjot Singh
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 23
“I have always taken tough challenges and made them look easy,” says Mr Swarn Singh Boparai, the new Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University, Patiala, maintaining that “complete objectivity” would be his watchword in the world of academics.

Mr Boparai, who retired from the IAS on June 30 this year, is expected to take over his new assignment early next week.

The initial appointment, say the orders issued by the office of the Chancellor, Lieut-Gen J.F.R. Jacob (retd), is for three years from the date Mr Boparai assumes charge. He will relieve Mr N.S. Rattan, Principal Secretary, Higher Education, of the Additional charge.

Talking to The Tribune over the telephone from his New Delhi residence this morning, Mr Boparai said “this unsolicited assignment” had come to him as a pleasant surprise. “I am not new to academics” he says, maintaining that he had been the director of a government institute of management for a year.

“Punjabi University, Patiala, has been one of the best universities in northern India. My endeavour would be to make it the best by providing a congenial atmosphere for excellence in academics and research,” said Mr Boparai.

“My watchword be complete objectivity. A big smile and a bigger stick would be the tools I will have to achieve it,” he says.

Mr Boparai belongs to a rare brand of bureaucrats who were honoured during their service with a prestigious national award of Kirti Chakra. He held several sensitive positions, including that of Secretary, Irrigation and Power, Punjab, during both President’s rule and the Akali Government headed by Mr Surjit Singh Barnala. He was also Director-General, Tourism, at the Centre where he also held a senior position in the Planning Commission. He was also Secretary, Coal.

Mr Boparai has a tough task on hand as the previous regular incumbent, Dr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia, also from the IAS, had to quit after being involved in a spate of controversies, besides facing police cases. As a stop-gap arrangement, the Punjab Government had given the additional charge of the post of Vice-Chancellor to the Principal Secretary, Higher Education.

In its endeavour to appoint a “tall academician as the new Vice-Chancellor of the university”, the Punjab Government constituted a three-member search committee. After a couple of meetings the committee had come out with certain names which were not approved by the government.

The Chief Minister had repeatedly claimed that he would like a “non-controversial academician of repute” to head this prime varsity of the state. At one stage, the name of another IAS officer of the Karnataka cadre, who is known to be a linguist and belongs to this region, came up for serious consideration. But he politely turned down the offer, saying that he stood a chance of elevation as Chief Secretary of that state.

Since the office of Vice-Chancellor had been caught in a serious controversy following the Saru Rana case, the government had been unable to act for want of powers against the previous incumbent till he was dismissed a couple of months ago.

Mr Boparai is one of the few officers who have been decorated both with Padma Shri and Kirti Chakra. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1972 for distinguished service during the Indo-Pak war when he was posted as Deputy Commissioner of Ferozepore. He was decorated with the high-ranking Kirti Chakra gallantry award in 1975 for an act of exemplary gallantry in a serious law and order situation created by the Lal Kurti Dal at Ferozepore in November, 1973. The Lal Kurti Dal had killed 15 persons and injured 13 others and torched Alamgarh village. Mr Boparai’s action resulted in the bloodless arrest of the culprits — 158 in number and possessing two weapons per head, including hand grenades, firearms, swords, axes etc. etc.

He was also nominated by the Union Government for the Sasakawa award carrying a financial grant of $ 1,00,000 in 1988. The same year he became the only Indian among 32 experts called from all over the world to prepare papers for consideration of the World Health Assembly.

Singla hails V-C’s appointment
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 23
Chairman of the Punjab Government’s high-powered Finance Committee Surinder Singla has welcomed the decision to appoint Mr S. S. Boparai as Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University, Patiala.

In a statement here, Mr Singla expressed confidence that there would be tie-ups with renowned universities abroad to raise the educational standard of the university.

Mr Boparai, a Punjab cadre IAS officer who retired from the Planning Commission recently, is expected to work out arrangements with certain institutions of excellence.

Mr Singla congratulated Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh for the “wise” decision.