PUNJAB ENGINEERING COLLEGE CHANDIGARH
100 Years a n d B e y o n d
FACULTY GR 1st Row Bottom L-R: Arun Grover, Anju Singla, R.M. Belokar, J.D. Sharma, Shailendra Kumar, Jagdish Kumar , T.K. Jindal Neena Gupta, S.K. Mangal , Sucheta Dutt , R.S. Walia , Sanjeev Sofat , Parveen Kalra , Sanjay Batish , Umesh Sharma
2nd Row L-R : T.S. Saggu, H.A.S. Sandhu, Puneet Chawla, R. Sehmi , Tejbir Kaur , Maninder Kaur , Seema Vasishta , Trip Tarlochan Kaur, Jasbhir Kaur, Poonam Saini, Amandeep Kaur, Mamta, Shilpa Verma, Jaimala Gambhir, Sumati Mahajan, Dhanda , Gurdev Singh
3rd Row L-R: Mukul Kataria, Pankaj Kumar, Subhodeep Saha, Rabia Kamra, Shilpi Chaurdhary, Nancy , Kulwinder Kaur, R Suresh Kumar, Sukhwinder Singh, Achitanand Dubey, D.R. Prajapati, Rakesh Kumar , Mahesh V.P. , Tushar Siag, Arun Kuma
4th Row L-R: Rabindra Prasad , Mahesh Kumar Yadav , Afaq Alam, S.K. Sharma, P.K. Gupta , Shakti Kumar , Dhiraj Bharat, Sarbjeet Singh, S.K. Soni, Sohan Lal, Chanderkant Susheel , Ankit Yadav, Rajesh Kanda , Ravi Kant, Ranbir, Prabhsimran Sin
ROUP PHOTO , N.M. Suri , Sanjeev Kumar , S.K. Singh , Siby John , Baldev Setia, Sushant Samir , Divya Bansal , Sanjeev Kumar , Uma Batra,
pta Goyal, Sovina Sood, Harminder Kaur , Alka Jindal , Asha Gupta , Vasundhara Singh, Sarita Singla , Neelam Rup Parkash , Padmavati, Manavjeet Kaur, Sudesh Rani , Deepika , Anupreet Kaur Arora , Noor Rizvi, Abha Gupta, Nicky Kisku, Mandeep
Rintu Khanna, Shobhna Dhiman, Prem Lata , Divya Dhawan, Raghav Sharma, Manoj Kumar Singha, Rakesh Dang, R.R. Singh, ar Singh, Sushil Kumar, Tirlok Chand, Gimmy , Rajiv Kumar, Tilak Thakur, Alakesh Manna
S.K. Verma, Kamal Kumar, Suman Kant, Sachin Chaudhary , Arun, S.M. Salodkar, Kamal Kumar , C.S. Jawalkar , Rajesh Bhatia, ngh Bindra, Mayank Gupta, Gurjeet Singh, Sandan Kumar Sharma, Anu Partap Singh, V.P. Singh, Manish
SH. RAM NATH KOVIND President of India l am happy to know that the Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh has completed its 100 years of foundation th on 9 November, 2021 . Since its inception, Punjab Engineering College has been an integral part of the nation's development by persistently working towards a mission of providing the nation with exemplary leaders in technology, industry, bureaucracy, academics and research. lt has produced a number of eminent technocrats and professionals who have served the nation in different capacities and thus contributed to national development. I am confident that through its diverse activities, the institute will continue to contribute to the nation building. On this occasion, I also call upon The Punjab Engineering College, its faculty and alumni, and its students to march untiringly on their path towards the progress. l wish the centenary celebrations every success.
New Delhi November 12, 2021 (RAM NATH KOVIND)
SH. BANWARILAL PUROHIT Governor of Punjab and Administrator Union Territory, Chandigarh
On this auspicious occasion, as the governor of Punjab, it gives me immense pleasure to extend greetings and congratulations to the administration, faculty, alumni and students for the completion of 100 years of Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh. Since its inception, PEC has cultivated a culture of excellence in teaching as well as learning. One of the top engineering institutes in the northern part of the country, PEC has consistently strived to let research, new ideas and scholarships to flourish leading to the emergence of creators, innovators, leaders and entrepreneurs Over the years, PEC has always provided future generations with sound guidance and a myriad of opportunities to excel. It has been a guiding light for many young intellectuals and has produced some of the most refined talents the world has ever seen. The graduates of this institute have been and are going to be the drivers of our economy and development. From being anchored in the 'city beautiful' since 1953, PEC is unmistakably a cornerstone of Chandigarh. Its values, culture, and modernity have resonated with, the city since its inception. Over the years, PEC has been a catalyst for the growth of Chandigarh and the nation as well. It's service to society has been unparalleled as witnessed during the pandemic with major contributions made by the faculty and students. PEC has made a commendable contribution to the Covid warriors. We have designed face shields, testing booths, robots that can deliver food and medicine in an isolation ward, Self-Sanitization Bots for COVID wards, A Novel Face Mask made of Electret Fibers. Herbal Sanitizer by the name of SanicoV, developed a sampling kiosk and a few other items. I am certain that PEC will continue to excel and build its rich culture and heritage which spans a century. As the institute steps into its centenary year, I convey my best wishes for centuries to come.
(BANWARILAL PUROHIT)
SH. BANDARU DATTATRAYA Governor, Haryana It is a matter of pride for all of us that Punjab Engineering College (Deemed to be University) has completed 100 years while nurturing and guiding our students to achieve the pinnacle of excellence in the multifaceted field of engineering. Since its inception in 1921 as Mugalpura Engineering College in Lahore and moving to its present campus in 1953, PEC has made a seminal contribution so far as teaching, research and development in the field of engineering is concerned. From Kalpana Chawla, an alumna of PEC and first American woman of Indian origin to go to space, to Yogesh Kumar, a leading aerospace technologist in the country, this wonderful seat of learning has added many magnificent feathers in its outstanding journey of 100 years. The counting will ever continue ... ! As there is no scope to rest on laurels in today's competitive world, I am confident that teachers and students of PEC will continue to strive to make technologies an integral part of India's growth process in our collective pursuits to achieve the goal of Atma Nirbhar Bharat. Newer technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Internet of Things, Robotic Process Automation, Intelligent Apps, 5G, Machine Leaming and Cognitive Computing are going to play a critical role in almost every field of development in days to come. PEC, which has raised the bar of technical education, must prepare and upgrade itself accordingly. I congratulate teachers, students, alumni, administration and every member of the PEC family for successfully achieving a glorious milestone. My best wishes to all of you. Work with dedication to take PEC to the next level of glory and excellence!
(BANDARU DATTATRAYA)
SMT. KIRRON KHER Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) Chandigarh It fills my heart with immense pleasure and pride to see Punjab Engineering College reach the 100th milestone during its long significant existence in the field of Engineering and Research: Being one of the oldest and most prestigious institutes in the country, PEC has given gems to this world which includes legends like Kalpana Chawla, Dr. Satish Dhawan and many others. PEC's glorious past has attracted admiration and respect from all over the world. PEC worked in collaboration with Chandigarh administration during the unprecedented times of COVID, serving as a quarantine center for those affected and helped in conducting the vaccination drive. PEC has always been eminent in providing great education to its students. During the pandemic the institute walked hand in hand with the students, making sure no one's progress suffered, by adapting to the new online education system. I believe, in the years to come, the institute with all its glory will imbibe the pristine spirit of education and will continue to solidify the foundation of the nation with students and alumni who work tirelessly towards the betterment of society. I extend congratulations to all the faculty members, staff, alumni, and students who have been a part of this esteemed institution.
(KIRRON KHER)
SH. DHARAM PAL, IAS Adviser to the Administrator On the occasion of the centenary year celebrations, I would like to wholeheartedly congratulate Punjab Engineering College (PEC) and everyone associated with this prestigious institute. Since its inception, Punjab Engineering College has provided a good number of exemplary individuals in the country and the infinite list of accomplished alumni is evidential to it. The nostalgia that guides me as I reminisce about some of my fondest memories at PEC is overwhelming. As I have evolved into the person I am today, I cannot express in words how deeply I am grateful to PEC. The large number of labs and centers of excellence that have been set up over the years with the support of the administration and various other organizations, gives me immense confidence that PEC is always on a path to success. During such unprecedented times, PEC rose to the challenge and worked in close collaboration with the Chandigarh administration providing almost 270+ hostel rooms that were used as quarantine facilities. Besides this, the faculty and students worked tirelessly designing apps, fabricating safe covid-19 sample collection kiosks, and designing robots to be used in Covid-19 ward units. Yearning for high goals by keeping up with the rapidly changing industry and research advancements, PEC is one of the top engineering institutes in India. In its 100 years of existence, Punjab Engineering College has trained and nurtured its students to represent not only the college, but also the nation in the international community. With a rich legacy of the alumni, and the brimming potential of our current batches, I look forward to a future, where the institute becomes the best in Technical Education and Research. I wish, all the students soar high in uncharted skies and bring glory to the world and their profession.
(DHARAM PAL)
SH. S.S. GILL, IAS Secretary, Technical Education Chandigarh Administration It gives me immense pleasure to greet and congratulate the administration, faculty, staff, students, and the alumni on this propitious occasion. PEC has been the foremost institution of higher technical education in the northern part of the country since 1921. It has made substantial contributions in educating individuals by emerging as a world-class learning platform to learn and excel. Its continuous contribution to the advancement of high-quality engineering education ensures we keep pace with the dynamic international standards. I have been closely following the research being done at PEC in diverse fields. I believe that the institution has established itself as a pioneer in the field of education and research. PEC is not only educating individuals but also integrating them into a society of high morals and values. Looking back on the journey of PEC, I can confidently state that the institute has successfully integrated the ideals and comprehended the institute's vision 100 years ago and will continue to be one of the finest education institutes of India for years to come. I sincerely congratulate Punjab Engineering College (Deemed to be University) for celebrating its Centennial Anniversary on 9th November 2021.
(S.S. GILL, IAS)
SH. RAJINDER GUPTA Chairman, BOG, PEC Chairman, Trident Group Through its 100 year long journey - from the time of its establishment in 1921 as Mughalpura Engineering College in Lahore to becoming the PEC we see today, the institute has witnessed multiple breakthroughs and accomplished countless feats that have taken it and the nation to the global stage. The institute has always been on the forefront of development and service to society. Last year, the entire world was shaken after being hit by a global pandemic, which is still roaring. In challenging times like these, PEC made sure it contributed towards helping society in any way possible. The institute with the help of the Chandigarh administration, organized vaccination drives on the campus and converted a few hostels to covid-19 quarantine centres and undertook several COVID related research projects. These initiatives proved to be of invaluable help for the citizens of the city. Significant benchmarks such as a Centenary year celebration are a direct testament to the years of hard work and persistence of the institute through time. The consistent effort and contributions of our alumni, faculty, administration, and students have mutually helped us reach where we are today. Institutes like PEC that encourage and excel in technical education and research are at the forefront of remodelling India. PEC's youth have also been moving forward to make its mark in every sector. They are revolutionizing the Indian start-up ecosystem, with the career path of entrepreneurship becoming accessible to wider sections of students. Over the years, PEC has worked diligently to provide funding, incubate, and help guide start-ups by its students. I would like to extend my congratulations to the entire PEC family on achieving an incredible milestone. I am sure PEC will continue its mission for many more centuries to come. I hope that PEC will continue to contribute towards its legacy and provide the nation with minds who will bring about a smarter tomorrow.
(SH. RAJINDER GUPTA)
PROF. BALDEV SETIA Director Punjab Engineering College CONGRATULATIONS ON COMPLETING 100 YEARS OF GLORIOUS EXISTENCE! I feel extremely delighted that Punjab Engineering College (PEC) Chandigarh completes 100 years of its glorious existence on 9th November 2021. It is exactly 100 years ago on this day when the foundation stone of the Maclagan College of Engineering was laid in Mughalpura, Lahore. It is a moment of immense pride and achievement for us all. Throughout these years we have all worked incessantly to raise the bar of technical education in India and today PEC stands tall and strong on the foundation of a century of rich and vibrant culture, history, and heritage. It is indeed a matter of great honour and privilege to be heading an Institute as prestigious as Punjab Engineering College Chandigarh. The honour is further enhanced when this takes place in the Centenary Year of the Institute. I am fortunate and blessed to be bestowed with both these privileges. On this momentous occasion, I compliment each and everyone associated with this great Institute, Past as well as Present, on attaining this historical milestone of a century. I congratulate and thank the Government, the UT Administration, Members of the Board of Governors of the Institute and Faculty, Staff, Alumni, Industry, students for their unflinching support and services rendered in the making of this great Institute. On behalf of the Faculty, Staff, and Students and on my own behalf, I place on record my deep sense of gratitude to all those who have directly or indirectly walked along with the Institute during its long and satisfying journey. This Coffee Table Book has been compiled at the phenomenal milestone of the institute entering into the 100th Foundation Year. It contains the available history and information reflecting the journey and rich legacy of the institute. I congratulate the editorial team for the hard work put in by them in compiling the book. Once again my heartiest congratulations to one and all.
(PROF. BALDEV SETIA)
Dr. Divya Bansal Dean Alumni, Corporate & International Relations Punjab Engineering College FROM THE EDITORIAL’S DESK The unique milestone of entering into the 100th Foundation Year of the Institution is being commemorated with a variety of special celebrations spread over an entire year commencing the 9th of November 2021. On this momentous occasion, we have published a Coffee Table Book reflecting our journey and rich legacy. The compilation of this book was made possible by a strong and devoted team that demonstrated its commitment and worth at every step and assisted in the shaping of the book by working out tight schedules and deadlines. From scrounging through the mountain of newspaper articles spanning the years 1900 to 2020 at the Tribune office, to reaching out to the alumni and consulting various experienced professors for insights into PEC’s history, our team worked tirelessly to collect the remnants of PEC’s legacy. We also reached out to Alumni for their photographs and experiences as well as conducted a photography competition for procuring some stunning shots of our campus. Having collected the data and photographs from multiple sources, we had an amazing Editorial team who consolidated the entire collection to a breathing memoir of PEC. The entire team worked in unison to bring out this historic book. I’m extremely grateful to Prof. Baldev Setia, Director PEC for his mentorship, support, and placing his unwavering faith in us. Tracing out the history and compiling a book like this in a three months time was a humongous task and our entire team worked undeterred and this could happen because of the Director who kept us encouraged in all the times and had unfailing faith in us. INDSPHINX Precision Ltd, founded by our alumnus Mr Sunil Taneja, a world-renowned expert in the field of Micro-Machining, is sponsoring the Coffee Table Book. I’d like to express my deepest thanks to Prof. Arun Grover for paving out a path for us for collecting archival information and sharing his knowledge and invaluable articles on the history of technical education.
This project would not have been achievable without my students Ishita and Rajarshi, who worked together for several nights to execute the project exactly the way it was conceived and assist in construction of the entire book. A big thanks to Nikhil and Prashant for assisting with the collection of archives and images, as well as the entire student team for their work in bringing the book to completion. I cannot begin to express my gratitude to Dr. Arun Khanna, whose stunning photographs of our campus add to the glory of our book. Prof. Sangeeta Bagga, Principal, Chandigarh College of Architecture, Prof. Rajeev Lochan, professor of History at Punjab University and Prof. Uma Batra, Prof. at PEC deserve special recognition for editing and revising the work. I'd also like to thank Mrs. Geet Sandhu, Alumni Relations Manager, for handling the entire process of getting this book published, as well as her important contributions to the book's conceptualization. I'd like to express my gratitude to Dr. Seema Vashishth, Senior Librarian and her team for providing us with unrestricted access to the Library and for maintaining the materials. I am also thankful to The Tribune Library for maintaining such comprehensive archives of history and allowing us access to it. I'd like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Dr. JD Sharma and Mr Prabhsimran for their support and contributions to the book's development. Staff from several offices dug through our old records and assisted us with the needed information. Most importantly, I'd like to express my gratitude to our alumni, prior Principals, and teachers for generating the beautiful memories and history that inspired us to publish this priceless collection. Thank you to everyone who is involved with this distinguished institution.
Campus at the Foothills of Shivalik Credits: Dr. Arun Khanna arunkhanna7318@rediffmail.com
Milestones in the
1921
1950
1932 Affiliated to Punjab University
Founded by Sir Edward Douglas Maclagan as Mughalpura Technical College
1945 Prof Satish Dhawan graduated in Mechanical Engineering
1947
1923 Institute was renamed to Maclagan Engineering College
1932 The name of the College was changed to Punjab College of Engineering and Technology
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Renamed to Punjab Engineering College
Shifted from Lahore to Roorkee as East Punjab College of Engineering.
1953 College shifted to present campus in Chandigarh
Journey of PEC
1953 First Punjab State Assembly Session was held in PEC Auditorium in Chandigarh
1966 PEC came under Chandigarh Administration
1982 1964
Kalpana Chawla Graduated as an Aerospace Engineer
2003 Granted the status of Deemed University
2021 PEC completes 100 years of foundation
Became the first Engineering College to give India its first 17 Aeronautical Engineering undergraduates
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Tracing the History of PEC The odyssey of Punjab Engineering College (PEC) began in 1921, when its foundation was laid as Mughalpura Technical College in Lahore, Punjab (erstwhile British India). Its inception dates back to the advent of Engineering education in India. One of the nation’s most renowned and oldest institutes, PEC has been the pivot of engineering education in the country for the last 100 years and caters to the versatile demands of the industry. Punjab Engineering College has emerged as a premier research institution in the region, making significant contributions to global technological transformation. Since its inception, PEC has produced eminent scholars and engineers who have brought laurels to our nation in different fields. PEC has a highly qualified faculty, talented students and houses state-of-the-art lab facilities. Today the institution enjoys a very high reputation at the national as well as international level. To trace back our history, during the British rule, there was a need for Technicians and engineers who could cater to India’s rising technical demands. The government hence decided to establish self-contained institutes to train the locals in different engineering fields. This initiated the evolution of technical education in India which eventually led to the emergence of PEC in Lahore.
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The foundation stone of the College was laid on November 9, 1921 by the then governor of Punjab, Sir Edward Maclagan in Mughalpura. Because of the location, the College was known initially as Moghulpura Technical College. However, when Sir Edward Maclagan performed the formal opening ceremony on March 19, 1924, the Moghulpura Technical College was renamed Maclagan Engineering College to recognize the services rendered by the Maclagan family to promote engineering education in the Subcontinent.
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Birth in the Wake of Necessity The Era before 1923 In the year 1847, at a small village in Roorkee, forty miles from Meerut Cantonment, a formal training of engineers in India commenced for the first time. A handful of military engineers began instructing the local youth in Civil Engineering at a college which was open to all taking into account that there was no such opportunity for civil engineering in Britain. This was a unique beginning in the history of education in India. The College of Civil Engineering at Roorkee, took candidates from Punjab as they were considered good at English with good mathematical knowledge. Sir Ganga Ram, one of the first faculty members here, is remembered for his exceptional contributions to prestigious projects like the Lahore Durbar of Prince of Wales in 1875 and a Grand Amphitheatre Assemblage at Delhi in 1877.
The Government College and The Oriental College Lahore: Illustrated in London News, 1883.
The setting up of Punjab University at Lahore in 1883 gave the university an opportunity to become involved in engineering education. This led to the establishment of a Railway Technical School at Lahore in 1889 and a Government school of Civil Engineering in Punjab University at Lahore in 1906.
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Laying The Foundation Sir Edward Douglas Maclagan was appointed as Lt Governor of Punjab in May of 1919. Major General R Maclagan, his father, was the first Principal of College of Civil Engineering at Roorkee. This family link is thought to have played a significant influence in the establishment of a Technical College in Lahore adjacent to the workshop of the NorthWestern Railway at Mughalpura. The college was to use the facilities of the railway workshop to train students into the multi-disciplinary art and science of engineering. This is how PEC came into being when Sir Edward Maclagan laid the foundation of PEC’s parent institute, Moghulpura Technical College, on 9th November, 1921 at Lahore.
Sir Edward Douglas Maclagan
Main block, Maclagan College of Engineering, Lahore
Railway Engine at PEC, Chandigarh
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The Maclagan Era The Epoch from 1923 to 1947 The month of March in 1923 witnessed the completion of the college building with a total expenditure of Rs. 1,04,188.
The inscriptions
"CRESCAT E FLUVIIS" are etched on the foundation stone, which features a crown sun-like symbol. These carved phrases are translated as "Let it grow from the rivers," which signifies drawing strength from Punjab's rivers. In October 1923, the college made its first admission of 50 students in Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, shortly after the construction was completed. The institute's objective was to provide both
Logo of Maclagan College of Engineering & Technology, Lahore
theoretical and practical training in the field of engineering. Followed by the formal opening ceremony performed by Sir Edward Maclagan on March 19, 1924, Moghulpura Technical College was renamed to Maclagan Engineering College in honour of the services rendered by the Maclagan family to promote engineering education. In 1925, the control of the institute was handed over by the Director of Industries, Punjab to the Chief Engineer, Punjab Public Works Department Buildings and Roads Branch.
Uniform at the Institute Winter (September to March): Blue Blazer and Grey Flannel Trousers Summer (April to June): Light Blue shirt and Khaki Drill Trousers.
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Article dated , 19 July 1923 : College prospectus released with the introduction of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering courses
Under the presidency of Mr. B. M. Staig, the Financial Advisor to Punjab Government, a committee recommended that the institute be affiliated with the Punjab University, Lahore, under clauses 21, 22, 23 and 24 of the Indian University Act in 1931. A year later, in 1932 the institution became affiliated with the University of Punjab for awarding a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering. Maclagan Engineering College trained approximately 457 students during 1927-37 which increased to 129 in 1938. A three-year Civil Engineering course was introduced in 1939, bringing the total number of students to 341. All engineering fields had a common first and second year, with the third year served as a year of specialisation. The institute saw an increase in the number of teachers from thirteen in 1940 to thirty three during 1944-45. Maclagan Engineering College has served as an alma-mater to many brilliant minds. Padma Vibhushan, Prof Satish Dhawan, former Chairman ISRO is one such notable alumnus who graduated from Maclagan College, Lahore in 1945.
Dr Satish Dhawan’s First Examination Passing Certificate in 1942
Group Photograph of Final Civil Engineering class 1945-46
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Post-Partition Rebirth The Epoch from 1948 to 1953 Consequent to the country's partition in 1947, the institute was housed in the campus of Thompson Engineering College at Roorkee as East Punjab College of Engineering to distinguish it from its roots in Lahore. In 1950, the prefix ‘East’ was dropped and the college was renamed to Punjab Engineering College. The temporary life on the campus at Roorkee lasted until 1953, when it was shifted to its new campus at Chandigarh. Logo of East Punjab Engineering College, Roorkee
Group photo of Civil Engineering students 1948-1949
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Article dated 18 Nov 1947: Shifting of the College as East Punjab Engineering College at Roorkee
Article dated 13 Feb 1950: 5 Man Committee appointed to decide the future vision of the college
Article dated 30 September 1953: Notification of Punjab Legislative Assembly to be held at Punjab Engineering College Hall (now Auditorium) on 7th October 1953
By July 1953, the new campus of PEC was ready. It got affiliated to the Panjab University, which was then based at Chandigarh as well. The government requisitioned the institute's buildings during this time, and the Auditorium was used to hold sessions of the Legislative Assembly. The hostels & faculty houses served as home to MLAs and residence of ministers respectively. This arrangement continued till independent facilities for the Legislature were completed.
Article dated Dec 31, 1954: Punjab Engineering College to start functioning in Chandigarh from January 6
Article dated 15 August 1953: Approval of Punjab Legislators’ quarters in new Capital, Chandigarh. The Chief Minister earlier visited PEC to look into the arrangements for the session.
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PEC Auditorium Hosting The First State Legislative Assembly Session
Vue de l'école d'ingénieur ultra moderne, transformée en Palais de l'Assemblée du Pendjab, à Chandigarh, Inde en octobre 1953 supplied by KEYSTONE-FRANCE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images.
PEC’s Architectural Magnificence The month of September, 1953 saw the history in making, as the building of the Punjab Engineering College neared its completion. Situated at the silhouette of the beautiful Himalayan ranges, designed by Mr. JK Chowdhary, PEC did not only promise of being one of the most impressive colleges of India, but it also stood out as one of the most picturesque colleges of India with the Himalayan ranges painted to its background. Covering a site of 630 ft long and 220 ft wide, it consisted of an Administrative block, offices of the Principal and the Vice-Principal, Accounts and Establishment offices, a committee room, an exhibition hall, an auditorium, lecture theatres, classrooms, various laboratories for chemistry, metallurgy, physics, geology, survey, electricity, heat engine, refrigeration and cold storage, materials testing and R.C.C. structure, hydraulic, applied mechanics, electrical instruments etc., large drawing and examination halls, a library and reading rooms, professors’ cubicles, research rooms, workshop for carpentry, machine shop, fitting and electrical shop, welding shop, smithy and foundry shop, games rooms, staff rooms, irrigation model court, workshop yard, etc. Situated in the north-most corner of the then newly built capital of Punjab, Chandigarh, PEC was the first public building to be completed in the city. Plan of Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh
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A play of sunlight in PEC campus : Main Block, PEC Credits: Ar. D. Pal Gupta
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Establishment of Vital Avenues in the City Beautiful The Epoch from 1953 to 2003
PEC in Chandigarh Professor Rajinder Nath Dogra was a noted academician, engineer, and a very important figure in the landscape of the advancement of technical education in India. He took charge as the Principal of Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh in May of 1956. Prof Dogra was truly dedicated to the institute and was a visionary leader. R.N. Dogra was adamant about PEC becoming an IIT. He wrote to the Government of India, requesting that Punjab Engineering College be designated as the 5th IIT of India. However, fate had other plans, and the government employed Prof Dogra's expertise to establish IIT Delhi, with him serving as its founder-director. This did not fade the dream of Prof. Dogra and he continued to strive for PEC becoming an IIT. He hoped that the admission process for 1963 would be for IITChandigarh. However, the commencement of hostilities with China in 1962 paused that initiative. Another watershed moment in PEC's history occurred on November 1, 1966, when the Punjab Reorganization Act went into effect, transferring control of PEC to the Central Government and the UT Administration of Chandigarh took over. Establishment of Vital Avenues in the City Beautiful Article dated 6 July 1954: Inviting applications for BSc Engineering Degree Class of PEC, Chandigarh
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First Aeronautical Engineering Graduates of India In 1962, amid rising tensions with China, the country required engineers to maintain aircrafts, and PEC stepped up to the plate. Air Vice Marshal Harjiner Singh (an alumnus of Maclagan Engineering College), who was incharge of maintenance in the Indian Air Force, approached PEC about starting an undergraduate programme in Aeronautical Engineering. PEC Air Vice Marshal Harjinder Singh - alumnus of PEC
became the nation's first college
to do so. In 1964, Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh gave India its first 17 graduate Aeronautical Engineers. At that time, there was no Undergraduate program in Aeronautical Engineering in the country. Given the urgency of the needs of the IAF, the program began by shifting students from other disciplines who were about to complete their second year, into this new program of Aeronautical Engineering. Since the first two years had a standard curriculum, this was indeed a possibility. Article dated March 22 1959 talks about four seater aircraft designed by Air Commodore Harjinder Singh
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With the help of Shri Pratap Singh Kairon, the then Chief Minister of Punjab, the laboratories and other facilities were established. Dr. V.S. Malhotra, a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at PEC, agreed to run the new program. With no faculty, Dr. Malhotra had the arduous task of training these 17 students, and he started writing to all institutes in India about various courses. While no institute other than IISc had a department of Aeronautical Engineering, he managed to find individual faculty members to teach specific lessons.
Dr. V.S. Malhotra First HOD of Aeronautical Engineering Department
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Students were sent to IISc Bangalore, IIT Madras, and IIT Kanpur for doing particular courses. It undoubtedly helped that a young professor, an alumnus of Maclagan Engineering College, had assumed the role of Director at IISc Bangalore. That young professor was none other than Dr Satish Dhawan, who would later become Chairman of ISRO. That is how the Aeronautical Engineering Department, which produced alumni such as Kalpana Chawla, came into being. Kalpana Chawla graduated with her bachelors' degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1982.
First Annual Convocation of PEC The first Annual Convocation was held at Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh on 11 March 1971. Mr Suraj Bhan, the then Vice Chancellor of Panjab University addressed the students on this occasion.
First Annual Convocation of PEC held in 1971
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Checkpoints
Article dated 5 May, 1957: Tender Notice for Construction of Buildings
Article dated 26 November 1997: New Hostel Building for Research Scholars at PEC
Article dated 30 November 1973: ‘Refresher Course on Materials Science’ organised by the Applied Science Department
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Article Dated 4 May 1988: PEC introduces Computer Engineering course in its curriculum
Treading on the Path of Educational Excellence
Deemed to be University PEC was granted University status in 2003 and named Punjab Engineering College (Deemed to be University), which was later changed to PEC University of Technology by its Board of Governors in 2009. However, after a UGC notice in 2017, the former name of Punjab Engineering College (Deemed to be University) was reinstated. Today, PEC offers 8 Undergraduate B.Tech., 12 Postgraduate M.Tech., and 12 Ph.D. programmes in various disciplines. PEC has around 750 teaching and non-teaching staff.
PEC granted University status
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Facilities at PEC PEC houses 11 workshops that are as old as the institute itself: Machine shop, Fitting shop, Electrical shop, Welding shop, Sheet Metal shop, Carpentry shop, Foundry shop, Smithy shop, Automobile shop, Electroplating shop, and Pattern Shop. It has a newly upgraded air-conditioned automated library; in terms of RFID tags for 1,23,000 documents comprising books, standards, theses, a bound volume of journals about physical sciences, engineering and technology, computer and information technology, social sciences and management. It also features several electronic libraries like ACM and IEEE. The Central Library has a Multimedia Resource Centre (MMRC) as well that takes help of ICT Technology to use the most popular mode of education i.e. Electronic Media. The initial years of growth had been entirely devoted to teaching, development, and continuous augmentation of a state of the art complementing infrastructural support. After acquiring the status of a Deemed to be University in 2003, PEC has been hugely successful in raising its bar in every facet of its activity. By ensuring multiple collaborations, development of cutting-edge technologies, regular introduction of new contemporary Postgraduate programs, and securing sponsored research projects from Government of India as well as from leading global organizations.
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100 Years a n d B e y o n d
Library
Autoshop
Machine and Tool Cutting Shop
Computer Numerical Machine
Gymnasium
Strength of Materials Testing Machine
Establishment of Centres The establishment of Career Development & Guidance Centre, Cyber Security Research Centre, Siemens Centre of Excellence in Manufacturing, Centre for Total Quality Management & Zero Effect Zero Defect, Centre of Management & Humanities, Centre of Excellence in Industrial & Product Design, Kalpana Chawla Chair of Geospatial Technology set up by the Indian Railways are some of the most prestigious ventures launched during this phase by PEC. Furthermore, 19 active Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with various notable institutes and organisations are already in place, providing an ideal industry-institute link for mutual growth and development. The institute has also been organizing an Annual Cultural and Technical Extravaganza known as PECFEST. Indisputably, the most exhilarating event on PEC’S annual calendar, it is a perfect mosaic of everything the institute represents. Over the years, PECFEST has hosted the best from every industry. The cultural nights have been the talk of the region with performances by Guru Randhawa, Sukhwinder Singh, The Local Train and Farhan Akhtar. Every year this techno-cultural festival organizes over 100 events from industry specific hackathons, code relays, canoe building, aeromodelling to cultural events that are spread across domains like drama, dance, literature, quizzing, music, modelling, stage shows and many more.
Centre of Excellence Siemens
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100 Years a n d B e y o n d
Kalpana Chawla Chair of Geospatial Technology
Centre of Excellence in Industrial and Product Design
Hand in hand with the Alumni A separate office for fostering Alumni relations was set up and the Alumni of the institute started closely contributing to the development of the institute through financial and non-financial means. Over the years, the Office of Dean Alumni, International Relations has fostered many international ties and increased alumni engagement manifold through a series of Global and other Alumni meets, establishing the first PEC Alumni portal and Fundraising in the form of Donations and Scholarships for the needy students. Our Alumni network today connects over 17,000 alums across the globe. The alumni have representation in the institute’s Board of Governance and have several chapters across the globe. Today, the institute is on its way to becoming a top-notch Engineering & Technology Center of Excellence in the country.
Batch celebrations during Homecoming 2020
100 Years a n d B e y o n d
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25
100 Years a n d B e y o n d
Alumni during Homecoming
Alumni Meet at San Jose
Visit to Cleveland State University
Alumni & Faculty flying kites during Homecoming
Firsts
Recognizing Firsts at PEC
1 1
st
Principal at Chandigarh
Sh. S.R. Mehra
st
Female Ph.D Graduate
Dr. Divya Bansal
1
1
st
Director
Dr. Vijay Gupta
st
Woman Deputy Director
Dr. Uma Batra
st
Chairman BoG
st
Woman Dean
1
1
Sh. Chander Mohan
Dr. Uma Batra as Dean RP&D
1
st
Ph.D Graduate
1
st
Woman HOD
Dr. Harlal Singh Mali
Dr. Nupur Prakash CSE
100 Years a n d B e y o n d
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UPCOMING Hostels ”A‘ Course Ÿ Objective: Provide theoretical and practical training to enable students occupy high responsibility positions. Ÿ Students were bound to take an external examination. Ÿ They spent their first three years in college and the remaining two in practical training. Ÿ They had to appear in the competitive entrance examination for 5 subjects: English, Pure Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, General Elementary Science and Geometrical Drawing.
The college had the Main Block and three hostels named A, B, and C for the A, B, and C class courses.
Civil Engineering (1939) 3 - Year Course
Mechanical Engineering & Electrical Engineering (1923) 5 - Year Diploma Course
”B‘ Course Ÿ Objective: Train young people for employment as technicians and associate engineers. Ÿ Paper for students were set internally. Ÿ They used to attend their classes for one week
and attend the workshop next week. Ÿ They were to take the test in 4 subjects such as
English, Mathematics, Geometrical drawing and Freehand drawing.
”C‘ Course Ÿ In 1935, a course known as "C" was launched with an 18-month duration to produce artisans and skilled tradesmen. It was discontinued in 1950.
Lahore
Af‹ liation with PU PEC got affiliated with the Punjab University, Lahore under the Indian University Act in 1931 and started awarding a bachelor's degree in engineering in 1932.
OF COURSES
UG Courses Introduced
1962 Aerospace Engineering
1957
Mechanical Engineering Electrical Engineering Water Resources Engineering Transport Engineering
1963
1967
Metallurgical & Materials Engineering
1988 Computer Science & Engineering
Production & Industrial Engineering
Electronics & Communication Engineering
1964
Structural Engineering
1995
Production & Industrial Engineering Electronics Engineering
1989
Environmental Engineering
2001
Computer Science & Engineering
1996
Industrial Materials & Metallurgy
2012 2010
Computer Science & Information Security
Electronics (VLSI Design)
2011
Industrial Design
PG Courses Introduced
Chandigarh
Evolution of our Campus Infrastructure BUILDINGS
1954
Science block Workshop block in P.E.C Extension to workshop block High voltage lab NCC block with chowkidar quarters Laboratory block
1966
Auto shop Production Engineering Workshop Aeronautical lab Canteen Dispensary, co-op. store Post Graduate Course in rotodynamic
1983
Structure Lab (40' high) Metallurgical lab & Irrigation lab Administrative block irrigation department Extension to Irrigation/hyd lab Gymnasium building Swimming Pool
4 Nos. of lecture theatres in P.E.C Academic. block Extension to single storeyed lab Old adminstrative block
1955 29
Squash Court (Old)
Auditorium Block Basement & double storeyed lab 3 storey building under electrical expansion scheme Computer centre
Squash Court (New) Community Centre Admn. Block production engineering department (Ground Floor) Structure Block (Ground floor) Shopping centre (old)
100 Years a n d B e y o n d
HOSTELS
1984
Student Centre
1985
Structure Block (First floor)
1993
Environmental Block
1954
Shivalik hostel block A & cycle stand
1994
Extension to shopping centre
1956 1961 1961 -62 1965
Shivalik hostel block B
1966 1995
Vindhaya hostel
1997
Neelgiri Apartment Houses
Computer science block
Library building and computer centre
1987 1988
Extension to hydraulic/industrial lab
Faculty guest house in P.E.C. Admn. Block production engineering department (F. floor) Rotodynamics Lab
1991
Structural Block 2nd floor including 3 bays (G/F & 2nd floor)
1995 2016
New administration block
New Academic Block Shivalik Hostel Extension Kalpana Chawla Hostel Extension
Himalaya hostel
Kurukshetra Hostel
Aravalli Hostel (Block-A & B)
Himgiri Hostel (Girls hostel)
100 Years a n d B e y o n d
30
Following the Tradition Group Photographs of several batches taken over the years
31
Final Civil Engineering Class, Punjab College of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, 1945-46
Civil Engineering Group, East Punjab Engineering College, Roorkee, 1948-49
Punjab Engineering College, Roorkee, 1950-51 (Name: East was dropped in 1950)
Group photo of Batch of Computer Science and Engineering at PEC, Chandigarh
100 Years a n d B e y o n d
Degrees Awarded at PEC over the course of years
Passing Certificate of Prof. Satish Dhawan at Punjab College of Engineering and Technology, Lahore in 1942.
Passing Certificate of Prof ID Mirchandani at East Punjab Engineering College, Roorkee in 1948.
Degree offered at Punjab Engineering College in 1992
Degree offered at East Punjab Engineering College, Roorkee
Degree offered at Punjab Engineering College in 2019
100 Years a n d B e y o n d
32
Torchbear
1956-1960
1977-1986
Sh. R.N. Dogra
Dr O.S. Sehgal
1947-1950 Sh. H.C. Singh
1965-1967
Er G.C. Khanna
1969-1977
1951-1955
Dr S.K. Sachdev
Sh. S.R. Mehra
1960-1965
Sh. R.L. Khanna
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100 Years a n d B e y o n d
1992-2000
Dr Rajnish Prakash
1987-1990 Dr P.V. Rao
rers of PEC
2002-2005
Dr Baljeet S Kapoor
2008-2013
2019-2021
Prof Manoj Dutta
Prof Dheeraj Sanghi
2013-2018
Prof Manoj Kumar Arora
2005-2007
2021-Present Prof Baldev Setia
Prof. Vijay Gupta
100 Years a n d B e y o n d
34
Student Extracurricular Clubs and Associations (Past)
nt a rese a” p s ent adh stud k tha g C E e P k ,“E play
c 17 ys in se 's la p t e The Foo ission ge stre tball Te PEC sta Mandal Comm eport f o s t n R ainst 70 posin am of PEC, du Stude g a t s e ring 196 g for a prot 9group p chd to icture.
PEC
in ting n a p i itio tic par Exhib s t Art den
stu
The me
mbers o
35
100 Years a n d B e y o n d
f music club o during 19 f PEC 69-70.
s Pu winner njab E EC and r P ngine o f f o n m io a it erin t e mpe ket t o ic c r . I c n g 0 ter-En g College e 7 in r 9 Th e 6 e 9 in 1 r t ginee -eng the yea ring C eam winne of inter rs of ollege Vo cham lleyball pions hip.
Russia's artistic
gymnasts in PEC
gymnasium
Billia rds t eam
of th duri e colleg ng 1 969- e 70
g htin Fig Bar w An Pillo eased rts int Gr l Spo ‘ Har erestin Dr BN Chakravarti hands over the sports on t a e i Pu u nn me ttar g scen flag to Madan Lal Bansal, Students in A e fr ’ at o the Secretary Sports Loh m the sk ri Fu ncti it on
St a g
e Se c
retar y
J.S. A
ulakh ,P Princ rof VS M a ipal a nd P lhotra, Ch rincip i al GC ef Club Khan na orts hdev esc y, c a S K S l Dr akravart Principa R BN Ch D t dal s e u g a to Pan n Chiefa y r a H , r Governo
Mrs GC
K ha nna
giving a
way pr izes
b Clu ief ests h u i, C Tul hief g n c ha Mo nking m a th Ra Sh etary r Sec
100 Years a n d B e y o n d
36
Student Extracurricular Clubs and Associations (PRESENT)
ce rman s o f r e aP ent angr EC Stud h B by P getic Ener
Nukkad N
atak stag
Energ etic B an
d Per
forma
nces
at PE C
ed at PE CFE
ST
the walk st y e CFe as th zzle terati, PE a d s Glit ent stud amp for PEC r
dents
tu ance by s
perform g Dance n li z z a d A
Showcasing crea
37
100 Years a n d B e y o n d
tive artwork
ir self h the t i w s nt otype Stude ilt F1 prot icle bu veh racing
Mar
ch p
ast on A
nnu al S por ts
March p
ast by
NCC R ep on the resentative s Repub lic Da y
Girls
in ac team l l a etb Bask
tion
Mee t Representa tives of Sp eakers Association Club, PEC win multiple la urels at Na tional Level Deba tes
ile derpriv
otarac PECs R
un for the g in k r b wo
ged
smiles ading e r p s ll e shan” elling C “Har Dil Rau s n u o tC nt Studen ith their eve w
t Clu
100 Years a n d B e y o n d
38
Striving For Excellence at PEC
Survey Camp conducted in 1949
Mr. L S Chandrakant, Joint Educational Advisor (Tech.), Govt. of India inaugurating a seminar on Entrepreneurship
Article dated July 2, 1959, talking about rockets launched by PEC
National Integration camp held at PEC
Article dated July 18, 1980 mentioning the Electric car developed by a PEC Student
Vice President Mr Krishnan Kant welcomed by PEC faculty
Seminar of Irrigation and Water Supply Engineering held at Mandi on 29-6-1979
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100 Years a n d B e y o n d
Mr. B.P. Bagchi, Chief Commissioner of Chandigarh, inaugurating the 1st entrepreneurial training course at the Punjab Engineering College
Digging Old Archives: Display of Architecture
An Old photograph of the PEC Lecture Hallways
Residents in the MLA’s Hostel (Shivalik Hostel) to create their own legacy Credits: Ar. D. Pal Gupta
PEC standing in its glory.
Administrative workers cycling past the magnificent Auditorium
An old snippet of Vindhya Hostel
Credits: Ar. D. Pal Gupta
100 Years a n d B e y o n d
40
Excerpts from PEC's GLORIOUS History PEC Receives its Iconic Mi-8 Helicopter Air Commodore Sh. Shakti Bhushan Prasher AVSM VSM (Retd), who graduated from PEC in 1969 with the third position in merit in the Aeronautical Engineering batch, helped give PEC its iconic MI-8 helicopter. While he was still in the final year, he got commissioned as an Officer in the Indian Air Force, finally joining in July 1970. During his final year, he was the popular Club Secretary of Jawala Mukhi hostel and was also instrumental in getting a Billiards Table for that hostel. He is the only alumnus from the 1965-69 batch to be honored twice with ’The President of India’ awards. Throughout his career he has been in touch with PEC, conducting vivas, setting up papers and examining students. Air Commodore Sh. Shakti Bhushan Prasher AVSM VSM (Retd)
He served as the Commanding Officer of Chandigarh Air Base from Sep 2001 Sep 2003, during which he got the approval by the Ministry of Defence for gifting a Russian origin Mi-8 Helicopter to PEC. It was brought to campus on 23rd January 2004. This makes PEC the only institute in India in possession of such a helicopter. Besides, being an iconic landmark near the Administrative block of PEC, it serves as a great training aid for the students of Aeronautical Engineering.
Mi-8 Helicopter in Front of PEC Administrative Building Presented by the IAF
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100 Years a n d B e y o n d
A souvenir of MI- 8 Helicopter at PEC dated 23rd January 04
Arrival of The Steam Locomotive It was donated to the PEC Chandigarh by the Indian Railways through the efforts of Er. Iqbal Singh the then General Manager of Northern Railways, New Delhi. Sh. Iqbal Singh was old Alumni of the College.
Steam Locomotive
Arrival of The Spit Fire Fighter Aircraft It is twin seater Fighter Air-Craft of Second World War Vintage. It was donated to the College by the Indian Air Force through the efforts of Air Vice Marshal Harjinder Singh, who was an old Alumni of the College. He had graduated in the year 1933.
Spit Fire Fighter Aircraft
100 Years a n d B e y o n d
42
PEC Labs get Internet Facility and a Cyber Cafe, 2001 Keeping its pace with the emerging need of the hour at that time, an exclusive facility in the shape of internet availability via optical fibres was provided to each laboratory of PEC Chandigarh in the summer of 2001. In addition to this, a brand new reading-cum-cyber cafe was inaugurated for the students of PEC which would remain open till 2 am with an exclusive slot from 6 - 8 pm allotted to girls. These decisions came in as the result of the surprise visit of the then UT Administrator, Lieut-Gen J.F.R. Jacob (retd) and his interaction with the students. General Jacob spent two hours interacting with the students, listening to the issues they were facing. He also laid emphasis on the fact that PEC must focus on research activity and encouraged the students to spend more time in the laboratory. He was also of the view that the college should make an endeavour for attracting research scholars to work here. He suggested that PEC must have a regular liaison with the existing industry and the students should be encouraged to do projects for the industry. Article dated April 1, 2001 talking about the launch of internet facility in PEC.
43
100 Years a n d B e y o n d
New Academic Block
Credits: Dr. Arun Khanna arunkhanna7318@rediffmail.com
100 Years a n d B e y o n d
44
Felicitation of our Senior Most AlumNUs Bikram Singh Grewal(97), Batch 1943: Oldest Alumnus felicitated by PEC Bikram Grewal Ji, graduated from the Maclagan College of Engineering, Lahore, the individual divided predecessor of the Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh in 1943. He has been a regular attendee of the Punjab Engineering College Alumni Meets every year. He attended the 2020 annual alumni meet of PEC in February 2020. He was facilitated by the then director of PEC Dr. Dheeraj Sanghi and the Dean of alumni affairs Ms. Divya Bansal, who came down from the stage to greet him. It was a pleasure to see him. They wished him a long, happy, and healthy life in retirement. The gesture reinstated the fact that “honest people don’t diminish in value”.
Mr. BS Grewal, 97 year old alumnus from 1943 batch with former PEC director Dr. Dheeraj Sanghi and Dean Alumni Dr. Divya Bansal at the annual alumni meet held at PEC, Chandigarh
Alumnus Harjap Singh Aujla‘s words about Bikram Grewal Ji “ It was a cool Patiala autumn morning in 1979, I arrived at my office of Executive Engineer Works in Punjab Public Works Department (Buildings and Roads Branch) on the picturesque Mall Road. I noticed an infirmlooking trembling man sitting on a vintage wooden bench outside my office. The peon opened the door and I got in. The old guy kept sitting quietly, yawning and dozing off occasionally. After a couple of hours, I asked my peon to let him in. The peon told me that this man is in the habit of visiting this office every few months, he has nothing else to do, he just keeps bugging the officials. I told him to simply send him in. The gentleman told me a thirty-two-year-old story of Sargodha in West Punjab in his feeble voice in Pothohari Punjabi dialect. He used to be a building contractor, who built the boundary wall of a school in Sargodha. The work got finished well before August of 1947. He applied for his final payment. His bill was in the process when the creation of Pakistan was announced. Rather than getting his payment, he was forced to leave Pakistan virtually penniless. He reached India tired and battered. After a couple of years, things
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100 Years a n d B e y o n d
stabilized and he visited Sargodha for claiming his final payment. The Public Works Department of West Punjab authorities in Sargodha told him that in accordance with the mutually acceptable arrangement, those who did work in Pakistan and migrated to India were to be paid in India and those who worked in India and migrated to Pakistan, their claims were to be settled in Pakistan. I cross checked from the office veterans, his version was confirmed. But when he applied for payment in India, he was told to produce the original records. He went back to Pakistan, the authorities in there reluctantly promised to give him all the records, barring the original measurement book. In India, the authorities refused to pay him without verification from the actual measurement book. He went back to Pakistan and contrary to the regulations, as a gesture of goodwill, the concerned overseer gave him the measurement book. He showed me the old worn-out MB. The book confirmed completion of the work and an outstanding payment of seventeen thousand and a few rupees. The old man expressed his desire to get this payment before his death. I sent for the concerned office superintendent. The office superintendent was initially hesitant to come, but when he turned up, he told me that the file was lost, I was flabbergasted. I called the record keeper, she was a young girl untainted by corruption. She informed me that the file is not lost and that it was in the drawer of the concerned office superintendent. I again sent for the superintendent, this time he looked obviously worried. He told me that he will produce the file before 5:00 pm. I said, no I want it without delay. He could read my face and make out that I was serious. So he brought the file to me complete with his and his assistant’s favorable nothings by 2:00 pm. I meticulously went through the entire file, recorded my noting and put up for the orders of the chief engineer. There was no dearth of honest officers during those days, the chief engineer Sardar Bikram Singh Grewal, who is in his nineties, was one of such fiercely honest officers. He was busy in meetings in Chandigarh all day. He came back at around 4:00 pm. I explained the entire case to him and put up the file for his orders. Since it was due to the negligence of the department, the inordinate delay was condoned and the chief engineer ordered prompt payment. The Chief Engineer is now in his nineties. He is spending the golden years of his life.
About the writer: Alumnus Harjap Singh Aujla, PEC graduate of the class of 1966. He is the one who has most closely interacted with Alum Sardar Bikram Singh Grewal, who graduated from the MacLagan College of Engineering Lahore in 1943.
100 Years a n d B e y o n d
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Mr. I.S. Ahuja, the oldest alumnus of PEC, felicitated by PECOBA on his 100th birthday (2010) The oldest Alumnus of PEC, Sh Inder Sen Ahuja was felicitated by the PEC Community on 7th Feb, 2010 which marked the occasion of his 100th birthday. Mr IS Ahuja studied Course B in the Maclagan College of Engineering, Lahore, the parent institute of the Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh. He left the college in January 1930 and joined the wireless branch of the Post & Telegraph Department of Govt. of India and looked after the wireless communications which was then a part of P&T. In February 1947, he moved over to Civil Aviation Department of Govt of India. He has had a variety of postings including Rangoon (1930), Karachi (1934), & other places like Secunderabad, Calcutta, Bombay,
Mr. Amarjeet Singh Kohli, General Secretary, PECOBA (then) felicitating Shri I.S. Ahuja on his 100th Birthday
Jatok (Shimla), Gwalior and Delhi in 1947. Mr Ahuja went to Indonesia for nearly 3 years from 1951 to 1954 as Communication Adviser to the Govt of Indonesia on behalf of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Montreal, which is a part of UNO. In 1959 he was sent to Rome for nearly a month for important deliberations of ICAO. Mr IS Ahuja retired from Govt Service in 1963. Even after retirement, he was sent by National Productivity Council (NPC) to Japan in 1969 for nearly a month to see the developments in Small Scale Industry in Japan & make suitable recommendations to NPC. After retirement from Govt Service in 1963, Mr IS Ahuja joined his younger brother AN Ahuja’s manufacturing concern “Ahuja Radios”, set up by AN Ahuja in 1940 in Okhla, New Delhi. Mr IS Ahuja who had rich experience in wireless communication from 1930 onwards, had earlier inspired his younger brother AN Ahuja to set up this business, Sh. I.S. Ahuja with his family during the celebrations
predicting a bright future of radio industry.
Ahuja Radios today has 8 factories located in Delhi, Noida & Mumbai employing 700 engineers, technicians & skilled workers. It manufactures PA Systems and Equipment like amplifiers, mixers, cassette recorders, microphones, speakers etc. It sells its products through a network of 400 retailers in India. It exports to about 50 countries in 5 continents. Mr IS Ahuja remained with Ahuja Radios till 1980, which is now run by their kin.
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100 Years a n d B e y o n d
Anecdotes Remembering Comedy‘s Sardar-E-Azam: Jaspal Bhatti The name of the show ‘ Ulta Pulta’ was an attention grabber, to which he once said "Agar aap duniya seedhe khade ho ke dekhte hain, sirf gussa, inefficiency, corruption nazar aayega. But if you see it upside down, it all looks better" - Jaspal Bhatti in one of his interviews A shot from the famous sitcom ‘Flop Show’
Late Jaspal Bhatti, one of the finest comedians in India and an alum of Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, does not need any introduction. Fondly known as the King of Comedy, he was known for his political satire and jokes on the common man in shows including Ulta Pulta and Full Tension. The art of cleverly using satire to showcase the problems faced by every middle-class man was inculcated in him from his college days where he was famous for his street plays. His breakthrough at a time when standup comedy had not forayed on the silver screen, played an essential role in garnering mainstream acceptance for this genre of comedy in India. The audience got engaged in his shows because of his gift of motivating temperament to underline the daily life issues a middle class in the country has to deal with. He went on to work in a bunch of Punjabi and Hindi films. Some of his prominent Article dated 19 August 2001 -
works include, ‘Mahaul Theek Hai, Satirist Jaspal Bhatti presented with PECOBA Award 2001 by Tickling the funny bone of the viewers during his satirical Thank You Jijaji, Nanhi Chidiya, Power Punjab Governor Lt General comedy show ‘Full tension’
Cut, and Nonsense.
(retd) J.F.R. Jacob
100 Years a n d B e y o n d
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Vanya Mishra: Miss India, Entrepreneur and an Engineer The final Q&A round that won her the pageant was "If you were to choose between a thousand poor children to feed or a thousand unemployed people to employ, which one would you choose and why?", to which she replied, "If I were to choose between these two, honestly I'd feed the children as little children are innocent and cannot help themselves, but I will also like to impart them education so that such a scenario doesn't repeat itself". On beauty queens making tall but short-lived commitments towards charity and noble causes, she says, "I don't make such commitments, but will surely complete all my duties as Miss India. Honestly, I donated my eyes two years back when I didn't even apply for the pageant." Vanya Mishra representing India at the Miss world Pageant 2012
Vanya Mishra is an Indian engineer, entrepreneur, and Femina Miss India 2012. She also represented India in the Miss World Pageant 2012, where she was the 7th runner-up. Vanya graduated from Punjab Engineering College (PEC), Chandigarh in 2014 with a B.Tech degree in Electrical Engineering. In the same year, Vanya was honored with the “Kalpana Chawla Excellence Award” for bringing laurels to the country, and the college. Vanya Mishra’s co-founded fashion discovery startup SummerLabel had raised 1 crore from a group of seven high net worth individuals. Founded in 2016, the startup aggregates products by online and offline private fashion labels.
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100 Years a n d B e y o n d
Vanya Mishra honoured with the Kalpana Chawla Excellence Award
Badshah: The Musician who Engineered Rap ‘Had I not gone to PEC I wouldn’t have been what I’m today, I was exposed to a lot of international music there’ - Badshah speaking to Times Of India on April 5, 2017
Badshah - the musical sensation who makes the entire nation dance to his tunes, a rapper, music producer, and composer in the Indian music industry, is one of the highest-paid celebrities in India. Little did people foresee an IAS aspirant revolutionizing the Indian Rap music industry while his peers were busy following the conventional norms for success. He got acquainted with Punjabi music and fell in love with it during his Engineering days at Punjab Engineering College (PEC), and since then, music has become an integral part of his life. Having developed an undying affinity towards words and rhymes, he started writing songs, and incorporating his lyrical genius into rap music. The hobby became an infatuation and his passion came rushing towards the surface when he began making headways with his compositions. After working as an engineer for a short stint, he decided to pursue his love of rap as a profession. This journey has made him one of the most famous names in Bollywood as he stands at the top of the music industry, becoming the most soughtafter musician in the present day and age. He has appeared in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 in 2017, 2018, and 2019 as one of the highest-
His debut single, "DJ Waley Babu" was ranked number one on the Indian iTunes charts within 24 hours of the release.
paid celebrities in India and as the only rapper on the list.
100 Years a n d B e y o n d
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Lights! Camera! Action! in PEC, Zero Dark Thirty All academic and administrative activities came to a halt as PECobians grabbed their notes and laptop bags and made way to catch a glimpse of the Hollywood crew on campus. Gun-toting Pakistani police and US Marines staked out at the Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh (PEC), during the reel-life shooting of Zero Dark Thirty (2012), by the Oscarwinning director Kathryn Bigelow.
A shot from the movie in front of the Honours Board in Main Block, PEC Credits: Zero Dark Thirty (Movie)
An energetic Bigelow moved about her work swiftly while Coproducer and Writer Mark Boal took time to chat with curious students hovering around the sets. Hollywood actress Jessica Chastain, who "loved being in India", too practised her lines and moves, as she walked up and down with a 'marine' in her Army fatigues.. The shoot continued for a couple of days at PEC.
A glimpse of Electrical Department during the shoot Credits: Zero Dark Thirty (Movie)
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100 Years a n d B e y o n d
Singer Guru Randhawa performing for the audience at PECFEST 2019
100 Years a n d B e y o n d
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Notes from the past Students bid heartfelt farewell to Prof I.D. Mirchandani “This is for the third time in quick succession that we have once again gathered in a sequence of bidding farewells- a function full of embarrassment indeed and this time to beloved Prof. I.D. Mirchandani, an inspiring personality gifted with vitality, intelligence, and above all handsomeness, the qualities for which he has been pointed out even from outside the domain of this College, that he is a professor in Civil Engineering in Punjab Engineering College, Roorkee. There is absolutely not a trace of artificiality and formality in having this function, we are missing a dear friend, a hard-working teacher who has an unflinching grasp over his subject. Throughout our lives, we all remember you with respect, admiration, and love, and in the years ahead we shall talk with pride to the future students of our alma mater about your brief but memorable stay in which you honored this institution. It is in a painful mood that we recall to our mind your moving from door to door of the hostel in crazy quickness, to see to even the minutest things, the so-called dust particles for which our Ex Principal, Dr. Singh has microscopic eyes. We still remember your affectionistic rage, I would say, in the days when the whole atmosphere
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is enthusiastically busy in receiving the new arrival-the firsties. Besides our usual lessons, one thing we have learned from you is the maintenance of a standard, and we have noticed this aspect in our tours especially. You would always endeavor to provide what is most befitting and becoming, and not only comfortable. But, I hope professor Sahib would excuse us for the remark that his limits are too high in certain cases, and if I mistake not, it is only this problem of high limits of standard that has so far kept him hesitant and indecisive in starting life right earnestly and possibly but for this ideal limits we would have got the party from you for which we longed keenly throughout our stay of 5 years here, but the occasion never came. Unmindful of your so to say cruelty to the institution in the end we wish you a happy long life full of success to crown your efforts and hard work for which you are so much habituated and thus bring you fresh Laurels every time, everywhere, in every sphere. Wherever you go, wherever you roam May all your hopes come laden home.” We are, Sir, Your beloved pupils, Students, Punjab Engineering College, Roorkee
Address by Mr. Suraj Bhan, Vice Chancellor of Punjab University at the First Convocation of PEC Mr. Suraj Bhan, Vice-Chancellor of Punjab University, talked about large-scale unemployment leading to depression and frustration among engineering graduates passing out from various engineering institutions in the country. The Vice-Chancellor, ascribed the prevailing unemployment to faulty planning and lopsided development of the economy which had led to a surfeit of engineering graduates. He told the graduates, however, that every dark cloud had a silver lining and there was no reason for despair. Even the USA, he reminded them, which was once considered to be the land of opportunity, was facing a similar problem at the moment with the result that the US Government was forced to dole out billions of dollars in unemployment relief. He exhorted the graduates to “be their own rivals” as complacency was the surest way to stagnation. Great challenges also posed great opportunities for those with drive, vision and imagination. He advised the graduates not to run after whitecollar jobs, and instead set up their own small industrial establishments by taking advantage of the financial assistance being made available by the Nationalised Banks and the State Financial Undertakings.
Article dated 11 Feb 1971, covering the Convocation address by Mr Suraj Bhan, Vice Chancellor of Punjab University
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The Vice-Chancellor expressed the hope that the Engineering College would be raised to the full-fledged Institute before long. He gave away degrees and presented gold medals to graduates who passed their Bachelor of Science in Engineering with Honours. The Principal, Mr. S.K. Sachdeva, conferred degrees and gave away prizes to the remaining graduates. In all, about 350 graduates passed out of the college last year. The Principal disclosed that the Engineering College has been recognized for the entrepreneurial training programme by the Union Government. Already this training was being given at five Indian Institutes of Technology and at the small industries institutes. The entrepreneurial training programme would now enable the college, he said, to impart three months training to its students in the Design and Management of small scale enterprises and in preparing feasibility reports. He referred to the enormous expansion which had taken place in the college in recent years. The College had then seven undergraduate and five postgraduate courses. It had a number of modern courses like Aeronautical Engineering, Electronics and Electrical Communication, Production Engineering and Metallurgical Engineering.
First Convocation being held at PEC
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Address by Prof RN Dogra on the Second Convocation at PEC Prof RN Dogra who served as the Principal of Punjab Engineering College in the year 1956 began his address at the second convocation of PEC by expressing his happiness on being back at the institute and praising the same for its remarkable growth. “Visiting this institute after being away for more than a decade gives me a strange nostalgia of having been home-sick. I feel extremely happy to be with you once again and meet my old friends and see familiar surroundings. I have some very happy memories of this Institute where I spent some memorable years of my life, from 1956 to 1960 when I decided to change over to education after a professional career as a civil engineer. The Institute has since then matured considerably and grown into a really fine technological institute with traditions of discipline, scholarship, and excellence.” Prof. R.N. Dogra delivering the convocation address
He went on to address the two very important questions most university campuses those days were concerned with, namely, the relevance of their courses to meet the challenges of the age and the need for participative decision making to maximize the returns quantitatively from the educational system under which they operate. He observed that most universities have devised a curriculum that provides in the first two years of the five years integrated course a sound understanding of the physical sciences, development of communication skills, and understanding of the social environment in which the technologists have to operate. The remaining three Principal Dr S.K. Sachdev escorting the Chief-guest to the Convocation Pandal
years are devoted to engineering sciences and technology with some opportunity for specialized study in a chosen field.
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Prof. Dogra in the course of his speech suggested participative decision-making by introducing questionnaire evaluation of courses and discussing the information derived from them by educational experts in student-teacher committees to check back the results. For the benefit of the students, Prof. Dogra also talked about the positives and downfalls of democracy. In his closing remarks, Prof. Dogra urged the graduates to make good use of their knowledge to assist the society and wished them well.
“To the graduates of the year I have only this plea to make: Your teachers have tried their best to make you technically competent during your stay in this institution. They have also tried to make you sensitive to your environment. They will always be glad to help you with any advice or guidance. But what is your responsibility towards them and the society that has nurtured you till now? Contemporary history in judging your alma mater will apply the criteria of how far and how effectively did it train you to assist the community at large in its endeavor in creating a new social order. We all earnestly hope that you will employ your knowledge and skill in the service of your fellowmen. Bring glory to your alma mater and your country. The nation is looking up to you. Go out into the world with courage and confidence. Accept challenges with a sense of adventure and determination to overcome any odds that may come your way. Our best wishes are always with you. May God bless you !”
Address by Prof RN Dogra at the Second Annual Convocation of PEC
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Eminent Personalities in the Journey of PEC Sir Ganga Ram Ganga Ram Aggarwal, commonly known as Rai Bahadur Sir Ganga Ram is known for his contributions to civil engineering and architecture, especially in shaping the urban fabric of Lahore. He also helped mould the conventional way engineering knowledge was imparted in contemporary India, which earned him the name ‘Father of Modern Lahore’. Ganga Ram obtained a scholarship to study at the Thomson Civil Engineering College, Roorkee, in 1871. He was awarded the gold medal in the Final Lower Subordinate Examination in 1873. In addition to his engineering skills, he is also widely known for his generosity and philanthropy. The then Governor of Punjab, Sir Malcolm Hailey while describing Sir Ganga Ram, says, "He won like a Hero and gave like a Saint." Some of the prominent buildings and localities he designed and built include General Post Office, Lahore, Lahore Museum, Aitchison College, Mayo School of Arts (now the National College of Arts), Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore, Lady Mclagan Girls High School, the Chemistry Department of the Government College University, the Albert Victor wing of Mayo Hospital, Sir Sir Ganga Ram
Ganga Ram High School (now Lahore College for Women), the Hailey College of Commerce (now Hailey College of Banking & Finance), Ravi Road House for the Disabled, the Ganga Ram
Article dated 26th February 1907 : Sir Ganga Ram convening Amballa Vaish Conference on Widow Remarriage
Trust Building on "The Mall" and Lady Maynard Industrial School, Model Town and Gulberg town, the Powerhouse, the railway track between Pathankot and Amritsar, etc. Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi was built in his memory in 1951 on the other side of the Radcliffe line.
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Dr. Satish Dhawan Dr Satish Dhawan graduated from the Punjab College of Engineering and Technology (Lahore) in 1945 which after partition moved its campus to Roorkee and consequently, to Chandigarh in 1953 as the Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh. Dr. Satish Dhawan was an Indian mathematician and aerospace engineer, widely regarded as the ‘Father of Experimental Fluid Dynamics Research’ in India. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian honor in the nation, in the year 1981. He is one of the two mentors mentioned by the nation's beloved President Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam in his autobiography ‘Wings of Dr. Satish Dhawan
Fire’. He graduated with an unusual combination of degrees: a B.A. in mathematics and physics, an M.A. in English literature, and a B.E. in mechanical engineering. The combination was unusual and unique, in the Indian context, bridging the three worlds of science, humanities, and technology respectively. In 1947, he obtained an M.S. (Master's Degree) in aeronautical engineering from the University of Minnesota in the U.S.A. After finishing studies at Caltech, US, in 1951, armed with a plethora of degrees, Dhawan returned to Independent India at IISc and headed the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore from 1962 onwards. He set up the country's first supersonic wind
Dr. Satish Dhawan with Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
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tunnel at IISc and also served as the Director of IISc Bangalore.
First Examination Passing Certificate of Dr Satish Dhawan in 1942
Dr. Dhawan also served as the Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Even then, he devoted substantial effort to boundary layer research. His most important contributions are included in the seminal book Boundary Layer Theory by Hermann Schlichting. He carried out pioneering experiments in rural education, laying the groundwork for millions of illiterate people in remote parts of India to gain access to education via a satellite devoted exclusively to long-distance learning. Consequently, his conscientious efforts led to the establishment and development of operational systems like INSAT- a telecommunications satellite, IRS - the Indian Remote Sensing satellite, and the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) that placed India in the league of space-faring nations. In his remembrance, ISRO launched the world’s first satellite uniquely dedicated to education in 2004 and established the Indian satellite launch center at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh as the Prof. Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
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Prof Rajinder Nath Dogra Professor Rajinder Nath Dogra was the Principal of Punjab Engineering College in the year 1956 after the shift of college campus from Roorkee to Chandigarh. Professor R.N. Dogra was a noted academician, engineer, and played great role in the landscape of advancement of technical education in India. He was a distinguished civil engineer with a specialization in highway engineering. At Punjab Public Works Department, he was responsible for planning the highway system in the state. He was also closely associated with the Bhakra Nangal Dam Project and dam projects in Roorkee, Uttarakhand. Prof RN Dogra
His most illustrious contributions to the educational sector include playing an important role in the establishment of two technical education institutions in India, Punjab Engineering College and IIT-Delhi. After PEC’s establishment in Roorkee as the Thomson Engineering College in 1947, Prof. Dogra was a member of the planning committee which ultimately decided to shift the college campus to its present location in 1953.
Prof Rajinder Nath Dogra addressing the 2nd Annual Convocation of PEC
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After successfully playing his part as the principal of Punjab Engineering College from 1953-60, Prof. Dogra acted as a member of the planning committee and governing council of IIT-Delhi and joined IIT-Delhi in 1961 as its founding director. He was the Founder-President of the Indian Society for Technical Education, Vice Chairman of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, and President of the Association of Indian Universities. In recognition of his outstanding contribution to science and technical education, Prof. Dogra was awarded the Fellowship of Imperial College, London, in 1971, and Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science by IIT Delhi, in 1975.
Article dated July 29, 1959 highlighting the presence of Prof Rajinder Nath Dogra, Principal of PEC as a member of the committee set up for conducting Technical Examinations in Punjab.
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Dr. Kalpana Chawla D/o Shri B. D. Chawla W/I-26, Kunjpura Road, karnal Date of Birth : 01.07.1961 One of the top scholars of the class Kalpana has a decent and charming personality. An editor of PECMAG for two years she was also the Secretary Aero & Astro Society (Chandigarh Chapter) in which capacity she really set the ball rolling. Well disciplined and reserve, she wears the latest in dress and shoes. Helps her girl friends to the maximum. Hobby: Reading SOLZHENITSYN. Souvenir
Dr. Kalpana Chawla, graduated from Aerospace Engineering Department of PEC in 1982, with Bachelors of Engineering degree. She is the first Indian born female astronaut to travel out of Earth’s atmosphere who continues to inspire many young minds across the globe. She moved to the United States in 1982 and obtained a M.S. degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1984. Kalpana Chawla went on to earn a second M.S. degree in 1986 and a PhD in aerospace engineering in 1988 from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Later that year she began working at the NASA Ames Research Center as vice president of Overset Methods, Inc. A Portrait of Kalpana Chawla
Dr. Kalpana Chawla conducting research work at NASA
Kalpana Chawla joined the NASA Astronaut Corps in March 1995 and was selected for her first flight in 1996. She spoke the following words while traveling in the weightlessness of space,"You are just your intelligence". PEC has a treasure trove of souvenirs from Kalpana Chawla’s first space journey. One of these is a message –‘Reach for the stars’ – signed by the six member crew of the Columbia space shuttle trip in 1997 and addressed: For the students , teachers and staff of Punjab Engineering College.
Dr. Kalpana Chawla with the crew of STS-107 in October 2001.
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The NASA space mission badge bearing the names of the crew members, along with a picture of Kalpana and the rest of the Columbia crew of 1997, adorns the corridors of PEC.
Article dated 4 March, 1995: Kalpana Chawla on her selection at NASA
Kalpana Chawla Girls Hostel at PEC Credits : Lakshya Nadar
Article dated 10 December, 1996: Kalpana Chawla all set for space launch
Kalpana Chawla was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, the NASA Space Flight Medal, and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal. The grateful college has renamed the hostel, Himgiri, in which she had spent her last few years, as the Kalpana Chawla Girls' Hostel. In 2016 , the Ministry of Railways established Kalpana Chawla Chair of Geospatial Technology (KCC GT) at PEC for promoting Research and Development in the areas of Geospatial Technology. The Prime Minister of India announced that the meteorological series of satellites, MetSat, was to be renamed ‘Kalpana’ in 2003. The first satellite of the series, ‘MetSat-1’, launched by India on September 12, 2002, was also renamed ‘Kalpana-1’.
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Padma Shree Chandra Mohan Sh. Chandra Mohan was born in Ferozepur in Punjab and completed his Mechanical Engineering in 1953 from Punjab Engineering College (Roorkee Campus). He led PEC as the first Chairman of the Board of Governors when PEC got the Deemed to be the University status in the year 2005 and its first Governing Council was formed.
Padma Shree awardee Sh. Chandra Mohan
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Sh. Chandra Mohan, a techno-entrepreneur is known for his vital contribution to the advancement of technical education and industry in North India during his time. Conferred with the Prestigious Padma Shree Award in the year 2000 for his rare entrepreneurial acumen, business strategies, and for being a management guru, he was the MD & Vice Chairman of Punjab Tractors Limited (PTL) and SML for 28 years. He has also authored a book “Making Entrepreneurs: Lessons from a Lifetime”. A rare blend of an engineer-scientist, an inventor, a visionary entrepreneur, an educationist and a great leader, he believed in innovation and thinking out of the box.
Sh. Chandra Mohan at a Conference
He played a highly pivotal role in advancing education at PEC in this role. He took the lead in guiding the initial years of PEC as Deemed to be University and gave all his time to the institute. He also played a major role in getting industry partners and building synergies between the academic and the homegrown industries. He gave a very special impetus to alumni affairs at PEC. His vision to connect industry with education so that students of PEC get the best of opportunities ultimately led to the six-month industry internship program at PEC, which is followed to date.
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Departments Department of Mechanical Engineering
S.
Head of Departments
Years
The Department of Mechanical Engineering at PEC is as
1
Dr. Jagdish Lal
1958-1967
old as the Institute itself. The Department is continuously
2
Dr. S.K Sachdev
1967-1969
striving to achieve excellence in education, academic,
3
Dr. A.D Kapur
1969-1970
and industry-oriented research to prepare the globally
4
Dr. V.P Vasandani
1970-1985
5
Dr. A.D Kapur
1985-1987
6
Dr. S.K Aggarwal
1987-2000
7
Dr. R.S Gupta
2000-2003
8
Dr. P.B Mahapatra
2003-2007
9
Dr. Arun K Lall
2007-2008
10
Dr. V.P Singh
2008-2011
Design and Manufacturing, Composites, Biomaterials,
11
Dr. Arun K. Lall
2011-2013
Modelling and Computation in heat transfer, Internal
12
Dr. Alakesh Manna
2013-2016
combustion engines, Nanofluids, Mechanical Vibration
13
Dr. P.S Satsangi
2016-2019
and so on.
14
Dr. S.K Mangal
2020-Present
competitive workforce capable of leading in the Industry, Academia, and Government organizations in India and abroad. Besides the Bachelor’s degree, Department offers a Master’s and the Ph.D. program also. Under the Ph.D. program, the major research areas include advanced /non-traditional machining processes, micromanufacturing, CAD/CAM, MEMS, Soft computing in
Mechanical Engineering Department Credits: Manish Garcha
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Heat Engine Iab
Heat Engine Iab
S.
Head of Departments
Years
1
Dr. Swami Saran
1953 – 1965
2
Dr. M.C. Verma
1965 – 1972
Department of Electrical Engineering
3
Dr. B. Thapar
1972 – 1974
The Department of Electrical Engineering has played a
4
Dr. M.C. Verma
1974 – 1976
vital role in producing scientists and technologists of the
5
Dr. B. Thapar
1976 – 1985
highest caliber ever since it was established. It offers
6
Prof. R.L. Bagga
1985 – 1990
Undergraduate, Masters and Doctoral programs in
7
Dr. R.K. Jain
1990 – 1998
Electrical Engineering. The Department combines
8
Dr. T.K. Nagsarkar
1999 – 2001
research with a rigorous and vibrant learning
9
Dr. H.R. Seedhar
2001 – 2004
environment for all students. Department aims to
10
Dr. Gurnam Singh
2004 – 2008
produce graduates who are excellently prepared for
11
Dr. Shiv Narayan
2008 – 2011
12
Dr. Balwinder Singh
2011 – 2014
13
Dr. Tarlochan Kaur
2014 – 2017
14
Dr. Tilak Thakur
2018 – 2020
15
Dr. Jagdish Kumar
2020 – Till date
careers within and beyond Electrical Engineering.
Electrical Instruments Lab
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Department of Civil Engineering The Department of Civil Engineering is excellently suited to meet the ever-changing requirements of engineers with courses that combine the study of management, business skills, and computers with Civil Engineering. The Department ensures that the courses are updated and that they reflect the current needs of commerce, industry, and society as a whole. The civil engineering program has been designated to provide our students with strong fundamentals complemented with professional and generic skills.
Transportation Lab
Highway Engineering Lab
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S.
Head of Departments
Years
1
Er. I.D. Mirchandani
1957-1963
2
Er. S.R Bhatnagar
1964-1966
3
Dr. R.C Sharma
1967-1969
4
Dr. O.S Sehgal
1970-1978
5
Dr. S.P Gupta
1979-1986
6
Dr. S.K Sharma
1987-1988
7
Dr. M.S Ghuman
1989-1992
8
Prof. H.C Bhatia
1992-1994
9
Dr. I.C Syal
1994-2000
10
Dr. Baljeet S. Kapoor
2000- 2000
11
Dr. S.C Dhawan
2000- 2002
12
Dr. A.M Kalra
2002- 2005
13
Dr. N.P Devgan
2005- 2008
14
Dr. R.K Khitoliya
2008- 2008
15
Dr. Siby John
2008- 2009
16
Dr. A.M Kalra
2009- 2010
17
Dr. N.P Devgan
2010- 2012
18
Dr. R.K Khitoliya
2012- 2015
19
Dr. Siby John
2015 - 2018
20
Dr. R.R Singh
2018- 2021
21
Dr. Umesh Shrama
2021-Present
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 Credits : Pramod Gautam
Department of Aerospace Engineering The Department of Aerospace Engineering was set up in 1962, and it is one of the Oldest Departments of India offering a course of Bachelors in Aerospace Engineering. The Graduates of this Department have carved a niche in Aerospace technology at the national and international levels. The department feels proud of its illustrious alumni like late Dr. Kalpana Chawla, an Astronaut of NASA's Space Shuttle mission and many more like her, who have brought laurels to their alma mater. The department is well equipped with laboratories and workshops which help students to gain practical knowledge. The department has developed excellent research facilities leading to a Ph.D. degree in Supersonic Aerodynamics and Pulse Detonation Engine technology. The dedicated faculty of this department has rich experience in teaching and industry who are competent to sharpen the students’ skills.
S.
Head of Departments
Years
1
Dr. A.V Vishwanathan
1963 - 1965
2
Dr. S.K Sachdeva
1965 - 1967
3
Prof. V.S Malhotra
1967 - 1970
4
Dr. K.C Singhal
1970 - 1973
5
Dr. V.S Malhotra
1973 - 1992
6
Dr. S.C Sharma
1992 - 2008
7
Prof. Y.S Chauhan
2008 - 2010
8
Dr. P.S Satsangi
2010 - 2013
9
Prof. Kishori Lal
2013 - 2016
10
Dr. Rakesh Kumar
2016 - 2019
11
Dr. T.K Jindal
2020 - Present
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Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering The Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering has been producing world-class technologists ever since it was established in 1963. Excellent infrastructure, state-of-the-art research facilities, and comprehensive study material make the department a class apart. It is bestowed with an experienced team of faculty members with excellent academic records and proficiency. The expertise of the faculty prepares students to work in a global and multicultural environment.
S.
Head of Departments
Years
1
Dr. J.S Bajwa
1965 - 1983
2
Dr. A.K Agrawal
1984 - 1990
3
Dr. T.S. Kamal
1990 - 1991
4
Dr. Y.C. Chopra
1991 - 2000
5
Dr. A.K Agrawal
2001 - 2001
6
Sh. V. Rihani
2001 - 2001
7
Dr. R.S Prasad
2001 - 2003
8
Sh. V. Rihani
2003 - 2008
9
Dr. Deepak Begai
2008 - 2011
10
Dr. Neelam Rup Prakash
2011 - 2014
11
Dr. Neena Gupta
2014 - 2018
12
Dr. Neelu Jain
2018 - 2020
13
Dr. Neena
2021 - Present
Microwave & PCB Fabrication Lab
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Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering
S.
Head of Departments
Years
1
Dr. V.D Sehgal
1967 - 1981
The Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, earlier Metallurgical Engineering Chandigarh was established in 1963. It offers B.Tech. programme in Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, M.Tech. programme in Industrial Materials and Metallurgy and PhD programme. The B.Tech. programme is NBA accredited for five years w.e.f July 2014. The Department has comprehensive curriculum that focuses on a variety of engineering materials like metallic alloys, ceramics, polymers and composites. The department has initiated a unified approach in teaching and industry interaction, through semester long industry internship, and industryinstitute interaction week in each semester. Research in the areas like development of new materials, establishment of structure-property correlations, nanomaterials synthesis, corrosion studies and tribological studies are actively being taken up by the research scholars and faculty of the department.
2
Dr. L.P Srivastava
1981 - 1997
3
Dr. S.R Prabhakar
1997 - 2001
4
Dr. Arun K. Lall
2002 - 2005
5
Dr. Uma Batra
2005 - 2008
6
Prof. P.V. Thereja
2008 - 2011
7
Dr. Uma Batra
2011 - Till date
Materials and Metallurgical Engineering Department
Industrial Materials and Metallurgy Lab
Industrial Materials and Metallurgy Lab
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Department of Production and Industrial Engineering The Department of Production & Industrial Engineering, established in 1967, is one of the oldest departments of Production Engineering in India. The department was renamed as Production and Industrial Engineering in 2014. At present the department offers both Undergraduate and Postgraduate program in Production & Industrial engineering. The department runs interdisciplinary self-financed postgraduate program in Industrial Design (ID). The strength of the department lies in potential of the students, commitment of the faculty and developed facilities in the area of machining, welding, casting, advanced manufacturing, human engineering & assistive technology, total quality management, work design & ergonomics, production & operations management and value engineering.
S.
Head of Departments
Years
1
Er. G.C Banga
1969 - 1972
2
Dr. D.S Bedi
1973 - 1993
3
Dr. K.K Chakraborti
1993 - 1994
4
Dr. R.N Nauhria
1994 - 2008
5
Dr. P. Kalra
2008 - 2011
6
Er. M.M Goud
2011 - 2013
7
Dr. P Kalra
2013 - 2014
8
Dr. N.M Suri
2014 - 2017
9
Dr. M.M Goud
2017 - 2020
10
Dr. R.S Walia
2020 - Present
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100 Years a n d B e y o n d
Production and Industrial Engineering Department Credits: Navjot Singh
Automobile Shop
Department of Computer Science and Engineering The Department of Computer Science and Engineering, which was established in 1988, gives vast exposure to its students, not only in the regular Engineering Curriculum but also to the aspirations of today's corporate world. The state of the art labs of PEC, with it's latest facilities and unlimited internet facility, provides our students with a cutting edge technical exposure to enhance their information analytical and aptitude skills. Students are encouraged to join various technical and non-technical forums, which in turn gives them horizontal exposure to engineering concepts and technology. Software being one of the largest growing sectors of the Indian economy, the department of Computer Science & Engineering at PEC has been at the forefront of churning out software engineers with a high caliber of technical expertise. It continues to foster and engender the innovation and breadth of vision necessary to excel in the blooming software industry.
S.
Head of Departments
Years
1
Dr. Y.C Chopra
1988 - 1994
2
DR. Nupur Parkash
1994 - 2000
3
Dr. Sanjeev Sofat
2001 - 2013
4
Dr. Rajesh Bhatia
2013 - 2016
5
Dr. Sanjeev Sofat
2016 - 2019
6
Dr. Shailendra Singh
2020 - Till Date
High Performance Computing Lab
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Department of Applied Sciences The Department of Applied Sciences is actively keen on providing a bridging role among sciences, engineering and technology via organizing academic seminars and schools from time to time. It offers UG courses and Ph.D. programmes in Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics and Engineering Geology. The Department develops students to tackle and provide solutions to real world problems. The department has well equipped laboratories to impart practical training to the students in the field of Physics, Chemistry and Engineering Geology.
S.
Head of Departments
Years
1
Dr. Vijay Singh Kaushal
1997 - 2007
2
Dr. Ranjeet Kaur Sehmi
2007 - 2010
3
Dr. Ashwani Kumar
2010 - 2013
4
Dr. Ranjeet Kaur Sehmi
2013 - 2014
5
Dr. Vasundhara Singh
2014 - 2017
6
Dr. Harminder Kaur
2017 - 2020
7
Dr. Sucheta Dutt
2020 - Present
Chemistry Lab
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PEC Rejoicing on its 100th Anniversary Sh. Dharampal, Adviser to the UT Administrator, Chandigarh and an alumnus of Punjab Engineering College, inaugurating the Centenary Celebrations on 9th November 2021.
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So Close yet So Far Credits: Dr. Arun Khanna arunkhanna7318@rediffmail.com
Nature's Bounty Credits: Dr. Arun Khanna arunkhanna7318@rediffmail.com
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ABOUT ALUMNUS Sunil Taneja
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100 Years a n d B e y o n d
MINDS, HEARTS & HANDS BEHIND
Rajarshi Rai, Ishita Arora, Geet Sandhu, Prashant Goyal, Nikhil Mehta
CORE
Ishita Arora, Chief Club Secretary Rajarshi Rai, Overall Head, Student Alumni Relations Committee Nikhil Mehta, Joint Chief Club Secretary Prashant Goyal, New Campaigns Head, Student Alumni Relations Committee
Special student
Isha Jain, Mentor-Mentee Programme Head, SARC Piyusha Sayal, Alumni Portal Head, SARC Palak Dhir, Content Writing Head, SARC Rajneesh Manhas, Joint Secretary, APC Arushi Agarwal, Editor in Chief, English Editorial Board
Jessica Punj Piyush Gulati Naman Cheetu Sukhmanpreet Kaur
Kashvi Yadav Nimit Bhatia Sakshi Arora Thomas Taga
Kunal Mahajan Shivansh Gupta Archit Ghai Ankit Kumar Singh
Design & Printed By: Capital Graphics, Chandigarh
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STAFF GRO
1st Row Bottom L-R: Rakesh Kumar, Geet Sandhu, Sarika, Veena Manocha, Gopi Ram, Kulwant Singh, Deepak Pathania, R Gurmel Singh, Ramneek Singh, Jiwan Singh, Ashok Kumar, Charan Dass, L.M. Chaudhary
2nd Row L-R: Jatinder Singh, Rajinder Kumar, Gopal Dass, Karnail Singh, Tarsem Singh, Kamlesh Rani, Parveen, Raj Kum Varinder Kaur, Poornima, Amarjit Kaur, Asha Rani, Mamta Sharma, Kamaljit Kaur, Mohinder Pal, K.K. Dubey, Amrik Singh, Ja
3rd Row L-R: Anil, Manoj, Manjeet Singh, Kuldeep Singh, Surjit Singh, Iqbal Singh, Jasbir Singh, Maan Singh, Rajinder Kuma Mohan, Jarnail Singh, Madan Lal, Dinesh Chandra, Baljeet Kumar, Sanjay Singh, Ram Pal, Sukhwinder Singh, Dinesh Kumar,
4th Row L-R: Amt Pathania, Sunit, Lekhraj, Gulab Singh, Rakesh Kumar, Gurdeep Singh, Dalvir Singh, Sansar Chand, Ram Rajesh, Jaswinder Singh, Rajesh kumar, Kuldeep Singh, Hardev, Rajandeep, Vijay, Shobhi Geogre, Surkmukh Singh, Darsha
5th Row L-R: Paramjit Singh, Rajinder, Dalbara Singh, Yashpal, Pawan, Surinder, Ramesh Kumar, Prem Singh, Ram Lok, Singh, Surjit Singh, Vivek Sood, Naveen, Pawan Kumar, Vinod Kumar, Shailendra Singh, Amar Singh, Gopal Dass, Parsad Gu
OUP PHOTO
Rajesh Gupta, Sudhir Parashar, Baldev Setia, Director, Sushant Samir, Registrar, Sanjay Batish, Hari Mohan, Harjinder Kumar,
mari, Bala, Priyanka Kalia, Sudha, Saroj, Gursharan Kaur, Alka Rattan, Jiwan Lata, Geeta Rawat, Anita, Parveen Karbal, Puja, agmohan Singh, Sewa Ram,
ar, Naveen Sharma, Harpreet Singh, Harnek Singh, Harpreet Singh, Jaswinder Singh, Sukhwant Singh, Surmukh Singh, Rajesh , Baljeet Kumar, Maya Ram, Rajbir, Bala Ram, Sadh Singh, Lala Ram, Gurmukh Singh, Simranjit Singh
Bahadur, Satish, Rajinder Singh, Narinder Singh, Gopal Krishan, Raj Kumar, Rajesh Gutpa, Dhanna Singh, Tejinder Pal Singh, an Singh, Kamal Kishore, Om Parkash
Manoj, Jarnail Singh, Satbir Singh, Gurshan Singh, Jaswinder Singh, Balak Ram, Harmesh Bindal, Sandeep Pathak, Bimaljit urung