Palwal, Dec 22: The founding Vice-Chancellor of Shri Vishwakarma Skill University, Dr. Raj Nehru, received an emotional and grand farewell.
A magnificent ceremony was organized in his honour to celebrate his contributions as the university’s founding Vice-Chancellor.
He was presented with a ceremonial turban and shawl as a mark of respect. Teachers, staff, officials, and students adorned him with garlands and showered him with flowers. The event was graced by several prominent figures from the industrial sector, who made the farewell ceremony truly memorable.
Dr. Raj Nehru took charge as the founding Vice-Chancellor of Shri Vishwakarma Skill University in 2017. During his tenure, the university not only became India’s first government skill university but also secured the second position in the NIRF national rankings. Additionally, it earned over a dozen prestigious national and international awards. Dr. Nehru has now been appointed as the OSD to the Chief Minister of Haryana.
Upon his arrival at the university campus, Dr. Nehru received a grand welcome. An electric vehicle, created from scrap under his guidance, was decorated with flowers for the occasion. As his convoy proceeded to the ceremony venue, students lined the route, showering it with flowers and expressing their gratitude with folded hands. Dr. Nehru was accompanied by his wife, Sunaina Nehru, daughter Oshin, and son Aryan.
When the flower-adorned electric vehicle reached the venue, the atmosphere turned emotional. Along with the university community, former sarpanch of Dudhola village, Sunder Singh, and other villagers joined in honoring Dr. Nehru. He was presented with a garland made of currency notes, which he graciously donated for the education of fourth-class employees’ children and for the university’s agricultural farm.
During his farewell address, Dr. Nehru expressed his gratitude to the entire team, stating that achieving the university’s milestones was not easy but was possible due to the collective efforts of everyone involved. He emphasized the importance of unity and collaboration in achieving long-term goals. Reflecting on his tenure, he said he operated the university with the utmost integrity and transparency, ensuring merit-based recruitments and the creation of a world-class campus.
He highlighted key achievements during his tenure, including the establishment of India’s first innovative skill school and a world-class center of excellence, predicting significant outcomes in the future. He also noted the integration of on-the-job training into the skill education model, which has now become a benchmark for institutions nationwide. He expressed pride in how the university has inspired renowned educational institutions globally to adopt its model.
Dr. Nehru expressed special gratitude to the village Dudhola for their unwavering support, without which the university would not have been possible. Concluding his speech, he humbly apologized for any shortcomings during his tenure, expressing his deep emotional connection to the university, which he said would remain in his heart forever.
University Registrar, Prof. Jyoti Rana, honored Dr. Nehru on behalf of the university, calling him the architect of a national model for skill education. She commended his tireless efforts in establishing the university and ensuring its credibility with bodies like UGC and NAAC, a significant achievement.
Prof. R.S. Rathore, Dean of Academics, praised Dr. Nehru for creating an ecosystem for skill education in the country and for his transformative contributions to education and society. He also highlighted Dr. Nehru’s role in preserving and promoting local art forms, such as the folk art of Banchari.
Dr. Sujata Shahi, Vice-Chancellor of IILM; Dharm Raksheet, HR Head of Hero MotoCorp; Bhavna Chauhan, HR Head of Autolek; Sanjeev Sharma, GM of Metabhi Lens; Vinod Bhati, Director of Metro Lab; and Rekha Bhardwaj, Assistant Director of HIPA, were among the dignitaries who honored Dr. Nehru. They praised his achievements and extended their best wishes for his new role.
