NCC confers honorary rank of Colonel on Nauni varsity VC

The National Cadet Corps(NCC) has conferred its honorary Colonel Rank on Prof Rajeshwar Singh Chandel, Vice Chancellor of Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni at a pipping ceremony held at the university campus on Tuesday.

The Dr LS Negi Auditorium was filled with thunderous applause as Chief Guest Brigadier Roveen, Group Commander, NCC Shimla pinned the badges of rank of Colonel on Prof Rajeshwar Singh Chandel. The event was organised by the 1 HP Boys Battalion Solan.

Professor Chandel is among the distinguished company of 19 Vice-Chancellors nationwide, who have been  bestowed with this honour. Prof. Chandel will now hold the title of Colonel 'Commandant' of the university's NCC Wing. This initiative aims to infuse the NCC's ethos of discipline and patriotism into university campuses by appointing Vice-Chancellors as Colonel Commandants during their tenure. By nurturing a spirit of national duty among students, the programme seeks to strengthen their inclination towards military service.

In his acceptance speech, Prof. Chandel expressed his pride and dedication to the students and staff of the university. He reaffirmed his commitment to supporting the NCC's mission of fostering discipline and leadership. A former NCC cadet himself, Prof. Chandel, who holds an NCC B certificate, emphasized the university's plans to establish NCC units at its constituent colleges in Neri and Thunag. He praised the NCC for its role in nurturing youth discipline and preparing them for military careers, and he commended the defense personnel for their selfless service.

Brigadier Roveen congratulated Prof. Chandel on receiving the honorary Colonel rank, commending his work in advancing low-cost, environmentally friendly agricultural practices for small and marginal farmers in the Himalayan region and his promotion of NCC activities on campus. He encouraged students to embrace true leadership through hard work and dedication, to see the good in others, and to invest in reading to make productive use of their time and gain new insights.

The ceremony concluded with NCC cadets of the university presenting a ceremonial guard of honor to the Vice Chancellor. Colonel Rajiv Thomas, Commanding Officer of the 1 HP Boys Battalion, Colonel Sanjay Shandil, Commanding Officer of the 1 HP Girls Battalion Solan, along with Administrative Officers Colonel AP Singh and Major Taruna, as well as statutory officers, staff, and students, attended the event.