Sunil Chadha
Dharamshala: For Prof Sat Prakash Bansal, who is the Vice-Chancellor of Central University of Himachal Pradesh and has decades of experience in higher education, one memory stands out above all.
“I was the first male Vice-Chancellor appointed in a women’s university in Haryana. At that time, I was working for women empowerment. During Navratri, we had set up a Yagyashala and I had the privilege to perform a ritual for 1,001 girl students,” said Prof Bansal, recalling his stint at Indira Gandhi University (Mahila Mahavidyalaya).
In an interview to The Newz Radar, Prof Bansal, who until June 2025 also had the charge of Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, said the ritual was a golden moment of his life and he would never forget it. He said his career path could have taken a different turn. “I had a chance to go to Delhi to work in the University Grants Commission, but I opted to come back to Himachal to serve my homeland,” he said.
After returning, he joined the Himachal Pradesh Technical University. At the time, the institution only had a handful of affiliated colleges and lacked its own academic programmes. “There was a need to start our own courses. I worked hard for that,” he said.
The push to expand faced initial resistance from state bureaucracy. “The then Additional Financial Secretary opposed my decision,” Prof Bansal said. “But I stood by it.” His persistence paid off and the university launched seven new subjects and created several new posts, broadening its academic base.
Over the years, Prof Bansal has been associated with multiple universities in different states, often steering them through early institutional challenges. His career reflects a pattern of building structures, securing approvals and expanding opportunities for students.
Yet, amid these milestones, it is the Navratri memory that he describes with most emotion. For Prof Bansal, the ritual with 1,001 students remains not only a personal highlight but also a symbolic reminder of his commitment to women’s education and empowerment.
