Vice President CP Radhakrishnan Inaugurates New Research Facilities at Panjab University

Chandigarh – On a bright Friday morning, Vice‑President C.P. Radhakrishnan, who also serves as the ex‑officio Chancellor of Panjab University, stepped onto the campus to launch two much‑anticipated initiatives: the Advanced Instrumentation Facility (AIF) housed within the Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facility/Central Instrumentation Laboratories, and the Panjab University Tech Innovation Forum (PU‑TIF).

In a brief ceremony that felt part celebration, part call‑to‑action, the Vice‑President unveiled five brand‑new scientific instruments – an Atomic Force Microscope, Raman Spectrometer, DNA Sequencer, Flow Cytometer and FTIR Spectrometer. He hinted that these tools could push the university’s work in nanotechnology, materials science, environmental studies and genomics onto a global stage.

He then turned his attention to the newly‑minted PU‑TIF, explaining that the former Bio‑NEST incubator has been reborn as a Section 8 not‑for‑profit company. “Innovation flourishes when academia, industry, incubators and investors sit at the same table,” Radhakrishnan said, urging the campus community to seize the fresh framework for research, entrepreneurship and technology development.

Addressing a crowd of students, faculty, and dignitaries, the Vice‑President painted a picture of India’s higher‑education landscape under Prime Minister Narendra Modi – a landscape that, in his words, is “undergoing a transformative change” and positioning the country as a hub for quality education and cutting‑edge research.

He didn’t shy away from tougher topics either. Following the tragic death of a PhD candidate earlier this year, Radhakrishnan announced an immediate, campus‑wide safety audit and the formation of an internal committee to review infrastructure. “The well‑being of our scholars is non‑negotiable,” he stressed.

Radhakrishnan also used the platform to appeal to the youth’s sense of social responsibility. He urged students to stay clear of substance abuse, championing a “Nasha Mukt Bharat,” and encouraged budding researchers to aim for innovations that are inclusive, scalable and truly beneficial to society.

Wrapping up, the Vice‑President expressed confidence that the newly‑installed instruments and the innovation forum would help Panjab University stride toward its vision of becoming a world‑class institution. He invited suggestions from the university community, emphasizing collective effort to achieve the broader goals of Viksit Bharat and Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Notable attendees included Governor of Punjab & Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, Governor of Haryana Prof. Ashim Kumar Ghosh, Lok Sabha MP Manish Tiwari, Vice‑Chancellor Prof. Meenakshi Goyal and other distinguished guests.