Santishree Pandit becomes JNU's first woman vice-chancellor, Know all about her

08 Feb, 2022 Author: Saumya Jaiswar

JNU News: Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit will be appointed as the first woman Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University. Ministry of Education (MoE) appointed her to this top post on Monday.

JNU congratulates Prof. Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit for being appointed as the new Vice Chancellor of JNU for a period of five years.@EduMinOfIndia @ugc_india pic.twitter.com/PMzdDyZ6mV
— Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) (@JNU_official_50) February 7, 2022

Ms Pandit is presently working at the designation of the Vice-Chancellor of Savitribai Phule University in Maharashtra. The 59-year-old is also an alumna of Jawaharlal Nehru University. She pursued her MPhil as well as PhD in International Relations from JNU.

"President Ram Nath Kovind, who is Visitor to the University, has approved the appointment of Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit as JNU Vice-Chancellor. Her appointment is for a period of five years," a senior MoE official said.

Who is Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit?

Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit was born on 15 July 1962 in St.Petersberg, Russia.
Dr. Dhulipudi Anjaneyulu is an author and journalist, who is also a retired civil servant, and mother, Prof. Mulamoodi Adilakshmi, was a Professor of Tamil and Telugu at the Leningrad Oriental Faculty Department [USSR]
Pandit also has a great command over several languages such as Telugu, Marathi, Hindi, Sanskrit, Tamil, English and can understand Kananda, Malayalam and Konkani.

Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit Academic Qualifications and Education

She has a Doctorate – PhD in International Relations – Thesis on “ PARLIAMENT AND FOREIGN POLICY IN INDIA – THE NEHRU YEARS, “ from Jawaharlal Nehru University
In 1996, she got her Post- doctoral Diploma in Peace and Conflict Studies from Uppsala University, Sweden.
She is a Post Graduate in M .A. in Political Science (1985 – Presidency College, Madras, University second rank),
Her Pre-Doctoral Degree is an M.Phil in International Relations – Papers and Dissertation (1986 – Jawaharlal Nehru University, School of International Relations, New Delhi)
She also has a Diploma in Social work – summer school, California State University, Longbeach, USA.
She has earned B.A. in History and Social Psychology – 1983 – Presidency College, Madras.

Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit Career

Pandit currently serves as the Vice-Chancellor of Savitribai Phule University.
Pandit initiated her career in teaching from Goa University in 1988 and moved to Pune University in 1993.

Prof Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit of Savitribai Phule Pune University, Maharashtra has been appointed as the Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi for a period of five years.

She is the first female Vice-Chancellor of #JNU. pic.twitter.com/2Bo1I5ZaWu
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) February 7, 2022

Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit Awards

She got 5 prizes at the All India Inter-Universities Festival held in Allahabad in 1983.
Declared the Best participant of the festival and led the Presidency College and the University of Madras win the team trophy.
Scott Elocution Prize in the following years, 1980-81; 1981-82; 1982-83; 1983-84; 1984-85, Presidency College, Madras.
National Talent Scholarship
National Hindi Scholarship, 1980-83
Elphinstone Prize, 1980-81; 1981-82; 1982-83; 1983-84; 1984-85, Presidency College, Madras. The record for winning it for the highest number times still exists in Pandit's name.
Best All around student, 1978-80, Adarsh Vidyalaya, Madras