60 years ago, in 1950, in a conversation with Prof. Kasturi, Bhagawan’s biographer and Prof. Vitthal Rao, an ardent devotee, Swami casually mentioned of the ‘Puttaparthi University’; a remark so casual that it was considered a joke by those present then. But every word of the Lord is charged with deep inner significance. Bhagawan says, ‘Mine is the Vajra Sankalpa.... Whatever I will, must manifest into fruition!’ Exactly 30 years later, in the presence of the same Prof. Kasturi, Bhagawan addressed an august gathering on the occasion of the Inauguration of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (Deemed University) on November 22, 1981 and highlighted the uniqueness of this 109th University of India and the unique role it would play in the higher education system in the country. This unique model of Bhagawan which is the Sri Sathya Sai System of Integral Education caters to the physical, mental, intellectual, psychic and spiritual domains of the human personality and endeavours to mould students with ability and nobility. Bhagawan says, “Students must have the head of Sri Adi Shankaracharya (symbolising wisdom), the heart of Gautam Buddha (symbolising love and compassion) and the hands of Janaka Maharaja (symbolising detached action).”
30 years have passed since that momentous day and we see how Bhagawan’s Sankalpa has unfolded and the tiny sapling has grown into a gigantic tree providing shade and succour to thousands of students. A number of noble instruments were blessed by Bhagawan to assist Him in this sacred task. These individuals have become a part of history – His Story. To be a Vice Chancellor when the Lord of the Universe dons the role of a Chancellor is indeed an opportunity without a parallel. And the Sri Sathya Sai University has been blessed with many such illustrious individuals, academic giants and men of great eminence and character. While Prof. Vinayak Krishna Gokak (1981-1985), Prof. Somnath Saraf (1985-1991) and Prof. Sampath (1991-1993) nurtured the University in its infancy, the next set of Vice Chancellors Dr. K. Hanumanthappa (1993-1996) and Prof. G. Venkataraman (1996-1998) donned the role of moulding the University in its adolescence. Two of the Cilvil Servants turned Vice Chancellors, Sri SV Giri (1998-2005) and Sri Anil Gokak (2005-2008) took the mantle to guide the University into its adulthood!
On the 8th of August 2008, Bhagawan blessed yet another noble individual to be His instrument as the 8th Vice Chancellor of His hallowed institution – Prof. Vishwanath Pandit. Hailing from the crest jewel of India – Kashmir, Prof. Pandit did his Post Graduation from Delhi School of Economics and his PhD in Economics from University of Pennsylvania under Nobel Laureate – Prof. Kleine. He was associated with some of the most prestigious institutions in the world including University of Manchester in the UK and University of North Carolina, USA. He was Consultant to the World Bank and the Planning Commission, Govt. of India and Advisor to the Govt. of Sri Lanka. He was the President of the Indian Econometric Society and the Chairman of an Expert Group of the United Nations. He has been a colleague of some of the most eminent economists of India including Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission – Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia and the Nobel Laureate – Prof. Amartya Sen. For his extraordinary contribution to the field of Economics, he was conferred the Swami Pranavananda Saraswati Award by the University Grants Commission in 2004. Above all, he has been an ardent devotee of Bhagawan for the past 35 years.
Fondly referred by Him as ‘Delhi Professor’, Prof. Pandit’s journey from being a Seva Dal at the Darshan Grounds at Prasanthi Nilayam in the 1980s to becoming the 8th Vice Chancellor of the University is noteworthy.
His association with the University dates back to 1984. He was a member of the Academic Council of the University right from 1987 and was blessed by Bhagawan to join as the Head, Dept. of Economics and Dean of Humanities in 2001. He was instrumental in spearheading the Master’s and Doctoral Programmes in Economics at the University. He was the Coordinator when the NAAC team visited the University in 2002 and gave it the highest accreditation of ‘A++’.
In his brief tenure, the University scaled many heights. Noteworthy among these include: Events
In November 2008, the XIth Plan Committee under the Chairmanship of Prof. Mool Chand Sharma, Vice Chairperson, University Grants Commission, visited the University. In his observations about the University, Prof. Sharma stated, “The SSSU does not need the UGC, but it is the UGC that needs institutions like the SSSU”. So impressed was Prof. Sharma with the University and Bhagawan’s unique vision of higher education that he again visited Prasanthi Nilayam for the Convocation in Novmber 2008. It was on this occasion that Bhagawan announced the establishment of the 4th Campus of the University at Muddennahalli.
Bhagawan laid the foundation stone for the new campus at Muddennahalli on February 14, 2009 and Prof. Pandit was given the onerous task of taking the initiative of interaction with the Govt. of Karnataka and the MHRD, New Delhi. He was also blessed by Bhagawan to lay the foundation stone of the new infrastructural facilities at Anantapur in June 2009.
It was in his tenure in June 2009 that the former administrators of the University – Prof. A. Lakshminarasimham (1995-2009) and Prof. Nanjundaiah (1982-2009) were felicitated by Bhagawan for their outstanding services; and two of Bhagawan’s students – Dr. Naren Ramji and Sri Srinivas Srirangarajan were blessed to take up important administrative positions as the Registrar and the Controller of Examinations.
One of the landmark events in Prof. Pandit’s tenure was the high profile conference on ‘Ethics and World of Finance’. A one of its kind Conference hitherto not conducted elsewhere under the direct guidance of Bhagawan. Dr. Duvurri Subba Rao, the Governor of RBI and Dr. YV Reddy, Former Governor of RBI and a colleague of Prof. Pandit were Guests of Honour at the Inaugural Function which was presided over by Bhagawan. Prof. Pandit put in a lot of efforts to invite leading luminaries in the field including Padma Bhushan Shri KV Kamath, Chairman ICICI Bank and almost 30 other Chairmen and Managing Directors of leading banks and financial institutions. For 2 days, there were detailed discussions on how ethics and values could be incorporated in the field of business and finance. A compilation of the proceedings and discussions has been just completed by Prof. Pandit so that it ccould be released with the Divine Blessings for the benefit of the world at large.
In November 2009, a special UGC committee visited the University under the Chairmanship of Prof. Kaushik, former Indian Ambassador and member of the UGC to adjudge the performance of SSSU as a Deemed University. By Bhagawan’s Divine Grace and under the able leadership of Prof. Pandit, the University was ranked in the topmost category of Deemed Universities in the country.
After his illustrious term as the 8th Vice Chancellor of the Sri Sathya Sai University, Prof. Pandit remitted office and passed on the stewardship of the Vice Chancellor’s post to Prof. J. Shashidhara Prasad, former Vice Chancellor of Mysore University (2003-2007) on Jun 10, 2010. Prof. Shashidhara Prasad completed his post graduation and doctoral research from the University of Mysore and joined as a faculty there. Thereafter, he went to University of Oxford for a brief stint before returning to join the Dept. of Physics at Mysore University. An internationally renowned Physicist and Crystallography expert, Prof. Prasad has published over 300 papers in national and international journals. He has been a member of various International Scientific Bodies and even represented the University of Mysore at various apex national bodies. Coincidentally, his father, Prof. D. Javare Gowda, an expert in Kannada Literature, and Director of the Institute of Kannada Studies at University of Mysore was also a Vice Chancellor of Mysore University during 1969-1975 and has been conferred the Padma Shri. Prof. Gowda was a student of none other than Prof. Kasturi, Bhagawan’s biographer and a Professor of History at Mysore University. Prof. Kasturi would visit their house in those days and share the grandeur and glory of Bhagawan with them. However, Prof. Prasad’s first opportunity of Darshan came only in 1998. Thereafter in 2003, he was blessed by Bhagawan with an interview when he took over as Vice Chancellor of Mysore University. He was blessed to be a member of the Governing Body of Sri Sathya Sai University from 2005-2007 and from 2008 till date. With Bhagawan’s blessings, he took over as the 9th Vice Chancellor of the Sri Sathya Sai University on Thursday, June 10, 2010.
The Programme at the University Auditorium, Prasanthi Nilayam Campus
Bhagawan arrived at 1740 hrs., ceremonially received with Poornakhumbham and Vedic chanting along with senior functionaries of the University. Arriving onstage flanked by the outgoing and incoming Vice Chancellors followed by their consorts, Bhagawan officially lit the lamp commencing the proceedings. As Bhagawan sat onstage, bhajans continued for some more time before Bhagawan nodded for the proceedings to begin.
Both the outgoing and incoming VCs were garlanded by Dr, Naren Ramji, Registrar of the University, Sri GS Rangarajan, Controller of Examinations respectively followed by their consorts Mrs. Krishna Pandit and Mrs. Prasad by Prof. Ms. Dwaraka Rani Rao, Principal, Anantapur Campus and Dr. Ms. Indrani Chakraborthy, Principal, Sri Sathya Sai Mirpuri College of Music respectively.
The Programme began with inaugural remarks by Shri Jagadish Chandra, Doctoral Research Scholar, Dept. of Physics, Sri Sathya Sai University. Thereafter, Prof. U.S. Rao, Principal, Prasanthi Nilayam Campus gave the welcome address. The next speaker who was blessed by Bhagawan to address the gathering was Shri Shashank Shah, Doctoral Research Scholar, School of Business Management, Sri Sathya Sai University. Shri Shashank highlighted the outstanding contributions made by Prof. Pandit to the University in his brief tenure and the noteworthy achievements made by the University in his regime. He also highlighted the exalted virtues of humility and simplicity which are the hallmarks of Prof. Pandit’s personality and his extraordinary concern for all the students and faculty of the University. He concluded his talk by quoting Bhagawan who had made a grand declaration on a similar occasion in the very same auditorium on 24th February 2005, when Sri Anil Gokak took charge from Sri SV Giri as the 7th Vice Chancellor. Swami had said, “I am unable to express in words the fortune and good luck of the students of this University. I am very happy noticing the University and the wonderful things you have been through all along.In future you will find this University attaining and reaching even greater heights and in fact it will be the leader for the whole country. This University will proceed further as to reach the heights of Educare and enjoy and share with the people the profundity, the depth and the insight of the Self, the Atma, the Spirit.”
Shri Shashank’s talk was followed by a talk by Prof. Pandit who shared his lengthy association with Bhagawan and His University and how by Bhagawan’s grace, he was blessed with such a rare opportunity. He highlighted a few important occurrences during his tenure and how Bhagawan had continued to shower His grace on him all through his tenure that lasted almost two years. He hoped that he had lived up to Swami’s expectations and prayed that he continue to be blessed with an opportunity to be a part of Bhagawan’s Mission.
The next speaker was Prof. G.Venkataraman, former Vice Chancellor of Sri Sathya Sai University. In his inimitable style full of wit and humour, Prof. GV formally introduced Prof. JSP listing our his credentials, vast academic experience and achievements. He also highlighted the high standards of probity and integrity that Prof. Prasad had maintained while discharging his duty as the Vice Chancellor at the University of Mysore. He said, “Sir, you have protected Dharma by your exemplary conduct and hence Dharma has rewarded you with this rarest of blessings of becoming a Vice Chancellor at SSSU.
Thereafter Prof. Shashidhara Prasad gave a brief talk wherein he shared how he had known of Swami many decades ago from Prof. Kasturi, but got the opportunity to come close only in 2003. He expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Bhagawan on his behalf and on behalf of his family for having considered him worthy of being blessed with this opportunity. He prayed for Bhagawan’s blessings and guidance to be able to discharge his duties to His satisfaction.
Thereafter, Bhagawan blessed both the couples with clothes and sarees and put Suvarna Kankanam (golden bracelent) on the wrist of the new incumbent, Prof. Sashidhara Prasad.
The last speaker of the day was Sri SV Giri, former Vice Chancellor of Sri Sathya Sai University. Sri Giri, in his short speech, highlighted the unique role of Bhagawan’s mega projects – education, health and drinking water for the benefit of mankind. He has also highlighted the uniqueness of Bhagawan’s University and His system of education and the unique relationship that the Revered Chancellor maintains with His students.
The programme concluded with two aalaap bhajans followed by Mangala Arathi and Bhagawan left the dais at 1725 hrs. proceeding to the Mandir, not before blessing the couples with Paadanamaskar.
And while the function was concluding, Prasanthi Nilayam witnessed its first seasonal rains. It was as if the deities from the heavens were expressing their joy at yet another milestone in Bhagawan’s Divine Mission....
