M. Jagadesh Kumar Explained

Education:M. Sc and PhD in Electrical Engineering
Alma Mater:IIT Madras
Office:Chairman of the University Grants Commission
Term Start:4 February 2022
Predecessor1:D.P. Singh
Office2:Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University
Term Start2:28 January 2016
Term End2:3 February 2022
Successor2:Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit
Predecessor2:Sudhir Kumar Sopory

Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar is an Indian academician, electrical engineer and education administrator. He is currently serving as the chairman of University Grants Commission, since February 2022.[1] He is a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at IIT Delhi.[2] [3] Kumar also served as the VC of JNU from in January 2016 to 2022.[4] [5]

Life, education and career

Kumar was born in Mamidala village in Tipparthi mandal, Nalgonda district, Telangana. He did his Masters and PhD in Electrical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, followed by post doctoral research at University of Waterloo, Canada.[6] He works in the area of nanoscience and nanotechnology (nano-electronic devices, nanoscale devices, device design and power semiconductor devices).[7] He is currently a fellow at Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers, National Academy of Sciences, India and Indian National Academy of Engineering among others. He is Chairman of the governing body of National Council of Science Museums. He has received the "ISA-VSI TechnoMentor Award", with the award being presented by Dr. R. Chidambaram (Principal Scientific Advisor to Government of India).

He was selected as the Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University from among four others including Rameshwar Nath Koul Bamezai, Virander Singh Chauhan and Ramakrishna Ramaswamy.[8]

During his tenure as VC, he has often been in the news for many controversies happening on his watch such as the 2016 JNU sedition row, the disappearance of a student Najeeb Ahmad and the 2020 JNU attacks. Critics say that he is "implementing the agenda of the RSS", the reason why he has been made VC in the first place.[9] [10] JNU Students' Unions called for his resignation following the attacks on JNU in January 2020.

Bibliography

Co-Authored three books with research students:

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2022-02-04. JNU V-C M Jagadesh Kumar is new UGC Chairman. 2022-02-04. Hindustan Times. en.
  2. Web site: Profile Prof. M. Jagadesh Kumar. Institute of Cost Accountants of India. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200107064036/https://icmai.in/Global_Summit/Profile/M_Jagadesh_Kumar.pdf. 7 January 2020. 7 January 2020.
  3. Web site: IIT Professor Jagadeesh Kumar Takes Over As JNU Vice Chancellor. 27 January 206. NDTV. PTI. 2020-01-07.
  4. Web site: RSS Linked IIT-D Professor Set to Be Next JNU VC ?. 21 January 2016. The Citizen. https://web.archive.org/web/20200107065804/https://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/NewsDetail/index/8/6579/RSS-Linked-IIT-D-Professor-Set-to-Be-Next-JNU-VC. 7 January 2020. 2020-01-07.
  5. Web site: Professor from IIT Delhi, a Karate Expert, Chosen as JNU Vice-chancellor. The New Indian Express. 2020-01-07.
  6. Web site: Prof. M. Jagadesh Kumar. Indian Institute of Science. https://web.archive.org/web/20200107064919/http://www.cense.iisc.ac.in/icee/docs/Plenary_Speakers/Jagadesh.pdf. 7 January 2020. 7 January 2020.
  7. Web site: A detailed report on the IEEE International Conference on Circuits, Systems, Communication and Information Technology Applications (CSCITA 2014). St. Francis Institute of Technology (SFIT). 3. 7 January 2020.
  8. Web site: Professor M Jagadesh Kumar appointed JNU Vice Chancellor. CFO India. en-US. 2020-01-09.
  9. Web site: JNU VC Jagadesh Kumar and his many controversies: Now, student union wants him out. 6 January 2020. The Week. 2020-01-07. His detractors say the vice chancellor, who took charge in January 2016, is implementing the agenda of the RSS and has been brought in by the Union government specifically for this purpose. However, he has repeatedly disavowed associations with any organisation..
  10. Web site: How the RSS is infiltrating India's intellectual spaces. Bal. Hartosh Singh. 1 April 2019. The Caravan. 2020-01-09.