Dr. Pankaj Mittal
Secretary General, AIU
India
Dr (Mrs) Pankaj Mittal, Secretary General of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) is the second women Secretary General of the Association in its 97 years of existence. Prior to joining AIU, she has been serving the higher education sector especially university education for more than 03 decades at the apex regulator of higher education, the University Grants Commission of India. Dr. (Mrs) Pankaj Mittal is a Fulbright Scholar and has been a topper in MSc and PhD in Agricultural Statistics from IARI, New Delhi. She has a wide ranging experience of more than three decades in Higher Education in Policy Planning and Management of Higher Education. She is also Chief Commissioner (Guides) of Bharat Scouts and Guides. Dr Mittal earlier served as the first regular Vice Chancellor of Bhagat Phool Singh Mahila Vishwavidyalaya, Khanpur, the first rural women university of North India, in 2008, at a young age of 44 years , to undertake an onerous task of developing a tiny Gurukul into an institution of repute. Dr Mittal introduced a series of innovative practices and reforms as the Vice Chancellor of the only rural, residential, multi-faculty, women state university of the country imparting education to 7000 girls from KG till PhD level in a holistic manner. During her stint as Vice Chancellor, Dr Mittal transformed the Gurukul into a university which is now on the international map. Her contributions in Institution Building coupled with blending of traditional and modern education is an exemplary contribution towards promotion of rural women folk in a unique manner.