Arun Nigavekar (14 March 1942 – 23 April 2021) was an Indian

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...

and educator. He was the vice-chancellor of the

University of Pune Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), formerly the University of Poona, is a collegiate public state university located in the city of Pune, India. It was established in 1949, and is spread over a campus in the neighbourhood of Ganeshk ...

from 1998 to 2000 and the vice-chairperson and then chairperson of the University Grants Commission (UGC) from 2000 to 2005. Nigavekar helped establish the

National Assessment and Accreditation Council The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is a government organisation in India that assesses and accredits Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). It is an autonomous body funded by the University Grants Commission and headquarte ...

(NAAC) body as the Founder Director. A. P. J. Kalam, the former

President of India The president of India ( IAST: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. Droupadi Mur ...

, dubbed him as the 'Father of Quality Education in India'.

Early life

Nigavekar studied in Pune and Uppsala in Sweden where he held SIDA Fellowship.. He was awarded the Dakshina Fellowship by Rajaram College in Kolhapur.

Career

Nigavekar helped advance the use of technology and internationalization of higher education. He highlighted the concept of Quality in Higher Education. He served as Vice Chancellor of University of Pune. He has 70 research publications to his credit. He became a Professor in Materials Science in Pune University in 1977. He established the Center for Advanced Studies in Physics in Pune in 1980. He served as Director of Educational Media Research Center and established Communication Science Department in Pune University in the 1990s. He was Chairman and Vice Chairman of UGC (2000-2005). He helped formulate a strategy for higher education in the Tenth Plan of Government of India. He was a Visiting Professor in University of York in U.K. and

University of Western Ontario The University of Western Ontario (UWO), also known as Western University or Western, is a public research university in London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by residential neighbourhoods and the Thames R ...

in Canada in the 1980s. He was a founding editor of ''Physics Educational Journal''. He was a permanent member and was Vice-Chairman of Asian Physics Education Network, a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

organization. He was a member of UGC from 1993-1996 and initiated reforms such as decentralization of UGC administration. He was a founding Director of National Assessment and Accreditation Council, an autonomous body of UGC. He developed instruments and methodology for judging quality in Indian higher education, which was endorsed by International Network for Quality Assuring Agencies in Higher Education (INQUAHE). He was a member of Distance Education Council and an adviser to Commonwealth of Learning in Canada.

Recognition

He was awarded Honorary Doctorates by

Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University Tilka Majhi Bhagalpur University, formerly Bhagalpur University, is a public university in Bhagalpur, Bihar, India. It was established on 12 July 1960, having local colleges initially associated with Patna University. Its campus is around in a ...

, Nagarjuna University,

Guru Nanak Dev University The university is Entitled by University Grants Commission to offer higher studies degree courses online. Guru Nanak Dev University's campus is spread over near village of Kot Khalsa, nearly west of the Amritsar, next to Khalsa College, A ...

, Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University,

University of Calicut The University of Calicut, also known as Calicut University, is a state-run public university headquartered at Tenhipalam in Malappuram district of the state of Kerala, India. Established in 1968, it is the first university to be set up in n ...

and

Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University The Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University (PSTU) is one of the few Indian language universities in India. University It was established as "Telugu University" on 2 December 1985 through an Act of Legislation (Act No. 27 of 1985) by the State Legi ...

. He won the Phia Foundation Award, UNESCO honor, Swami Vivekanand Award, Advocate D R Nagakar Award, Shiromani Award and the Delhi Ratan Award. Nigavekar appeared in the ''Financial Chronicle'', ''Sakal'' (a Marathi newspaper), the ''

Times of India ''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest se ...

'' and ''The Hindu''. He headed the committee of experts appointed by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to review the existing structure of Civil Services (Main) examination and suggest necessary changes. Nigavekar headed a committee created by the Maharashtra State Government to formulate and implement a holistic conservation plan for historic lake Lonar.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nigavekar, Arun 1942 births 2021 deaths 20th-century Indian educational theorists 20th-century Indian physicists Savitribai Phule Pune University alumni Academic staff of Savitribai Phule Pune University People from Pune