Ranchi, July 17: Usha Martin University (UMU) has appointed noted academician and physicist Prof. Rajni Kant, FRSC, as its new Vice Chancellor, the university announced on Friday.
Prof. Rajni Kant, a distinguished professor of Physics from the University of Jammu, brings more than 37 years of teaching experience, over 42 years of research expertise, and nearly three decades of academic administration to the position.
An expert in Condensed Matter Physics and X-ray Crystallography, he has made significant contributions to scientific research, higher education, and university governance.
He obtained his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Jammu and later pursued post-doctoral research at the University of Oxford as a DST-BOYSCAST Fellow.
He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (London) and is the first academician from Jammu and Kashmir to receive the honour.
During his academic career, Prof. Rajni Kant has supervised 32 Ph.D. scholars and 51 M.Phil. students.
He has authored more than 500 research papers published in national and international journals and has successfully completed 18 nationally funded research projects. His work has earned him eight national and four international awards.
His academic collaborations and lectures have taken him to leading institutions, including the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, BARC Mumbai, IIT Madras, and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.
Prof. Rajni Kant has also held several senior administrative positions at the University of Jammu, including Dean of Research Studies, Dean of the Faculty of Science, Dean of Colleges, Controller of Examinations, Director of Distance Education, Director of the UGC Academic Staff College, and Head of the Departments of Physics and Geology.
Before joining Usha Martin University, he served as the Vice Chancellor of Rabindranath Tagore University in Bhopal.
The university said its faculty, staff, and students have welcomed the appointment and expressed confidence that his extensive academic and administrative experience would strengthen the institution’s focus on quality education, research, innovation, and academic excellence.
The university added that it expects Prof. Rajni Kant’s leadership to provide fresh direction for institutional growth while promoting greater engagement with society through teaching, research, and innovation.
