RONO HILLS, 1 Nov: Former Chancellor of Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) Pranab Kumar Barbora passed away in New Delhi on 30 October.
Barbora, a retired air marshal, was born in Shillong in December, 1950.
He was the second Chancellor of RGU from 2013 to 2018.
Barbora was commissioned as a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force in 1970. Having flown more than 3,500 hours, he was an accomplished pilot, who fought in the Vietnam War and the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
He was honoured with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and Vayu Sena Medal in recognition of his exemplary service and dedication to the Indian Air Force and national defence.
Barbora was the first well-known figure from the North East
to hold such a highly coveted position in the armed forces. He was also one of the honorary Aides-de-Camp to the President of India, who is the supreme commander of the Air Force of India.
The RGU family has expressed profound grief over the passing away of Barbora.
In a condolence meeting here on Wednesday, all the statutory officers, deans of faculties, directors, heads of departments/ institutes, faculty members, other officers and non-teaching employees of the university observed a two-minute silence as a mark of respect to the departed soul. They prayed to the almighty to give courage and strength to the bereaved family members to withstand the tragedy.
In a condolence message, incumbent Chancellor Dr. J. Suresh Babu said that he is deeply saddened by the news of the demise of the former Chancellor.
“He has distinguished service in IAF and served as Air Marshal and commanded the Eastern Air Command. For his excellent professional knowledge and single-minded devotion to duty, he was deputed to Russia as Air Attaché in 1998. He was a person of exceptional qualities and commitment and retired on superannuation in December 2010,” Dr. Babu said.
As a mark of respect and remembrance to the former Chancellor, the university remained closed for the rest of the day on Wednesday.
