Jammu, January 18 (Scoop News) – Dr. Mohan Paul Singh Ishar, Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, has been appointed as the next Vice Chancellor of the University of Jammu. It would be recalled that Prof. Varun Sahni, the present Vice Chancellor, had completed his tenure on 7th December 2011, and was, since then, awaiting the appointment of his successor.
N. N. Vohra, Governor, who is also the Chancellor of the University of Jammu, has in consultation with Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister (who is Pro-Chancellor of the University) appointed Dr. Ishar from among a panel of three persons recommended by a Search Committee chaired by Prof. G. K. Chadha, President, South Asian University, Delhi, with Prof. M. M. Salunkhe, Vice Chancellor, Central University of Rajasthan and Dr. S. S. Bloeria, Vice Chancellor, Central University, Jammu, as its members.
Dr. Ishar was born at Kathua on 4th November, 1954. His forefathers had migrated to Kathua from Mandole, Poonch, now in POK. He secured second position in the Jammu University in the B. Sc. examination and was awarded Certificate of Merit for standing first in the M. Sc. (Chemistry) examination by the Jammu University. During his M. Sc. scholarship he was the recipient of National Scholarship of Government of India and did his Ph. D. from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. He served as a Senior Scientific Officer in the Chemistry Department, IIT, Delhi (1987-90); joined as Reader and Founder Head, Department of Applied Chemistry (presently Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences) Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab in 1991. He has been serving in this University for the past over two decades.
Dr. Ishar has the distinction of being a Fellow of various reputed institutions of the country. He has remained Junior Research Fellow, Chemistry Department, IIT, Delhi (1979-81), Senior Research Fellow, IIT, Delhi (1981-83), Senior Research Fellow, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research sponsored research project “Organic Photochemistry and some applications of 1H and 13C NMR Spectroscopy”, Chemistry Department, IIT, Delhi (1983-85) and Pool Scientist (CSIR), Chemistry Department, IIT, Delhi (1986-87). He is serving as Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, since January 1999 till date.
Dr. Ishar has vast research, teaching and administrative experience. He has served as Dean, Students Welfare, Guru Nanak Dev University (December 2009 till date) and Dean, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University (July 2004 to June 2006), Director Research (April 2005 to August 2006) and, besides remained Chairman of Board of Control in Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Board of Studies in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chairman, Campus Committee of the University.
Dr. Ishar has remained associated with Professional Bodies as its Member and held varied assignments. He is a Life Member of the Indian Society for Radiation and Photochemical Sciences, Chemical Research Society of India and Indian Council of Chemists. He is also Member of The National Academy of Sciences, Allahabad and remained Member, American Chemical Society (2005). He has been a Member, Peer Review Project Awarding Committee, DRDO, besides being a Member, Editorial Board for International Journal of Current Chemistry. He is Subject Expert of the various Universities in the country. He is also Reviewer/Referee of a number of national and international Research Journals. These include Tetrahedron Letters, The Journal of Chemistry, European Journal of Organic Chemistry, International Journal of Current Chemistry, Journal of Heterocyclic Chemistry and Journal of Experimental Clinical Cancer Research. He has chaired and participated in various seminars and conferences and delivered lectures and talks and visited several Universities abroad.
Dr. Ishar has undertaken various research projects funded by different national agencies. He has 86 research publications to his credit and presented 43 research papers in the various national and international conferences and symposia. He has coauthored a book on “Synthesis of Organic Medicinal Compounds”, which was published by Narosa Publishing House, New Delhi, and Alpha Science, Oxford, London. He has supervised several M. Phil and Ph. D. research studies at the Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar.