Panjab University, Chandigarh is celebrating the 130^thyear of its existence on the 20^thof October 2012.  This year is unique in that the Partition of 1947 now lies at the hinge of our history, bisecting it at 65 years pre and post Independence.

A series of events have been organized to commemorate the occasion, beginning with the Foundation Day Lecture on ‘Interpretation of Early Indian History’ to be delivered by the eminent historian and PU alumna, Professor Romila Thapar.  

Currently Professor Emerita, Ancient Indian History, at Jawahar Lal Nehru University, Delhi, Dr. Thapar has been a visiting professor at Cornell University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the College de France in Paris. She was elected General President of the Indian History Congress in 1983 and a Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy in 1999. She also holds the distinction of being an Honorary Fellow at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, and at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Numerous universities all over the world have awarded her honorary doctorates. Professor Thapar has been invited to receive the Padma Bhushan twice in a career spanning over half a century and is also the co-winner of the prestigious Kluge Prize for the study of Humanity. 

Through her authorship of over two dozen books, edited anthologies and scores of research papers, Professor Thapar continues to be acknowledged in world fora for her focus on the evolving interplay between social forces throughout the history of human civilization. In the subcontinent, her advocacy of an all-inclusive Indian identity - one that rises above the sub-identities of religion, caste and tribe – has its own fan following.

The Lecture will be followed by a Panel Discussion on the Panjab University Vision 2020 Document at 3:00 pm. The discussion will be moderated by Prof. R.P. Bambah, eminent mathematician and former Vice Chancellor, Panjab University, following which comments would also be invited from the audience.

A one-hour Cultural Program will round off the Foundation Day celebrations.