A.N. Khosla, Vice Chancellor of Roorkee University

In 1957, Shri Nathji went along with Pran Nathji to Roorkee University in order to seek admission for Pran Nathji. The university was a vast place and Shri Nathji didn’t knew where to began making enquirers.  By the time they had obtained the necessary prospectus and other information it was already dark. It had now become necessary to stay the night at Roorkee. While walking on the lanes of Roorkee University, Shri Nathji stopped a passerby and asked him were they could find lodgings for the night. The Passerby happened to be the Vice Chancellor of Roorkee University, Shri A.N. Khosla. He was so impressed by Shri Nathji’s personality that he immediately invited Shri Nathji to stay with him for the night. Once at the residence Shri Khosla was deeply touched by Shri Nathji’s words and called upon his wife and children to take His blessings. He developed a great respect for Shri Nathji.  He was a man with the pure heart and so he perceived the divinity of Shri Nathji. It was a measure of Shri Nathji’s blessings that Shri A.N. Khosla rose to great Heights. After meeting Shri Nathji he recied the Padma Vibhushan Award and become governor of Orrisa. Roorkee University also become an even greater seat of learning and become the fifth IIT institute.

Ajudhiya Nath Khosla was an eminent Indian engineer, educationist, visionary and a social activist in later part of his life. Born in Jalandhar district of Punjab, he took up his early education there. After passing the matriculation in 1908 he took his B.A. with honours from D.A.V. College, Lahore, in 1912. He then joined the Thomason College of Civil Engineering (now IIT Roorkee) in 1913 and passed out in 1916 as Civil Engineer. After graduating in 1916, he started his career with the Irrigation Branch of the Punjab Public Works Department. In few years, the Indian Service of Engineers (ISE) was established (1919) and he was allotted his first assignment (September 1917- March 1921) for surveys and investigations of Bhakra Dam Project . During this period, he spent 18 months on deputation to Mesopotamia as a commissioned officer with the Indian Expeditionary Force. While serving there (1918–1920) he developed Khosla Disc for precision leveling across rivers and wide valleys. From 1921 to 1926 he was involved in the construction of the Suleimanke Barrage.

In 1931 Khosla was deputed to the U.S. and Europe to study soil reclamation, water logging and the latest techniques in dam design. On his return he was posted to the Panjnad Head Works of Sutlej Valley Canals. Between June and September, 1936 while in charge of the Hafizabad Division, he wrote his magnum opus, The design of weirs on permeable foundation. This publication revolutionized the design of such structures in India and abroad. He was appointed the first Chairman of the newly constituted Central Waterways, Irrigation and Navigation Commission in 1945. He developed the Poona Research Station at Khadakvasla into Central Water and Power Station. He undertook planning, design and, as in Hirakud Dam, construction of major Water Resources Projects. He served as Vice-Chairman and later Chairman of the Board of Consultants of Bhakra Control Board till its commissioning in 1963. He was instrumental in bringing about a number of agreements on negotiations for --Indus Water Dispute with Pakistan. He was appointed as the first Indian Vice-Chancellor of University of Roorkee ( photo given above)  in 1954 : Sri Ajudhia Nath Khosla was appointed as Vice Chancellor.  He was invited by the then Indian Prime Minister to serve as a member of Planning Commission in 1959. He was appointed the Governor of Orissa in 1962, the first professional engineer to be given such a responsibility. He is recipient of second highest civilian honor of India - Padma Vibhushan, awarded in 1977.