Biography

Dr (Mrs) Pankaj Mittal, Secretary General of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) is the second women Secretary General of the Association in its 97 years of existence. Before joining AIU, she has been serving the higher education sector, especially university education for more than 03 decades at the apex regulator of higher education, the University Grants Commission of India.

Dr. (Mrs) Pankaj Mittal is a Fulbright Scholar and has been a topper in MSc and PhD in Agricultural Statistics from IARI, New Delhi. She has a wide-ranging experience of more than three decades in Higher Education in Policy Planning and Management of Higher Education. She is also the Chief Commissioner (Guides) of Bharat Scouts and Guides. Dr. Mittal earlier served as the first regular Vice Chancellor of Bhagat Phool Singh Mahila Vishwavidyalaya, Khanpur, the first rural women's university of North India, in 2008, at the young age of 44 years, to undertake an onerous task of developing a tiny Gurukul into an institution of repute.

Dr Mittal introduced a series of innovative practices and reforms as the Vice Chancellor of the only rural, residential, multi-faculty, women state university in the country imparting education to 7000 girls from KG to PhD level in a holistic manner. During her stint as Vice Chancellor, Dr Mittal transformed the Gurukul into a university that is now on the international map. Her contributions to Institution Building coupled with the blending of traditional and modern education were an exemplary contribution towards the promotion of rural women folk in a unique manner.

Dr Mittal has visited several countries like the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Mexico, China, South Korea, Spain, Germany, South Africa, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Mauritius, and Philippines to name a few, for academic purposes for presenting papers in international conferences and for academic exchanges on behalf of UGC, AIU and the university. Dr Mittal had led a delegation of 15 Vice Chancellors to the UK for academic collaborations.

Dr Mittal is also the recipient of the following Awards and Honours: • Fulbright Nehru Scholarship grant for Educational administrators • President of India Award in 2017 for Digital Initiatives in Higher education • Honorary Doctorate-D. Litt. (HonorisCausa) from Karnataka State Women’s University, Bijapur, Karnataka • First Padam Shri Subhashini Devi Award 2018 for contributions in Societal Development and Community Engagement from the Chief Minister of Haryana. • Qimpro Gold Standard Award for leadership in Education for the year 2018 Dr. Mittal served as a member of various High Powered Committees and Professional Bodies including “Future of Education” of NITI Aayog, Government of India, General Assembly of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), New Delhi, Finance Committee, Indian Council for Cultural Relations, New Delhi, Committee for Development of National Credit Framework – Ministry of Education, Director, Indian Public Schools Society: The Doon School, Dehradun, Steering Group of UKIERI for Scoping Study on Higher Education Leadership and Management Programme, Programme Advisory Board and HRM Network Steering Committee on Human Resource Management of Association of Common Wealth Universities, London, Pay Committee for teachers in the State of Haryana, Search Committee for selection of Vice Chancellor, Board of Governors, Kerala State Council for Higher Education, Visitor’s nominee on Board of Management of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Central University, Lucknow, Central Counseling Board, All India Engineering Entrance Examination, Rehabilitation Council of India, Indian Institute of Public Administration, Coimbatore, Programme Advisory Committee of Department of Science and Technology,Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, Haryana State Council for Higher Education, Haryana Innovation Council, Steering Committee of Planning Commission for the formulation of XII Plan for Higher Education, Sub-Committee of Planning Commission on Leadership and Institutional Governance and Member-Convenor of Sub Committee of Planning Commission on Community Engagement of Higher Education Institutions, etc. She has published several papers, articles, occasional papers, and reports on issues relating to higher education and women empowerment in national and international journals.