Chandigarh, September 16, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Panjab University, Chandigarh, hosted a book launch ceremony at the Seminar Hall of the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) to release a felicitation volume honouring the academic leadership, scholarship and mentorship of Prof. Bhim S. Dahiya.
Titled Festschrift: A Tribute to the Academic Leadership and Mentorship of Prof. Bhim S. Dahiya, the volume celebrates Prof. Dahiya’s contributions as a scholar, literary critic, teacher, academic administrator and mentor.
Prof. Dahiya expressed gratitude to his colleagues, students and the editorial team for bringing the volume together. Recalling his academic journey, he emphasised the importance of critical thinking, mentorship and ethical leadership in contemporary education.
The volume’s editors, Dr. Sushma Arya and Prof. S. P. S. Dahiya, said the publication represented a collective tribute to Prof. Dahiya’s lifelong contribution to literary scholarship, academic leadership and mentoring in higher education. Dr. Prem Singh, retired Professor of Delhi University, was a key member of the organising committee.
Prof. Shelley Walia, retired Professor of English at Panjab University, attended as Chief Guest, while Dr. Abhai Maurya, former Vice-Chancellor of the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU), Hyderabad, was the Guest of Honour. Dr. R. C. Kuhad, former Vice-Chancellor of Central University, Narnaul, chaired the proceedings.
Prof. K. K. Gautam, Prof. Akshay, Prof. Pankaj Sharma and Dr. Ujjwal Sharma shared academic reflections and personal anecdotes about Prof. Dahiya. Speakers described him as a visionary educator who maintained high academic standards while encouraging and mentoring young teachers and researchers.
The ceremony was attended by former students, faculty colleagues and admirers of Prof. Dahiya, along with his family members, including his son Tribhuwan Dahiya and daughters Dr. Divya and Dr. Hema.
Prof. Dahiya has held several senior academic and administrative positions, including Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University from 1993 to 1996, Pro-Vice-Chancellor from 1992 to 1993, Chairman of its Department of English and Registrar of Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak. Since 2008, he has served as President of The Shakespeare Association (India).
A noted scholar of Ernest Hemingway, Prof. Dahiya earned his Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati, USA, where he received the Taft Fellowship. His doctoral research presented an original interpretation of the Hemingway hero and challenged established Western critical approaches.
He also entered public life and represented the Rohtak constituency as a Member of the Legislative Assembly in 1982. During his academic career, he organised numerous national and international seminars and mentored generations of scholars in English literature across Haryana and India.
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