Chandigarh: PEC pays tribute to illustrious alumni by unveiling busts

In a tribute to its illustrious alumni, Punjab Engineering College (PEC) unveiled busts of Kalpana Chawla (Electrical, 1978), Jaspal Bhatti (Electrical, 1978) and Satish Dhawan (Mechanical, 1945). The initiative was led by PEC Old Students Association (PECOSA).

UT secretary education Prerna Puri was the chief guest. Satish Kumar of PEC’s 1980 aeronautical engineering batch and Savita Bhatti, wife of late comedian Jaspal Bhatti, were the guests of honour.

With PEC facing a funding crunch, PECOSA stepped up — reaching out to alumni globally and domestically. Despite resistance from some batches who considered it a foreign idea unsuited to Chandigarh’s cultural fabric, the busts were realised at a cost of ₹2.5 lakh each, totalling nearly ₹7–8 lakh.

Manish Gupta, current president of PECOSA, shared that the initiative aimed to inspire the next generation of Kalpanas, Jaspals, and Satishs — to bring back the glory of PEC. Though the original plan was to install Kalpana Chawla’s bust at a roundabout, the UT administration had declined. All three busts have now been placed at PEC Auditorium — a heritage site where the first Punjab Vidhan Sabha was held.

The event featured a short film on the alumni, video messages from Jyotsna Dhawan, daughter of Satish Dhawan, and Kalpana Chawla’s mentor. Bhatia thanked the community, while Bhatti called it a beautiful gesture “etching the names of outstanding alumni forever”. Satish Kumar expressed heartfelt gratitude and the chief guest emphasised PEC’s role in shaping leaders, commending PECOSA’s efforts.

A total of ₹2.24 crore was raised during the function, and alumni from batches 1963, 1965, 1978 and 1993 attended the event. Over 23 students were awarded with scholarships for excellence in academics across various disciplines.

The event also featured qawwalis, a humorous skit celebrating the lives of legends and a bhangra performance by C’s bhangra team.