The late Prof. Rajinder Nath Dogra, who was born in 1908, had a brilliant academic career. He obtained his Bachelor’s in Engineering and Diploma from Imperial College, London, and M.Sc. in Highway Engineering from University of London. He was a distinguished civil engineer and an eminent educationist.
His career as an educationist began with his appointment as Principal of Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh. In 1961, he joined the newly established College of Engineering and Technology, Delhi. The college was raised to the status of IIT in 1963. As Founding Director of IIT Delhi, Prof. Dogra built it up as a centre of excellence in teaching and research. He retired from IIT Delhi in 1972. The same year, he was appointed Minister of Educational and Scientific Affairs in the High Commission of India in the UK.
Prior to his tenure with IIT Delhi, Prof. Dogra was closely associated with the concept, design and master plan of Chandigarh as well as with capital projects in the union territory. He was an engineer and a visualiser, planner and a designer. At Punjab PWD, he was responsible for planning of the highway system in the state.
According to Prof. M.M. Puri, a close associate and then Vice Chancellor of Punjab University, Prof. Dogra was also closely associated with the Bhakra Nangal project and he often expressed his distress over deviations and violations of the master plan of Chandigarh.
Prof. R.N. Dogra was Founder-President of Indian Society for Technical Education, Vice Chairman of Association of Commonwealth Universities, and President of the Association of Indian Universities. In recognition of his outstanding contribution, Prof. Dogra was awarded the Fellowship of Imperial College, London, in 1971, and Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science by IIT Delhi, in 1975.
Prof. Rajinder Nath Dogra died on November 27, 1999.
