Physics teacher for 31 years, Pruthul Desai is new Gujarat University Vice-Chancellor

Dr Desai has taught physics for the past 31 years, specialising in nuclear physics, and has been principal of the 1935-founded Sarvajanik College, an autonomous institution for the past 14 years. (Source: Express Photo/ Enhanced by AI)

The principal of Surat’s Sir P T Sarvajanik Science college Dr Pruthul Desai was on Saturday appointed Vice-Chancellor (V-C) of the Ahmedabad-headquartered Gujarat University (GU), the largest campus with affiliated colleges in Gujarat.

The Gujarat government issued a notification on Saturday appointing Dr Desai for five years as the GU’s 19th vice chancellor.

The 56-year-old Dr Desai succeeds Prof Jagdish Joshi, who was appointed in-charge V-C after Prof Neerja Gupta’s tenure ended in June – three years after her appointment.

From a college of over 1,300 students, Dr Desai will now head a university with over two lakh students across 235 colleges in the state.

Dr Desai has taught physics for the past 31 years, specialising in nuclear physics, and has been principal of the 1935-founded Sarvajanik College, an autonomous institution for the past 14 years. The college is among the 35 institutions run by the 1912 -established Sarvajanik Education Society and is affiliated to the Veer Narmad South Gujarat University.

An alumnus of VNSGU, Dr Desai earned a doctorate in nuclear physics in 2010 after finishing his Master’s degree specialising in electronics in 1993.

He has researched in heavy-ion reactions, fission dynamics, and quantum physics, and was secretary of the Indian Association of Physics Teachers in 2022-24.

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Dr Desai told The Indian Express later on Saturday, “I am delighted to be honoured with such a prestigious position… as Vice Chancellor of Gujarat University. I will use my experience in the education field in Gujarat University and give my best. Presently, GU falls in the A+ category of NAAC, and I will work hard to take the university to A++ rank and also among the top 50 universities ranked by NIRF.” In 2025 Gujarat university ranked 74 in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), a notch over its previous 76th ranking.

Dr Desai is credited with getting autonomous status for Sarvajanik College in 2024.

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Kamal Saiyed is a senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, providing extensive, on-the-ground co... Read More