A Tapestry of Transitions: GDC Kathua Bids Farewell to its principal Prof. (Dr.) Savi Behl
and Welcomes a Guiding Star, the new principal Prof. (Dr.) Manohar Lal.
In the verdant embrace of Kathua’s academic groves, where the whispers of ancient wisdom
mingle with the aspirations of tomorrow, a ceremony unfolded like a chapter from an enduring
saga. On this auspicious afternoon, the hallowed halls of Government Degree College (GDC)
Kathua bore witness to a poignant rite of passage: the gracious departure of stalwarts Prof. (Dr.)
Savi Behl, who had shouldered the mantle of principal with unyielding grace, and Prof. R.K.
Pandita, now ascending to the role of in-charge principal at GDC Veerinaag in the mist-
shrouded valleys of Kashmir. As tokens of profound respect and gratitude, these luminaries
were conferred mementoes—humble yet heartfelt emblems, etched with the college’s enduring
esteem, like laurels bestowed upon guardians of the flame.
In their stead, a new luminary stepped forth—Prof. (Dr.) Manohar Lal—his arrival heralded not
as mere appointment, but as the dawn of a renewed epoch in the college’s storied chronicle. At
the threshold of this sacred threshold, Prof. Minu Mahajan, with the gentle sovereignty of ritual,
extended bouquets blooming in vibrant homage, while the chimes of bhajan wove celestial
harmonies through the air, and the tilak’s vermilion grace anointed his brow, enthroning him in
the symphony of tradition and renewal.
Gathered beneath the canopy of shared legacies were luminaries of learning: Prof. Minu
Mahajan, the esteemed Chairman of BOPEE, whose presence evoked the quiet authority of
seasoned tides; Prof. Satinder Singh, former Nodal Principal of Jammu Division Colleges, a
bridge between eras; and the devoted cadre of GDC Kathua’s staff, their faces alight with the
quiet fire of collective endeavor.
The air hummed with reverence as Dr. Yash Paul Sharma, Staff Secretary of GDC Kathua, rose
to weave the first thread of the gathering’s tapestry. In a voice resonant with warmth, he
extended a heartfelt embrace to the assembled dignitaries, extolling their indelible imprints upon
the higher education tapestry of the realm—their labors, like rivers carving canyons, shaping
minds and futures with inexorable grace.
Echoing this sentiment, Prof. Satinder Singh unfurled a paean to the college’s venerable
heritage. He spoke of its unyielding legacy, a beacon forged in the crucibles of innovation and
toil: the mosaic of courses it offered, each a portal to uncharted realms, and the cadre of
educators whose dedication burned as steadily as Himalayan lanterns, illuminating paths for
generations untold.
Then, with the tender cadence of reminiscence, Prof. Minu Mahajan turned the pages of her
own storied tenure at the institution. She evoked the echoes of her days amidst its corridors,
where the college’s contributions to higher education had bloomed like wild alpine
flora—vibrant, resilient, and ever-reaching. Her words, laced with affection, alighted upon the
newcomer, Prof. Manohar Lal, whom she lauded for the quiet sincerity that armored his
dedication, a virtue as profound as the roots of an ancient banyan.
Prof. Rakesh Singh, the vigilant steward of the Chemistry Department, added his own verse to
the chorus. With the intimacy of old allies, he welcomed the worthy principal, stirring embers of
shared yesteryears—their paths intertwined in the alchemy of academia, where elements of
mentorship had long ago fused into enduring bonds.
At the heart of this confluence stood Prof. Manohar Lal himself, his address a river of gratitude
and resolve. “GDC Kathua,” he declared, his timbre laced with the hush of profound fortune,
“has ever been my lodestar.” Here, in these very precincts, he had once donned the epaulets of
Lieutenant Colonel in the NCC Naval Wing, a badge of valor earned amid the salt-kissed drills
of youth. And now, in the same sacred soil, his ascent to principal marked the first bloom of
promotion—a serendipity woven by fate’s own loom. He turned his gaze upon the staff, his
praise a balm: their unswerving devotion, the sinew of the college’s pulse; their labors, etched in
fond vignettes of collaborations past, where ideas had danced like fireflies in the twilight of
inquiry.
As the sun dipped toward the horizon, painting the assembly in hues of amber resolve, Dr.
Gotam Singh rose to seal the moment with a vote of thanks. His words, a gentle coda, wove
gratitude through the gathering—like silken threads binding farewells to hellos, departures to
dawns. On this auspicious occasion, the rite extended its nurturing hand to the earth, as
saplings were tenderly planted in the verdant heart of the Department of Botany—a verdant vow
of growth, mirroring the college’s own perennial renewal. In this rite, GDC Kathua did not merely
transition; it reaffirmed its essence: a living archive of minds aflame, where every handoff is but
a relay in the eternal pursuit of enlightenment.
