Punjab Engineering College (Deemed to be University), Chandigarh, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with theBureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Chandigarh Branch Office, today aimed at fostering academic and research collaborations in the field of Standardization and Conformity Assessment.

The delegation of BIS led by Mr. HJS Pasricha (Deputy Director General - Certification & CSM), Mrs. Snehlata (Deputy Director General - North), Mr. Vishal Tomer (Director & Head, Chandigarh Branch Office, BIS) was warmly welcomed by the esteemed Director of PEC, Prof. Rajesh Kumar Bhatia, along with Prof. Rajesh Kanda (Head, Alumni, Corporate and Alumni Relations), Dr. Jimmy Karloopia (Professor-In-Charge, Alumni, Corporate and International Relations), Prof. Parveen Kalra, Prof. Neelam Rup Parkash and Ms. Saruchi (Alumni Relations Manager).

The formal signing ceremony was held at PEC, on 02nd May, 2025 in the presence of all the dignitaries. Prof. Rajesh Kanda, being a proud PEC alumnus himself formally welcomed the BIS delegation and commended the collaborative initiative, with its far-reaching impact in enriching academic & technical excellence and inspiring the entire PEC community to foster a culture of innovation, support and growth.

Mr. HJS Pasricha, a distinguished alumnus of PEC (Batch of 1987, Mechanical) outlined the key objectives of the MoU and highlighted the ongoing initiatives of BIS. The collaboration aims to facilitate PEC’s participation in BIS’s national and international standardization activities, to conduct joint R&D projects, to develop IT solutions for conformity assessments, and to promote academic inputs on standardization. Infrastructure and financial support for relevant R&D projects would be jointly planned. 
Additional initiatives include organizing seminars, workshops, and training programmes, creating teaching modules, sharing research and publications. A key highlight of the MoU is the potential establishment of a Centre of Excellence on Standardization at PEC. The MoU also opens doors for consultancy roles for PEC faculty and the use of PEC’s lab facilities for BIS conformity assessments.

Prof. Rajesh Kumar Bhatia expressed heartfelt gratitude to Sh. HJS Pasricha for this thoughtful initiative, emphasizing the importance of alumni contributions in strengthening PEC’s academic ecosystem and fostering excellence. He also emphasized PEC's commitment towards Excellence and Innovation. The signing of the MoU marks the beginning of a strategic partnership aimed at advancing quality and standardization education and research in the country.

Mrs. Snehlata, Deputy Director General (North), outlined the strategic roadmap for the collaboration and emphasized its potential to create a robust knowledge-sharing framework. Mr. Vishal Tomer proposed the formation of discipline-specific Standards Clubs at PEC to further involve students and faculty in BIS’s standardization mission.

This MoU marks a promising beginning of a strategic alliance between academia and national standards institutions, aimed at enriching education, boosting innovation, and reinforcing the culture of quality and conformity in India.