The Department of Electrical Engineering, Punjab Engineering College (Deemed to be University), Chandigarh, today organized the 8th Prof. J.K. Arora Memorial Lecture in memory of Late Prof. Dr. J.K. Arora, a distinguished faculty member, researcher, and alumnus of PEC.
The solemn occasion was graced by the esteemed family members of Prof. J.K. Arora, including Mrs. Aasha Arora (wife), Dr. Alpana Arora (elder daughter), Ms. Shruti Arora (younger daughter), and Dr. Manya (granddaughter).
The session began with Prof. Rintu Khanna reminiscing about Prof. Arora’s life and contributions. Prof. Arora graduated from PEC in 1960 with gold and silver medals, completed his post-graduation in 1967, and earned his Ph.D. from Montana State University, USA, in 1971. He served PEC with distinction until his retirement in 1996, and continued contributing to academia and research for several years thereafter. With expertise in Electrical Power Systems and Earthing Design Systems, his illustrious career spanned nearly five decades, during which he authored over 40 research papers and worked with reputed organizations such as CBIP.
Prof. Rajesh Kumar Bhatia, Director, PEC, welcomed the family members and paid tribute to Prof. Arora’s enduring legacy at PEC. He also extended a warm welcome to the guest speaker, Prof. Srinivas Raghavan, a renowned metallurgist and materials engineer, whose pioneering work lies at the intersection of materials and electronic devices. Prof. Raghavan is a founding faculty member of CeNSE, India’s largest academic fabrication and characterization facility for electronic devices, and the Principal Investigator of GEECI, India’s first GaN device production facility. He is also the founder of AGNIT Semiconductors Pvt. Ltd., the first private company in India to manufacture GaN devices. A Fellow of the National Academy of Engineering and a National Abdul Kalam Fellow, he continues to lead innovations in the field of semiconductors.
Delivering the memorial lecture on the topic “How Crystal Growth Enables Your Electronics World: If Only We Could Make Diamonds”, Prof. Raghavan emphasized the invisible yet critical role of materials in shaping the electronics that define modern life. From smartphones to LED bulbs, he highlighted how Gallium Nitride (GaN)—the second most important semiconductor after silicon—has revolutionized electronics and earned a Nobel Prize in 2014. He further explained how precision in crystal growth and control of atomic-level defects can redefine wireless communication, energy consumption, and even futuristic applications such as 2-dimensional materials and sustainable alternatives to plastic packaging.
The lecture left the audience deeply inspired, bridging the memory of a legendary academician with cutting-edge advancements in engineering research.
