Ajudhiya Nath Khosla

Dr. A.N. Khosla
Born	1892 Jalandhar, Punjab
Died	1984 (92 years)
Cause of death	Natural
Monuments	Khosla International House at IIT Roorkee A.N.Khosla Hall of Residence at IIT Bhubaneshwar
Nationality	Indian
Education	BA, 1912 CE, 1916, IIT Roorkee
Alma mater	IIT Roorkee (then Thomason College of Civil Engineering)
Known for	being an eminent Engineer, educationist and social activist
Awards	Padma Bhushan, 1954 Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, 1974 Padma Vibhushan, 1977

Ajudhia Nath Khosla
14th Governor of Odisha
In office 16 September 1962 – 5 August 1966
Preceded by	Yeshwant Narayan Sukthankar
Succeeded by	Khaleell Ahommed
Governor of Odisha
In office 12 September 1966 – 30 January 1968
Preceded by	Khaleell Ahommed
Succeeded by	Shaukatullah Shah Ansari
Personal details
Born	11 December 1892 New Delhi
Died	1984
Nationality	Indian
Profession	Engineer Politician
Awards	Padma Bhushan(1954)

Ajudhia Nath Khosla (11 December 1892 – 1984) ^[1] was an Indian engineer and politician. He was the Chairman of the Central Waterways Irrigation and Navigation Commission of India.^[2]

Khosla was born in New Delhi, and worked as Vice Chancellor of the University or Roorkee from 1954 to 1959.^[3] He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1954 and Padma Vibhushan in 1977.^[4] He was nominated as member of the Rajya Sabha the Upper house of Indian Parliament in 1958, but resigned in 1959 and joined the Planning Commission of India.^[5][6][7] He was the Governor of Odisha from September 1962 to August 1966 and again from September 1966 to January 1968.^[8] He was the president of Indian National Science Academy from 1961-62.^[9]

Education

Born in Jalandhar district of Punjab, he took up his early education there. After passing the matriculation in 1908 he took his BA with honours from D.A.V. College, Lahore, in 1912. He then joined the Thomason College of Civil Engineering (now IIT Roorkee) in 1913 and passed out in 1916 as Civil Engineer.

Career

After graduating in 1916, he started his career with the Irrigation Branch of the Punjab Public Works Department. In few years, the Indian Service of Engineers (ISE) was established (1919) and he was allotted his first assignment (September 1917– March 1921) for surveys and investigations of Bhakra Dam Project . During this period, he spent 18 months on deputation to Mesopotamia as a commissioned officer with the Indian Expeditionary Force. While serving there (1918–1920) he developed Khosla Disc for precision levelling across rivers and wide valleys. From 1921 to 1926 he was involved in the construction of the Suleimanke Barrage.^[10]

In 1931 Khosla was deputed to the US and Europe to study soil reclamation, water logging and the latest techniques in dam design. On his return he was posted to the Panjnad Head Works of Sutlej Valley Canals.^[11] Between June and September 1936 while in charge of the Hafizabad Division, he wrote his magnum opus, The design of weirs on permeable foundation. This publication revolutionised the design of such structures in India and abroad.

“

It not only lucidly presents the theoretical aspects of seepage flow but also provides a complete, simple and reliable method for design of weirs.[12]

”

Contributions

As engineer

• He applied his methods to the design of the Trimmu Barrage and constructed it within two years (1937–1939), against the normal period of 4–5 years.
• He served as Superintending Engineer in 1939 and Chief Engineer in 1943 and in both capacities, cherished Bhakra project.
• He was appointed the first Chairman of the newly constituted Central Waterways, Irrigation and Navigation Commission in 1945.
• He developed the Poona Research Station at Khadakvasla into Central Water and Power Station.
• He undertook planning, design and, as in Hirakud Dam, construction of major Water Resources Projects.
• He served as vice-chairman and later chairman of the board of Consultants of Bhakra Control Board till its commissioning in 1963.
• He was instrumental in bringing about a number of agreements on negotiations for Indus Water Dispute with Pakistan.

As educationist

• He was appointed as the first Indian Vice-Chancellor of Thomason College of Civil Engineering (later renamed University of Roorkee and then IIT Roorkee).
• He was the founder of two specialised engineering departments, which have made the University internationally known; the Water Resources Development Training Centre and the School of Research and Training in Earthquake Engineering.

Government

• He was invited by the then Indian Prime Minister to serve as a member of Planning Commission in 1959.
• He was appointed the Governor of Orissa in 1962, the first professional engineer to be given such a responsibility .

Recognition

• Padma Vibhushan, 1977
• Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, 1974
• Padma Bhusan, 1954
• Conferred the honorary D.Sc. degree by his alma mater.

See also

Palle Rama Rao

References

1. "Indian states since 1947". worldstatesmen.org. 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2012. Ajudhia Nath Khosla (b. 1892 - d. 1984)
2. "Engineer". scientistindia.com. 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2012. As Chairman of the Central Waterways Irrigation and Navigation Commission,
3. "University of Roorkee, Formely: Indian Institute of Technology (IITR), Roorkee (Rurki) | Colleges in Roorkee (Rurki) Uttarakhand (Uttaranchal)". punjabcolleges.com. 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2012. as Vice Chancellor of the University from 1954 to 1959.
4. "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
5. Our Governors Raj Bhavan Orissa
6. Khosla, Ajudhia Nath (Engineer - Civil) Biography
7. Orissa Government Biography
8. "Post Held of Dr. Ajudhia Nath Khosla". ws.ori.nic.in. 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2012. Post Held
9. "INSA Past Presidents". insaindia.org. 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2012. Dr Ajudhia Nath Khosla 1961-62
10. "Engineers". Retrieved 13 June 2012.
11. "Excerpts from "A Tribute to Roorkee Luminaries" by C.P. Gupta". IIT Roorkee. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
12. R. Parthasarathy (19 June 2003). "A.N. Khosla (1892–1984): Irrigation engineer, visionary". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Retrieved 13 June 2012.