Ajudhiya Nath Khosla

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Ajudhia Nath Khosla

|image =

|office = 7th Governor of Odisha

|1blankname = Chief Minister

|1namedata =

|term_start = 16 September 1962

|term_end = 5 August 1966

|predecessor = Yeshwant Narayan Sukthankar

|successor = Khaleell Ahommed

| term_start1 = 12 September 1966

| term_end1 = 30 January 1968

| predecessor1 = Khaleell Ahommed

| successor1 = Shaukatullah Shah Ansari

| office2 = Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
{{small|(Nominated)}}

| termstart2 = 3 April 1958

| termend2 = 2 April 1964

|birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1892|12|11}}

|birth_place = New Delhi

|nationality = Indian

|death_date = {{death date and age|1984|||1892|12|11|df=yes}}

|death_place =

|awards = Padma Bhushan {{small|(1954)}}

Padma Vibhushan {{small|(1977)}}

|alma_mater =

|religion =

|module = {{Infobox person

|embed = yes

| 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)

| occupation = engineer, educationist and social activist

| awards = {{plainlist|

}}

Ajudhia Nath Khosla (11 December 1892 – 1984) {{cite web |url= http://www.worldstatesmen.org/India_states.html |title=Indian states since 1947 |work=worldstatesmen.org |year=2012 |quote= Ajudhia Nath Khosla (b. 1892 - d. 1984) |access-date=1 June 2012}}

was an Indian engineer and politician. He was the Chairman of the Central Waterways Irrigation and Navigation Commission of India.{{cite web |url= http://www.scientistindia.com/Engineer.htm |title=Engineer |work=scientistindia.com |year=2012 |quote=As Chairman of the Central Waterways Irrigation and Navigation Commission, |access-date=1 June 2012}}

Khosla was born in Jalandhar, and worked as Vice Chancellor of the University of Roorkee from 1954 to 1959.{{cite web|url=http://www.punjabcolleges.com/30478-indiacolleges-University-of-Roorkee,-Formely:-Indian-Institute-of-Technology-(IITR)-Roorkee-(Rurki)/|title=University of Roorkee, formerly: Indian Institute of Technology (IITR), Roorkee (Rurki) | Colleges in Roorkee (Rurki) Uttarakhand (Uttaranchal)|work=punjabcolleges.com|year=2012|quote=as Vice Chancellor of the University from 1954 to 1959.|access-date=1 June 2012|archive-date=9 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120709155714/http://www.punjabcolleges.com/30478-indiacolleges-University-of-Roorkee,-Formely:-Indian-Institute-of-Technology-(IITR)-Roorkee-(Rurki)/|url-status=dead}}

He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1954 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1977.{{cite web|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |access-date=July 21, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015193758/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 October 2015 }} He was nominated as member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament in 1958, but resigned in 1959 and joined the Planning Commission.{{Cite web |url=http://rajbhavanorissa.gov.in/formergovernor.asp |title=Our Governors Raj Bhavan Orissa |access-date=19 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131013001525/http://www.rajbhavanorissa.gov.in/formergovernor.asp |archive-date=13 October 2013 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}[http://www.scientistindia.com/Engineer.htm Khosla, Ajudhia Nath (Engineer - Civil) Biography][http://orissa.gov.in/e-magazine/orissaannualreference/ORA-2004/pdf/biodata_governer_orissa.pdf Orissa Government Biography] He was the Governor of Odisha from September 1962 to August 1966 and again from September 1966 to January 1968.{{cite web|url=http://ws.ori.nic.in/ola/mlaprofile/council.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070622215709/http://ws.ori.nic.in/ola/mlaprofile/council.asp |url-status=dead |archive-date=22 June 2007 |title=Post Held of Dr. Ajudhia Nath Khosla |work=ws.ori.nic.in |year=2012 |quote=Post Held |access-date=1 June 2012 }} He was the president of Indian National Science Academy from 1961-62.{{cite web|url=http://insaindia.org/past%20council.htm |title=INSA Past Presidents |work=insaindia.org |year=2012 |quote=Dr Ajudhia Nath Khosla 1961-62 |access-date=1 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130129122910/http://insaindia.org/past%20council.htm |archive-date=29 January 2013 }}

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 a 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 the Khosla Disc for precision levelling across rivers and wide valleys. From 1921 to 1926 he was involved in the construction of the Suleimanke Barrage.{{cite web | url=http://www.scientistindia.com/Engineer.htm | title=Engineers | access-date=13 June 2012}}

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.{{cite web | url=http://www.agrawal-family.com/uor/Factoids/history.htm | title=Excerpts from "A Tribute to Roorkee Luminaries" by C.P. Gupta | publisher=IIT Roorkee | access-date=13 June 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304085355/http://www.agrawal-family.com/uor/Factoids/history.htm | archive-date=4 March 2016 | url-status=dead }} 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.

{{cquote|It not only lucidly presents the theoretical aspects of seepage flow but also provides a complete, simple and reliable method for design of weirs.{{cite news | url=http://www.hindu.com/seta/2003/06/19/stories/2003061900020200.htm | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130126021847/http://www.hindu.com/seta/2003/06/19/stories/2003061900020200.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=26 January 2013 | title=A.N. Khosla (1892–1984): Irrigation engineer, visionary | access-date=13 June 2012 | author=R. Parthasarathy | location=Chennai, India | work=The Hindu | date=19 June 2003}}}}

Contributions

=As an 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 until its commissioning in 1963.
He was instrumental in bringing about a number of agreements on negotiations for Indus Water Dispute with Pakistan.

=As an educationist=

He was appointed 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.
He was the founder of Adarsh Bal Niketan, Roorkee.

=In the Government=

He was invited by the then Indian Prime Minister to serve as a member of the Planning Commission in 1959.
He served as the Chairman of the Education Panel of the Planning Commission{{Cite news|date=2010-08-10|title=This Day That Age (August 10, 1960)|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/history-and-culture/This-Day-That-Age-August-10-1960/article16125783.ece|access-date=2021-03-07|issn=0971-751X}}
He was appointed the Governor of Orissa in 1962, the first professional engineer to be given such a responsibility.