CHAIRMAN,VNIT,Nagpur: Shri S. S. Sohoni
Shri S. S. Sohoni was born on 9 Aug. 1946 at Kolhapur. He was educated at The Doon School, Dehra Dun, at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi and later at the University of Economic Science, Bruno Leuschuer, Berlin.
After a brief teaching stint at St. Stephen’s College where he taught History, Shri Sohoni entered the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1970 and was allotted to the Maharashtra cadre. Shri Sohoni worked in various capacities as Asst. Collector, Sub-Div. Magistrate, Dy. Managing Director of SICOM and concurrently served on the Boards of several Industrial units. It was during his tenure in Ahmednagar District that he was awarded the Govt. of Maharashtra ‘Prashasti Patra’ for his work during the great drought of 1972-74.
Shri Sohoni has dealt with various matters relating to security, national defence and heavy industries when he was with the Govt. of India from 1976-80. He was Collector and District Magistrate of Bhandara from 1980-82 and Administrator of the then newly constituted Municipal Corporation of Thane from 1982-84.
As Secretary to the Governor of Maharashtra, Shri Sohoni was thus, also, ex-officio Secretary to the Chancellor of all Universities in Maharashtra. He was Secretary to the Vice President of India from 1987-92 and thus, also, ex-officio Secretary to the Chancellor of many Central Universities. In the period 1992-95, Shri Sohoni worked as Addl. Secretary to the President of India and dealt with matters concerning the Constitutional functions of the President and his functions as Visitor of 22 Central Universities and the IITs. As Secretary to the President of India from 1995-97, Shri Sohoni was also ex-officio head of the Visitor’s Secretariat. After working as Secretary General of the Rajya Sabha for a year, he was Advisor, National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution’ (2000-02).
Shri Sohoni has traveled widely to all parts of the country and to various countries in Asia, Africa and America. He has written three books viz. ‘Charkha and the Rose’ (which is a study of aspects of the Gandhi – Nehru relationship), ‘Badshah Khan – Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan’ and ‘Hymns to the Earth’ that has a foreword by Mother Teresa.