Chandigarh 09 December 2025:- Panjab University alumnus and former faculty member Prof DN Johar has donated a plot worth Rs 3 crore as endowment (plot amount) for the Law Department. This is one of the significant individual contributions made by Prof DN Johar to PU. The initiative, created by the contribution of a one-kanal property in Sector-123, Mohali, aims to support long-term academic activities and strengthen the academic profile of the department.
The endowment agreement was signed by PU Registrar Prof YP Verma, PU Finance and Development Officer CA Dr Vikram Nayyar and Dr Johar in the presence of PU Vice Chancellor Prof Renu Vig, Dean, Faculty of Law Prof Rajinder Kaur, Chairperson Prof Vandana Arora and Dr Johar’s family members, Mrs Adarsh ??Johar his wife, his daughter Naseem Johar, Amin Johar son and Mrs Pamela, daughter-in-law.
The plot will be managed by the university, and the proceeds from its sale will go to the Professor DN Johar Endowment Fund. 60 per cent of the annual income from the fund will be used for academic activities, while 40 per cent will be reinvested to ensure sustainability.
The fund will support three annual programmes, namely an international law moot court competition, an annual lecture, and a student award ceremony for outstanding achievement.
PU Vice Chancellor Prof Renu Vig lauded the alumni of the university, saying, “We thank them for this valuable fund, which will strengthen the academic work in the Law Department. Their initiative reflects the strong bond our alumni have with the university, and we hope that more will come forward to contribute to the development of their alma mater”, she said.
Prof Johar said that this endowment reflects their long-standing association with Panjab University and their intention to make meaningful contributions to the future generations of students and scholars in the Law Department.
Prof Johar, a renowned PU alumnus, completed his entire higher education at the university, from matriculation to PhD, and joined the Law Department as the youngest permanent faculty member after securing 501 out of 800 marks in LLM in 1970, a university record of the Lahore era.
His research has been cited by the Supreme Court of India and the High Courts, and he served in the department for 39 years before retiring as Chairperson in 2009. He later served as Vice Chancellor of Dr B R Ambedkar University, Agra and Dean, Faculty of Law, GNDU Amritsar.
Guided by his principle of “Learn, Earn and Give Back”, Prof. Johar described this endowment as part of his commitment to social and institutional responsibility. In 2019, he executed India’s first registered Advance Directive (Living Will), and in 2023 he formalized his decision to donate his body and organs to PGI to support medical education and research.