Varanasi, Nov 15 (IANS): The director of IIT Gandhinagar Prof Sudhir K. Jain has been appointed as new vice-chancellor of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) by President Ram Nath Kovind, who is the visitor of the university.

The BHU registrar office has confirmed the appointment of Prof Jain as the vice-chancellor for a term of three years or until he attains the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier.

BHU spokesman Rajesh Singh said Prof Jain will assume charge as 28th vice-chancellor of the university.

Following the end of the term of Prof Rakesh Bhatnagar on March 28 this year, Prof V.K. Shukla was looking after the affairs as acting vice-chancellor.

The date on which Prof Jain will be assuming charge of his office will be announced soon, he added.

Prof Jain completed his BE from University of Roorkee in 1979, and then his MS and Ph.D from California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, in 1980 and 1983, respectively.

A professor of civil engineering, he had also worked with IIT Kanpur in different capacities between 1995 and 2008, before assuming the charge of director at IIT Gandhinagar in 2009.

He conceptualised and developed the National Information Centre of Earthquake Engineering at IIT Kanpur with the objective of dissemination of information and literature and capacity building against earthquake disasters.

Prof Jain also conceived, developed, and operated the national programme on earthquake engineering education with the Union ministry of human resource development with the objective of developing earthquake engineering in colleges of engineering, architecture and polytechnics in the country.

Prof Jain is known for conceptualising and developing an Internet-based platform for exchange of ideas and debate issues connected with structural engineering.