Who is Rajeev Ahuja, the ‘pookie’ IIT Ropar Professor everyone is talking about?

One of the most wholesome things that you might spot on the internet today is a viral IIT Ropar professor. In most photographs and video clips, he is seen sporting a sunglass while presenting the degree to a student. But it’s the heartwarming moment behind the scene that makes it one of the most positive things to be noted about the moment.

Here’s what you need to know about Rajeev Ahuja

Professor Rajeev Ahuja was presenting the students with their degree at IIT Ropar Convocation. In the clip which went viral, a student named Kartik is seen walking up to him to accept his degree. As is a mandate, after receiving the degree, it’s the photograph time. The student politely asks Professor Ahuja if he can put on his sunglasses for the moment, to which he meets with a positive reply. Kartik next goes on to move a step ahead and asks Professor Ahuja if he would like to wear one too. What the Professor did next won everybody’s heart. With a warm “laao (bring)” he puts on the sunglass and gets the photo clicked wearing it. This gesture of Professor Ahuja made him a viral sensation overnight.

Professor Rajeev Ahuja is the Director of IIT Ropar. He is a teacher of Computational Materials Science and is noted as one of the top researchers with citations across India and Sweden. He is known widely for his over 40,000 citations and more than a 1,000 publications on the subject of his research. Prior to teaching in IIT Ropar he was also a professor for more than three decades in the Uppsala University in Sweden.

What clicked with the students and the netizens was the warmth emitted from Professor Ahuja. He need not have worn a sunglass but he kept his students wish and participated happily in it. Moreover, this just throws light on the student–teacher bond which has been running through centuries. Although time or format has changed but what remains constant is the respect they have for each other. While Kartik respected the occasion and the boundaries by asking for permission to wear the sunglass, Professor Ahuja respected his student’s last wish and had some fun. The relationship between the two earned him widespread recognition and appreciation.

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