Ranchi, July 17, 2026: Usha Martin University, Ranchi, has appointed eminent academician Prof. Rajni Kant, FRSC, as its new Vice Chancellor.

Prof. Rajni Kant is a distinguished Professor of Physics from the University of Jammu with more than 37 years of teaching experience, over 42 years of research experience, and nearly three decades of university administration. A specialist in Condensed Matter Physics and X-ray Crystallography, he has made significant contributions to higher education, scientific research, and academic leadership. He earned his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Jammu and later carried out post-doctoral research at the University of Oxford as a DST-BOYSCAST Fellow. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry
(London), becoming the first academician from Jammu and Kashmir to receive this prestigious distinction.

During his academic career, Prof. Rajni Kant has supervised 32 Ph.D. and 51 M.Phil. scholars and has authored more than 500 research papers published in reputed national and international journals. He has successfully completed 18 nationally funded research projects and has received eight national and four international awards for his contributions to science and higher education. His academic engagements have taken him to leading institutions across the world, including the University of
Oxford, the University of Cambridge, BARC Mumbai, IIT Madras, and the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.

An experienced academic administrator, Prof. Rajni Kant has served in several key leadership positions at the University of Jammu, including Dean of Research Studies, Dean of the Faculty of Science, Dean of Colleges, Controller of Examinations, Director of Distance Education, Director of the UGC Academic Staff College, and Head of the Departments of Physics and Geology. Prior to joining Usha Martin University, he served as the Vice Chancellor of Rabindranath Tagore University, Bhopal.
The faculty, staff, and students of Usha Martin University have extended a warm welcome to Prof. Rajni Kant. The University is confident that his rich academic background, extensive administrative experience, and commitment to research and quality education will provide fresh direction to its academic and institutional growth. Under his leadership, the University looks forward to strengthening its focus on excellence in teaching, research, innovation, and meaningful engagement with society.