LUCKNOW, Jan. 15 -- Prof. JP Saini on Wednesday took over as the vice-chancellor of Lucknow University. The post had fallen vacant after Prof Alok Kumar Rai was appointed the director of Indian Institute of Management-Calcutta in July last year. Following Prof Rai's departure, Prof Manuka Khanna was, in August, entrusted with the additional charge of the V-C for a period not exceeding six months. In his brief address after assuming the office, Prof. Saini described education, research, and innovation as central to the university. He said that special emphasis would be placed on employment-oriented curriculum and interdisciplinary research. "Special attention will be given to the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020. Concrete initiatives will be taken towards expanding digital education, strengthening industry-academia collaboration and promoting academic partnerships at national and international level," said Saini. Prior to his current stint, Saini had been serving as the vice-chancellor of Madan Mohan Malaviya University of Technology, Gorakhpur, since September 2023. He has also been the V-C of Netaji Subhas University of Technology, New Delhi. An engineer by training, he completed his B.Tech (Electronics Engineering) in 1987 from KNIT Sultanpur, M.Tech. (Electrical Engineering) in 1996 from IIT Kanpur and Ph.D. in January 2001 from KNIT Sultanpur/ Dr. R.M.L Avadh University, Faizabad....