Chandigarh: 1st February, 2024:- Punjab Engineering College (Deemed to be University), Chandigarh today paid tribute and homage to the most distinguished and celebrated alumni of the Institute - Kalpana Chawla on her 21st Death Anniversary on February 1, 2024. PEC remembers Kalpana Chawla, the first Indian-Origin Women to go to space in 2003, who graduated from the Aerospace Engineering Department of PEC in 1982. She lost her life in 2003, when Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated as it re-entered the atmosphere of earth.
Deputy Director of the Institute, Prof. Siby John; Registrar Col. (Veteran) R. M. Joshi; Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. D. R. Prajapati; Dean Faculty Affairs, Dr. Vasundhara Singh; Prof. Rakesh Kumar, Head Aerospace Engineering Department; Prof. Rajesh Kanda, Head Alumni and Corporate Relations; and Prof. Jimmy Karloopia along with all the members of faculty paid tribute to alumni Kalpana Chawla. 
Dr. Rajesh Kanda, Head Alumni & Corporate Relations, with a heavy heart, shared the academic and life journey of Dr. Kalpana Chawla. He said that Dr. Kalpana will always remain an inspiration in the fields of engineering, aerospace and dreams. 
Prof. Siby John, Deputy Director, paid his tribute to Dr. Chawla. He said, as we talk about Nari Shakti nowadays, she proved to be a Nari Shakti in reality, even before the popularity of the term. He further said that, She will always remain in our hearts. Along with this, he also paid his heartfelt tribute to centenarian PEC alumnus Late S. Bikram Singh Grewal, who passed on 31st January, 2024 (yesterday).  
Further, Prof. Rakesh Kumar, Head of the Aerospace Engineering Department, shared the life history of Dr. Chawla from 1962 to 2003. He said that earlier her name was Montu, before starting schooling, then she named herself 'Kalpana', which embodies her exceptional imaginative skills. 
Prof. S. C. Sharma, former HOD of Aerospace Engineering Department, during the time, when Dr. Kalpana Chawla was studying in PEC. He said that he still remembers the day when Dr. Kalpana entered the PEC Campus. She was a very confident student with dreams in her. She was the conscious keeper of the class. He shared the class stories of her during her graduation years at the Institute. Her red coloured cycle was the indication that Kalpana is here in the Institution. She was a black belt holder. He shared many nuances of her life which are not known to many people. With heavy hearts he said, ''Whenever I look at his photo, every memory of her flashbacks is in front of my eyes."
Lastly, everyone paid their tribute to Dr. Kalpana Chawla and S. Bikram Singh Grewal with heavy hearts.