Biography

Dr. Ashok Kumar Mittal is an Indian educationalist who is known for being the chancellor of Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab. He is also famous for being elected as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)s nominee for Rajya Sabha elections from Punjab.In 1991, he started the automobile business in which he made a dealership with Bajaj and in 1996, he added a dealership with Maruti.In an interview, Dr. Ashok revealed that he chose to make a career in academics because he wanted to change the way education was delivered in India.In another interview, Dr. Ashok said that his elder brothers had to leave their studies to focus on the sweet business set up by their father, but Dr. Ashok decided to pursue his graduation. He used to work at the shop during the day and attend college in the evening.In 2001, he opened the Lovely Institute of Management which was affiliated with some other universities. Later, he realized that an affiliated university led to many limitations in changing the way education was delivered.In the year 2005, he set up a private university, Lovely Professional University, after receiving approval from Punjab Government.In 2017, Lovely Professional University received the National Education Excellence Award 2017 for Best Private University. In an interview, Dr. Ashok talked about the motto of LPU and said, LPU was started with the motto to prepare students for the industry, unlike other traditional universities. Great importance was given to develop a human resource that was ready to be taken into the industry and also play their part in the development of society and the country. This gave way to LPUs tagline Transforming Education, Transforming India. LPU is a multi-disciplined university, making the experience of a student more rewarding than at an institution with a restricted number of subjects..LPU became the first private university that Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited in 2019. LPU also welcomed Shri Pranab Mukherjee, President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu, Vice President of India and various Presidents, Prime Ministers, Noble Laureates, and renowned celebrities. Dr. Ashok Kumar Mittal with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.On 21 March 2022, Dr. Ashoks name was announced in the list of four members who were elected for the Rajya Sabha elections from Punjab which was scheduled to be held on 31 March 2022. The other names include ex-cricketer Harbhajan Singh, IIT professor Sandeep Pathak, and Delhi MLA Raghav Chadha. Dr. Ashok Kumar Mittal with other nominees of Rajya Sabha elections from Punjab.