Cabinet nod likely to raise competition among institutions

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 13

With the state Cabinet granting approval for the setting up of Khalsa University and Sri Guru Ramdas University of Health Sciences, competition among educational institutions in the city is expected to increase in the days to come.

Education experts believe that both institutes must ensure delivery of world class curriculum, education and research work to distinguish themselves from private institutions available in the region. It would depend upon the kind of infrastructure, faculty and research environment offered by these universities.

On condition of anonymity, these educationists said there was already an established university, Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), in the city, while two more universities were functioning in the neighbouring Jalandhar district.

Meanwhile, the Khalsa University management today thanked the state government for granting the much-awaited approval to the university.

In a press release issued here today, its management said it would be a multi-faculty professional university which would help boost the higher education and research in the region and it would be a boon for border areas which were in need of quality education.

Extending gratitude to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, Khalsa College Governing Council (KCGC) honorary secretary Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina said Khalsa University would be a `professional and world class university’.

He reiterated the management’s stand that the main Khalsa College’s heritage building would be protected. The college would be continued under the GNDU as Khalsa University would come up away from the college.

Khalsa University, which will be managed by a democratically elected 101-member council, is at present headed by Satyajit Singh Majithia. It would focus on job-oriented courses.

The charitable body, which was established in 1890 and is already running 18 educational institutions, including the historic Khalsa College, has a vast experience in managing institutions of higher learning.

“The university will be run by an elected body, which is a non-profit making charitable society,” said Chhina said.

“As per University Grants Commission (UGC) reports, the country needs 1,700 universities by 2020 and only 777 exist today. Hence, we welcome the approval given to the Sri Guru Ram Das University of Health Sciences in the city,” Chhina said.

He added that the state needs more universities to give a fillip to higher learning. Khalsa University would focus on future requirement of students for generating human resource for enabling them for employment.

SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar and its executive committee members expressed happiness over the decision of the Cabinet to elevate Sri Guru Ram Das Medical Sciences and Research Institute to a university.

He said the institute was already carrying out a yeoman service in the field of medical education and its students were rendering service in various parts of the nation and the world.