Now, state history, culture must in GNDU undergraduate courses

Divya Sharma

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 15

Guru Nanak Dev University has made the Punjab history, culture and basic Punjabi compulsory in the undergraduate-level courses. The decision was taken at the syndicate meeting of the GNDU on Monday.

Any student, who has not studied Punjabi in Class X can opt for either basic Punjabi or Punjab History and Culture. The university has also decided to establish Directorate of Evening Studies. It was also decided that a student, who has studied Punjabi language up to Class VIII or X, will have to go for Punjabi (compulsory).

GNDU Vice-Chancellor Prof Jaspal Singh Sandhu, Registrar Prof KS Kahlon, Prof Kamaljit Singh, Dean Academic Affairs, and others were present at the meeting to discuss various issues related to the university.

The directorate shall start with evening courses in the field of management and law for the working class, who are not able to attend regular classes because of their jobs. The classes shall be running in early hours of the day and late evening.

Besides, courses like health care management, data science and software engineering, web technology and multimedia, visual media and film making, production design management and entrepreneurship, theatre and television production and mental health counselling shall also be introduced in various affiliated colleges.

The syndicate also decided to constitute university mentors’ council to maintain the level of excellence in the coming years. The council will comprises former vice-chancellors of university, vice-chancellors of directors of institutes of national repute, chairman, vice-chairman, secretaries of statutory bodies, serving or retired academicians of repute (nominated by vice-chancellor), eminent industrialist and others.

The university will avail the honorary services of retired professors. The services of distinguished professors will be taken by the university for teaching and as advisors.

Besides, the syndicate also decided to award doctorate degrees honoris causa at the annual convocation to Raja Randhir Singh, life vice-president, Indian Olympics Association, in the faculty of sports medicine and physiotherapy, and Dr Gurtej Singh Sandhu, senior fellow and director, Micron Technology Inc.

Besides, 19 PhD degrees were also approved.