No headway in meeting on affiliation of Haryana colleges with Panjab University

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 5

The second round of talks on the affiliation of Haryana colleges with Panjab University (PU) remained inconclusive today. The meeting took place under Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Banwarilal Purohit where Haryana Chief Minister (CM) Manohar Lal Khattar and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann were also present.

The next round of meeting regarding the matter will be held on July 3.

Purohit said India’s culture had been to disseminate education, and people from all over the world used to come to get education in Taxila and Nalanda universities. “That is why giving opportunities of education to children is a positive thinking. In this regard, the colleges of Haryana should be given affiliation with the PU,” he added. He said colleges in Haryana’s three districts — Panchkula, Ambala and Yamunanagar — should be given the option of affiliation with the PU.

In interest of students

For the benefit of students, colleges in the state should be given the option of affiliation with the PU. Both states will proceed in a friendly manner. Those located in Punjab’s Mohali and Ropar districts should also be given affiliation with PU. —Manohar Lal, Chief Minister

Khattar said in the interest of students, the colleges of the state should be given the option of affiliation with the PU. Both states would proceed in a friendly manner, he added.

He said along with Haryana colleges, those located in Punjab’s Mohali and Ropar districts should also be given affiliation with the PU.

“Delhi University is building its campus in Haryana. Apart from this, the campus of the IIT, Delhi, is also coming up in the state. Expanding education and affiliation of the colleges will provide many new opportunities to students of Haryana,” he said.

But Bhagwant Mann remained adamant against the proposal of Haryana.

It was mentioned that the varsity had been facing a financial crisis for years. Chandigarh used to contribute 60 per cent to the varsity’s budget and Punjab was funding the rest. In the last 10 years, the university received an average of Rs 200-300 crore per year from the Centre.

Only Rs 20-21 crore per year has come from Punjab. In the year 2020-21, Punjab released an amount of Rs 39 crore.

Overall, the university gets only 7 to 14 per cent of the budget against Punjab’s share of 40 per cent.

Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, Haryana Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal, Adviser to UT Administrator Dharam Pal, Punjab Chief Secretary Vijay Kumar Janjua, Chandigarh Home Secretary Nitin Yadav; Director, Higher Education, Haryana, Rajeev Rattan, PU Vice-Chancellor Prof Renu Vig, along with senior officials of Punjab and Chandigarh, were also present at the meeting.

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