Punjab Govt panel to decide fate of two new technical universities

Rajmeet Singh

Chandigarh, November 25

The state government has set up a four-member committee of experts to decide the fate of two new technical universities — Shaheed Bhagat Singh State University, Ferozepur, and Sardar Beant Singh State University, Gurdaspur. The universities were set up during the tenure of the previous Congress government.

The committee, headed by Vice Chancellor of Punjabi University Prof Arvind, held its first meeting here today. Other members of the committee are Director, Technical Education, DPS Kharbanda, and Vice Chancellors of IK Gujral Punjab Technical University and Maharaja Ranjit Singh PTU, Bathinda.

While a regular Vice Chancellor of Sardar Beant Singh State University, Gurdaspur, has already been appointed, Shaheed Bhagat Singh State University, Ferozepur, is yet to get a VC. With the experts’ committee being set up, the appointment of regular VC of the Ferozepur University has been delayed.

In today meeting, the VC of the Gurdaspur university and the Registrar of the Ferozepur university were asked to give a presentation on their respective institutions.

After the creation of the two new universities, the issue of financial viability and requirement of four technical universities in a small state like Punjab has not been addressed. The government has been contemplating to merge Shaheed Bhagat Singh State University, Ferozepur, and Sardar Beant Singh State University, Gurdaspur, with Maharaja Ranjit Singh PTU and IKGPTU, respectively. But no final decision has been taken so far.