Punjab: Technical universities’ merger in spotlight again

Rajmeet Singh

Chandigarh, July 17

The issue of proposed merger of Shaheed Bhagat Singh State University, Ferozepur, with Maharaja Ranjit Singh PTU, Bathinda, and Sardar Beant Singh State University, Gurdaspur, with IK Gujral PTU, Kapurthala, is back in spotlight.

The Department of Technical Education and Industrial Training has written to the CMO seeking directions on the recommendations of the four-member panel of experts set up to decide the fate of Shaheed Bhagat Singh State University, Ferozepur, and Sardar Beant Singh State University, Gurdaspur. These universities were set up during the tenure of the previous Congress government.

After the creation of two new universities, the issues of their financial viability and the justification for having four technical universities in a small state like Punjab have not been addressed.

The four-member committee has reportedly proposed designating the campuses of new universities as that of the already existing ones. The government has been giving an annual grant of Rs 15 crore to the new universities since 2021-2022. It has been proposed that the grant should continue, even if the merger takes place.