Established on April 30, 1962 in the erstwhile
princely state of Patiala with the main objective of furthering the
cause of Punjabi language, art and literature, Punjabi University
has since evolved into the largest University in the state. Spread
over 600 acres of land, its 500 teachers are imparting instruction
and guidance to nearly 9,000 students in a multi-faceted,
multi-pronged and multi-faculty environment comprising 65 Teaching
and Research Departments on its Campus, five Regional Centres, six
Neighbourhood Campuses and 166 Colleges affiliated to it.
A mutually-stimulating qualitative and quantitative swing in the direction
of overall improvement marks the dynamics and mechanics of Punjabi
University. Its multi-dimensional expansion has not only been
quick-paced but steady, sustained and seamless, with each front
paving way for the other. It didn't come across any cul de sac with
unstinted support ever-forthcoming from its committed and resolute
faculty. "Unprecedented and unique landmarks", "Innovative and
grandiose concepts", "Unimaginable reforms", "Setting new landmarks
and records" could easily be attributed as some of the catchphrases
describing its unabated progress.
The University has achieved a couple of milestones during its move
towards furthering the overall development of Punjabi. Having
published a record number of over 3,000 titles in Punjabi covering a
wide range of areas and
establishing a special Punjabi Reference Library, it has taken upon
itself the responsibility of catering to the linguistic and cultural
needs of the overseas Punjabis.
The Punjabi reference Library has been created to build up a strong
collection on Punjab history, culture, language and literature. The
rich collection of over 1, 00,000 documents, of which around 58,000
have been donated by noted littérateurs and historians, add to the
proud privilege of the Punjabi University. It also contains all
Punjabi newspapers, magazines, books, diaries and rare manuscripts
pertaining to the 19th and 20thcenturies. More than 120 Punjabi
newspapers and periodicals published anywhere in the world are
available in this Library.
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Central Library
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University's main Library, on the other hand,
stocks more than 5,00,000 volumes and subscribes to more than 600
journals. It has a 400-capacity majestic Reading Hall for readers to
consult various types of source material. The other characteristics
features of these libraries constitute Online Public access
Catalogue, database of 2, 00,000 documents, internet facility,
current awareness and documentation services, indexing services of
newspapers, subject bibliographies, inter-library loan facility,
computerized bibliographic and documentation and reprographic
services. The University also has libraries at its satellite
campuses at its Mohali, Dehradun, Malerkotla, Bathinda and Talwandi
Sabo. Dr Balbir singh Sahitya Kenda, Dehradun stands out containing
valuable collection of manuscripts, rare books, tracts and memoirs.
The establishment of a Centre for Teaching of Punjabi as a Foreign
Language (CTPFL) and an Advanced Centre for Technical Development of
Punjabi Language, Literature and Culture (ACTDPLC) are the foremost
instruments aimed at reaching out to the global community. While the
CTPFL has already taught Punjabi to over 100 seekers from the USA,
Canada, Russia, China and Singapore, the ACTDPLC has chipped in with
providing a package for learning Gurmukhi/ Punjabi online, besides
creating software for inter-script transfer between Gurmukhi and
Shahmukhi. The Centre has now accomplished the unique
distinction of launching the first of its kind a search engine in
Punjabi.
The University has also started short-term linguistic and culture
immersion programmes for the overseas Punjabi Youth for fostering a
better understanding of Punjabi culture and heritage through
different means. A World Punjabi Centre is also being established on
the University Campus to provide a fillip to the multi-dimensional
nursing and flourishing of Punjabi as a whole. The University has
also created special departments to promote research in Punjabi
which include Department of Punjabi Literary Studies, Development of
Punjabi Language and Punjabi Lexicography.
Such projects of English translation of Bhai Kahan Singh Nabha
Encyclopedia of Punjabi, Punjabi translation of works of Nobel
Laureates and starting of Punjabi folk youth festival for the
revival and promotion of vanishing Punjabi folk art forms are
certain concrete steps taken by Punjabi university to provide a
fillip to the overall development of Punjabi. The University added
another feather to its cap in the direction of promotion of Punjabi
language by launching its website in Punjabi in addition to its
existing one, available at
www.punjabiuniversity.ac.in. In order to develop a
deep-rooted association with outstanding Punjabi scholars, it
bestows them with various kinds of fellowship.
The University has scaled new heights in the direction of
strengthening and spreading the religious ethos and quintessence,
particularly that of Sikhism. Earlier having established a
full-fledged Department of Guru Granth Studies and Guru Gobind Singh
Department of Religious Studies, the University has published first
of its kind, the Encyclopaedia of Sikhism in four volumes. The
Encyclopaedia, inter alia, contains complete details
about Sikh history, philosophy, theology, art and architecture,
customs, ceremonies and shrines etc. The work having undergone
several reprints testifies to the authenticity and catholicity of
its contents, its terse style, its impeccable and flawless English
idiom, has contributed a lot in fertilizing Sikh learning. The
Encyclopaedia has now been put online to widen its horizon among
religious scholars around the globe. Keeping the objective of wider
deliverance of the divine message of Guru Granth Sahib, the
University has now framed a design for the on-line teaching of Guru
Granth Sahib in a simple and interactive manner by using multimedia
tools and techniques.
Earlier, the University established a separate and specialized
Department of Gurmat Sangeet, aimed at propagation and preservation
of Gurubani through the exclusive genre of devotional music. It also
aimed at providing an academic and scholastic base to this original
and unique musical tradition in addition to creating awareness about
its transcendental quality across diverse cultures.
In addition to accelerating the pace of meeting its primary
obligation to fostering the academic, intellectual and scholastic
standards, the University has been making genuine and unstinted
efforts for the rural upliftment of society through various means.
It all started with the opening up of Yadavindra College of
Engineering at Talwandi Sabo in 2004. The University has carried out
this formidable task in its own humble way to take the higher
education to the doorsteps of ruralites and to address to the
concerns of the donors of such vast infrastructure. This has also
been done to tackle the problem of considerably low percentage of
rural students (0.4%) getting higher education as a consequence of
low quality education and utterly poor socio-economic conditions of
these ruralites. To award a clear advantage to the rural youth where
the Neighborhood Campuses have been launched, the University has
made a provision of 50% reservation for the students from the
concerned sub-division and the remaining 50% to be admitted from the
rest of the rural Punjab.
The starting of six-year integrated course in Engineering at the
Yadavindra College of Engineering at Talwandi Sabo is a pioneer step
of the University to reach the unreachable and the uncared-for. The
students enrolled for this course hail from the poorest sections of
the rural population in the most backward region of Punjab. Notably,
they do not have to pay their fee for the entire course that comes
up to Rs 45,000 per year which has been solicited from generous
donors.
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Guru Gobind Singh Bhawan |
Covering 84 acres of land and occupying 3.75 lakh
sq. ft. of covered area, the YCoE has already over 1,600 students on
its rolls for its various courses which include M.Tech, M.C.A.,
six-year B.Tech. integrated course and four-year B.Tech. with
facilities to follow these courses up to doctorate level. After
taking over the Campus, our University has already spent over Rs 25
crore for creating state-of-the art infrastructure which includes
seven computer labs, mechanical engineering workshop, up-to-date
electronic labs, 2 Mpbs radio-link internet connectivity, boys' and
girls' hostels, teachers flats, well-stocked library and playfields
and a language lab to improve the communication skills of the
rural students.
A recent survey carried out by our Department of Economics has
revealed that the combined strength of rural students in the four
Universities of Punjab, including the Punjab Agricultural
University, Ludhiana, is just four per cent. By implication, this
means that of the total Rs 165 crore budgetary allocations by the
Government for the Universities in the state, the rural students get
a share of just about Rs 7.30 crore, while the population of
ruralites is more than 66 per cent. We recognized the reality of
collapse of school education in rural Punjab and quietly filled the
gap by picking up students after tenth class. They do not have to
pay their fee of Rs 45,000 per year. This has been done to redeem
the deprived rural youth who find themselves haggard and dithered
against the pampered passions of metroites and big-town-dwellers and
leveling them up in all respects to fight it out in this world of
convergence and globalization.
Following these startling revelations, the University took up the
cudgels of addressing to the grave concerns of the rural down and
outs by opening Neighbourhood Campuses in six remote and virtually
written-off villages of Rampura Phul, Jhunir, Karandi, Sardulgarh,
Rallah, Jaito and Delha Sihan existing in the most backward districts of
Bathinda, Mansa and Sangrur. The most significant aspect of this
magnanimous venture is that the village panchayats of these areas
have donated over 300 acres of land costing more than Rs 100 crore.
We have already spent Rs 1.10 crore for the renovation, furnishing
and making the latest equipment available to the students to the
students of the Neighbourhood Campuses. Responding to the repeated
requests from village heads, the University has now planned to start
new vocational courses in these Neighborhood Campuses from the
forthcoming academic session like M.Sc. (Information Technology),MCA,
B.Sc.(Biotechnology), B.Tech.(Electronics and Communication
Engineering, and Computer Engineering) and PG Diploma in Computer
Maintenance & Networking. These Campuses have already been
conducting MBA, BCA, PGDCA and CCA courses since their inception.
The Planning Commission of India, following an objective evaluation,
sanctioned Rs 10 crore for the development of these Campuses. The
University on its part has allocated another Rs 10 crore for raising
new buildings and infrastructure to meet the newer demands of the
students and faculty vis-à-vis needs and requirements of the
evolving world liberalization, privatization and globalization.
The altruistic campaign of Punjabi University steered towards bridging the
widening gaps between rural and the urban, rich and the poor,
deprived and the privileged sections of the society is directed
towards propagation of human values in general and rural upliftment
in particular. Spearheaded by the earnest efforts of the
Vice-Chancellor, Dr Jaspal Singh, foundation stone laid of another
Regional Centre was laid by President of the Shiromani akali dal, Mr
Sukhbir Singh Badal at Jaito recently. With this, the number of such
centres has gone up to six. The existing Regional Centres of the
University include Guru Kashi Campus, Talwandi Sabo, Guru Kashi
Regional Centre, Bathinda, Nawab Sher Mohammed Khan Institute of
Advanced Studies, Malerkotla, Regional Centre for Information
Technology and Management, Mohali, and Dr Balbir Singh Sahitya
Kendra, Dehradun.
The University is thus trying to break away from the conventional
ivory tower image through its outreach programmes and is helping the
ruralites in every possible manner. The altruistic campaign of
Punjabi University steered towards bridging the widening gaps
between rural and the urban, rich and the poor, deprived and the
privileged sections of the society is directed towards propagation
of human values in general and rural upliftment in particular.
To promote technical and professional education on its main Campus,
a University College of Engineering (UCoE) was established in 2003
which now has become third best sought-after engineering institute
in the region and second in Punjab. Equipped with latest
infrastructure, the College runs courses in Computer Engineering,
Electronics and Communication Engineering and Mechanical
Engineering. Significantly, around 95 per cent of its first batch
students have been picked up for placements by various multinational
companies. Notably, the 10-storey building raised for the college is
second highest structure after Punjab Civil Secretariat in
Chandigarh. Two other eight-storeyed buildings have also been
completed to accommodate the ever-increasing number of girl
hostellers.
Some other specialized teaching departments of the University
include those of Biotechnology, Space Physics, Forensic Science,
Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Research, Physiotherapy and Sports
Sciences. To cater to the
ever-increasing needs and requirements of the media industry in the
country, the University has envisaged a plan to create a hi-tech,
state-of-the-art Media Centre for its students of Journalism and
Mass Communication to comprehensively train them for their quicker
absorption in the profession.
The Computer Centre of the University provides internet services to
all its departments through LAN. The Centre and the Department of
Computer science and Engineering alone have over 150 PCs and Severs.
Many departments
including Journalism, Physics, Psychology, Mathematics, PSMS and
Economics have their own computers labs.
All the departments are encouraged to promote quality research
culture and spirit. Most of the departments are being funded by
national and international agencies and have developed tie-ups with
industry, having undertaken several consultancy assignments.
The University's Department of Physiotherapy and Sports Sciences has
started specialized courses in Sports Physiotherapy, Cardiopulmonary
Physiotherapy and Neurological Physiotherapy. With this, the
University is destined to earn the rare distinction of becoming the
first University in the region to impart instruction in these
specializations. The Department is successfully running an Outdoor
Patient Department (OPD) in the University's Health Centre to treat
the patients and provide clinical training to the students. Guided
by the patronage of Vice-Chancellor, Dr Jaspal Singh, it now has
established an independent clinic at the local Senior Citizens
Welfare Association Centre to provide treatment to the senior
citizens suffering from different ailments.
The Health Centre of the University with qualified physicians and
paramedical staff remains active 24x7 to cater to the medical needs
of the students, teachers and the administrative staff. It has its
own AIDS awareness wing aimed at generating awareness about this
deadly ailment through various means.
The students of the Punjab School of Management Studies (PSMS) of
Punjabi University, Patiala, during the next academic session will
get the rare chance of getting a 'joint degree' from Punjabi
University and the Wilkes University of Pennsylvania. With this,
Punjabi University becomes the first University in this part of the
country to achieve this rare honour for its Business Management
students.
The Directorates of Youth Welfare and Sports of the University have
recorded phenomenal improvement in their respective areas. While the
University finished a close second in the National Youth Festival
last year, it is almost sure of winning the Overall National Sports
Championship this year having cornered overall best positions in the
men's and women's categories of events. The Theatre Repertory of our
University has created a history of sorts by staging over 165 shows
in more than 100 villages, town and cities of Punjab of its two
productions, Mitti Rudan Kare and Neon Jarh, based on the scourge of
drug abuse and female foeticide. The scripts of the two plays
address to the grave concern of the skewed male-female sex ratio and
the ever-increasing drug addiction among the rural Punjabi youth.
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Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy
for 2006-07 |
Punjabi University, Patiala,
wrote a glorious chapter in annals of history of
University sports by clinching for the first time the
most prestigious Maulana Abul Kalam Azad(MAKA) Trophy
for 2006-07. The coveted sports trophy is awarded to a
University having won maximum number of medals in the
All-India Inter-University Championships and by
registering overall best performance in the individual
and team events, held in one calendar year. Punjabi
University has claimed this honour by finishing in top
bracket for maximum number of times among over 400
Universities in the
country.
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