A large number of teachers and students of panjab university strong protest against the silence of Panjab Government over the Central University Status for Panjab University on Wednesday.Theindiapost Photo : Ankur VadehraCHANDIGARH: 26.3.2008:For the first time probably in the history of Panjab University teachers and students joined together and took out a procession
around the campus demanding in a single voice the central university status for Panjab University. Addressing the rally at Gandhi Bhawan Prof. Manjit
Singh, Secretary PUTA said that while P.U. is starved of funds, Punjab Government is neither ready to pay its share of the budget to P.U. nor does
it allows the Union Government to pay fully and up grade it to a central university. For how long this prestigious institute can survive on beg and
borrow strategy, Prof. Singh exhorted. The hypocrisy of the Punjab government becomes clear when it celebrates the coming of centrally funded
institutes next door in Mohali and another central university in Punjab but expresses its reservation on the full funding of P.U. by the Centre. It is
being interpreted as the dilution of the claim of Punjab Government over Chandigarh.
Sh Parminder Jaswal, President, Panjab University Students Council also addressed the joint rally at Gandhi Bhawan. He said that the only solution
to the continuous fee rise is in up grading P.U. to Central University. The flow of more liberal grants to Punjab University by the Center means cheaper
education, and accommodation in the hostels. The quality of research will improve, as every research scholar will be offered fellowship worth of Rs.3-
5 thousand per month. Miss Gagandeep Kaur, Vice President, Students Council also addressed the rally.
Addressing the gathering Prof. A.S. Ahluwalia, President PUTA, while thanking each and every one assembled in the gathering assured that if we
continue with the enthusiasm shown by the students and teachers today, the day is not far away when we will get fully funded by the Centre. He made an
earnest appeal to the students and teachers to gather at the Students Centre on 31 March, 2008 in much larger number. In the meanwhile it is decided that
a deputation of teachers will meet S. Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister Punjab on 30 March 2008 when he is coming to the campus to inaugurate World
Punjabi Conference and the following Memorandum will be submitted to him that was unanimously passed at the rally:
“Teachers and students of Panjab University are suffering on account of financial crunch going on in the University. It is a golden opportunity to
avail by agreeing to the offer of MHRD to up grade P.U. to Central University. It is a university of Punjab not by name but also by structure
as 175 colleges affiliated to the University fall in Punjab. We the teachers and students gathered here today on Wednesday, March 26, 2008, under the
banner of Panjab University Teachers Association and Panjab University Students Council, sincerely appeals you to give your consent to the letter
lying with Punjab Government since July, 2007.Let us join hands and collectively save this academic heritage from dying a unnatural death for want of funds” according to Secretary, PUTA, Dr. Manjit Singh.