With the Union government denying move to convert Panjab University (PU) into Central university Punjab Higher Education and Languages Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, on Thursday, said it’s a victory of the Bhagwant Mann led state government.
Hayer said the untiring campaign of the Chief Minister Bhagwant Government against the attempts at centralisation of the Panjab University (PU) Chandigarh met with success when the Union minister replied in the Rajya Sabha that the Union government is not going for the centralisation of univeristy.
“Panjab University is our heritage and we have right over it. The centralisation of the Panjab University would not be tolerated at any cost, ” he said.
The minister pointed out that the Mann Government had passed a resolution in the Punjab Assembly against the centralisation of the Panjab University.
“Carrying forward the campaign, the Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, Vikramjit Singh Sawhney raised the issue in the Upper House of the Parliament to which the Union minister replied that the Panjab University Chandigarh is not being centralized. Hence, it is a big win for the state government,” he said.
In a written response to a question asked by Sahney, Union Minister of State for Education Dr Subhas Sarkar stated that the ministry had taken a policy decision not to convert such universities into central universities for reasons of legacy issues, adjustment of existing staff and disaffiliation of the affiliated colleges.
Established under the Panjab University Act, 1947, PU is an inter-state body corporate, funded by both the Centre and Punjab.