Chandigarh: MEA says no to hosting Lahore varsity at PU Jhankar Fest

Even as Panjab University (PU) planned to invite students from the University of the Punjab, Lahore, for the Jhankar Fest in March this year, it will not materialise, as the Union ministry of external affairs (MEA) has turned down the proposal, per PU officials.

The Jhankar Fest is organised by Panjab University Campus Students Council (PUCSC) president every year. The initiative was proposed by PUCSC president Anurag Dalal, who submitted a memorandum to vice-chancellor (V-C) Renu Vig in January. As the initiative was appreciated by the authorities, the V-C formed a committee to look into the idea before sending the invite.

Speaking about this, Dalal, who is also a member of the committee, said, “We had earlier checked with the Union ministry of external affairs (MEA) regarding permission, but in a letter, they have denied the permission. Following the cricketing divide between India and Pakistan in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, we had expected this.”

He added that it could have been the first proper interaction between the students of both the Punjab universities but it didn’t materialise. The fest will be held from March 19 to March 21, and Dalal said they were now brainstorming over what else to include in the student fest.

Vig added that they had formed a committee to see what the proper protocol is before sending the invites. “While the committee had been looking into this, the fest starts in under a month so it is unlikely that we will be able to call the students in time now,” she said.

The V-C further added that they had not closed the door on holding any interaction between the two universities and hoped that there could be collaborations between the two universities in the coming days.

The Jhankar festival is usually the biggest student fest on the campus, organised with great fanfare. Last year, the festival was delayed due to the model code of conduct imposed in the city ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.