Panjab University to apply for HRD ministry’s world-class status

Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | ByIfrah Mufti, Chandigarh

Feb 09, 2017 07:14 PM IST

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Panjab University (PU) plans to put up an application for the world-class university status to be initiated by the union ministry of human resource and development (MHRD).

Gandhi Bhawan at Panjab University.(HT File Photo)

For this, the internal quality assurance cell (IQAC) of PU has shared a draft report on the vision of PU and some of its future plans on how to move forward to make university achieve the targets.

The ‘Vision 2020’ document of the university states, “Promoting quality education at affordable prices, tops the list. It is followed by strengthening basic and applied research, promoting quality research relevant to the society, economy, polity and administration, engaging actively in patenting its research for value addition to creativity and shaping students relevant not only to the market but also sensitive to Indian culture, human values and patriotism.”

OTHER ACTION POINTS SUGGESTED IN THE DOCUMENT

To strengthen and synergise the inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary teaching, research, extension, teaching, research, extension services, including apprenticeship and consultancy.

To develop incubation centres and research parks for commercially exploitable technologies through active participation of industry, academic and scientific community and help budding entrepreneurs and idea generators to fructify them.

To develop PU as the nodal centre for promoting cluster approach towards teaching and research by working in tandem with institutions of repute in and around Chandigarh region.

To realise the notion of a meta university to harness multi-faculty competencies of PU, in partnership with neighbouring national institutes operating as deemed universities and to equip students and other possible participants for globalised skill sets

“Also, widening and enhancing the achievements in the basic sciences where PU has already received national and international recognition shall be prioritised.”

According to the sources, the union HRD minister Prakash Javadekar and his ministry will identify 10 public and 10 private higher educational institutions to develop them as world class institutions.

The HRD ministry will identify institutions having adequate infrastructure, faculty and academic relations at international level, besides research and innovation works.

One of the members of the IQAC said yet to be identified universities will get a corpus of Rs 1,000 crore every year for five years by an international agency.

Meanwhile, keeping in view the paradigm shifts in teaching and learning pedagogies and to maintain its leadership position, PU has made ambitious plans.

To restructure and upgrade the overall academic organisation of existing teaching departments into graduate school-research institute binaries. It has been proposed to create ten graduate schools with appropriate nomenclature.

Each graduate school shall offer a gamut of courses that students may freely select matching their interests, talents, needs and demand of the global work force.