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Badal does a U-turn on university status

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Government has withdrawn its request for Central university status for Panjab University a week after the order was passed.

An official spokesman said, “Due to the misgivings in a section of the intelligentsia regarding the upgraded status, the State Government has decided to withdraw its request for the purpose.”

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh.

“The Chief Minister is fully committed to improvement of educational standards in the State and would continue his efforts in this direction. The Government’s proposal for having two Central universities in the State, including a world-class university at Amritsar, would be pursued with the Centre,” the spokesman added.

The turnaround by the State Government has upset academicians and the University authorities who have been seeking the upgraded status for the last one year. Panjab University Teachers’ Association president A. S. Ahluwalia said, “The university could support more fellowship, research students and have budget to provide necessary infrastructure.” Dr. Ahluwalia added that the decision should be reconsidered.

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