Need for real Autonomy for Universities, Higher Education to be inclusive & accessible
and provided in mother language, need for improvement in quality of education, need for
more accountability and self analysis for teachers were the some issues that were
deliberated by Vice Chancellors of Panjab University (PU), Chandigarh, Kurukshetra
University Kurukshetra (KUK), Central University of Punjab and Interim Director,
International Centre for Human Development today in the panel discussion on the ‘Higher
Education in Punjab: Achievements and Challenges’ at PU.

    PU VC Prof Arun K Grover, KUK VC Lt. Gen. (Retd.) DDS Sandhu, Interim Director,
International Centre for Human Development Prof Peter Ronald deSouza, Punjabi
University, Patiala VC Prof. Jaspal Singh and Vice Chancellor Central University of
Punjab Prof Jai Rup Singh and former PU VC Prof RP Bambah participated in the panel
discussion on the concluding day of national Seminar on the Making of Modern Punjab:
Education, Science and Social Change in Punjab c.1850-c.2000. DSW (Women) Prof Nandita
Singh introduced the theme of panel discussion.
 

         Punjabi University, Patiala VC Prof. Jaspal Singh said that education is no longer a
luxury but a necessity which is meant for all without any distinction. But if we want to
reach at top we have to gear up our pace. But the disturbance of the state became a
hurdle to achieve specific target in education scenario. He said that ‘growth model’ is
not inclusive and needed to be made more inclusive. He emphasized to impart education in
the mother tongue. Later he quoted Radha Krishnan ji who said “Education to be complete
must be humane”. Thus he emphasized that education should be based on humane and
virtues. Education must transform one’s personality and character- he also gave
references of Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi and T.S.Eliot and Bulle Shah. He concluded his
remarks by saying that the purpose of the education is to sensitize the society and to
create a new domain.
 

    Vice Chancellor, Kurukshetra University Lt. Gen. D. D. S. Sandhu congratulated the PU
VC for the university getting top rank in the country. He said we are following western
education system blindly. The need is to facilitate them with a quality of faculity and
sound atmosphere. He addressed the teachers and stressed on the attendance system for
teachers; teachers should work for 7-8 hours a day rather than 14 hours a week. We
should construct a system which ensures complete participation by teachers, he added. He
said he had never seen any teaching or non teaching strike for academic concerns. It is
but for their personal interests only, he added.
 

    Interim Director of International Centre for Human Development Prof. Peter Ronald
deSouza said that education must strive for truth and knowledge rather than its
relevance. He gave his views on the changing idea of university. He said tagore’s ideas
were conceptualized in various university thoughts including Kothari Commission. His
presentation was based on six-dimensional dice. First, the function of university is to
produce good citizen. Second, the production of cosmopolitan mind; it is necessary to
abolish various prejudices. Third, the production of knowledge seeker, he quoted Gandhi
and Tagore to defend this dimension. As every discipline and space has its own
significance so Relevance is not always important. He recalled Radha Krishnan who
established IIAS centre in Shimla and brought a huge grant for the centre. Fourth,
universities should not be resisted by power in context of idea and authoritarianism and
he gave the references of Rohinton Mistry and A.K.Ramanujan (how their texts were banned
in various universities). At the end, he mentioned Indian minds are being enslaved by
‘new colonialism’; and we should make our education system autonomous one.
 

    While recalling the meeting between the President of India and all the Vice Chancellors
of Indian Universities, Central University of Punjab VC Prof. Jai Rup Singh said that
the country cannot have any university in the top 200 universities till we give complete
autonomy in terms of funding and power. State universities have to rely on state
governments and the VC becomes a beggar in front of state government, he further added.
Second, education system should be freed from the grip of politicians and bureaucrats.
He did not only stress on autonomy of educators but also accountability of the academic
edge. He said that he has implemented biometric systems in his university and there are
no summer or winter breaks in the Central University of Punjab. He said that
deterioration in education in not coming from top but its coming from schools.
 

    PU VC Prof. Grover said PU has a common and shared legacy with other neighbouring
universities and it goes across the borders upto Lahore. He gave the example of American
University and California University as American university has nine sister universities
which share common dreams and aspirations. He said that after the first World War,
organized research was initiated. As there was a great demand for ‘organised research’
so honors school system were started in sciences as well as humanities. The world war
brought a crisis in our social political and educational system. India was not able to
transport its raw material and became into isolation. The ‘organised research’ was
started to make use of our raw material. He said that when the world was facing trouble
regarding Y2K, and PU students Dr. Paramdeep Singh of 1968 batch played an important
role to resolve that issue.

Press Release No.743