Welcome Address by Prof. A.K. Grover, Vice Chancellor, Panjab University on Tuesday, August 11, 2015, at Guru Tegh Bahadur Bhawan.

            Prof. S.S. Johl, Chancellor, Central University of Punjab at Bathinda and member of the P.U. Senate, Mr. Vijay Dev, Advisor to the UT Administrator and ex-officio member of the P.U. Senate, my predecessor Vice Chancellors Prof. M.M. Puri and Prof. K.N. Pathak, Founder Director of Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Mohali, Prof. N. Sathyamurthy, Director, PGIMER, Dr. Yogesh Chawla, Director, PEC University of Technology, Prof. Manoj Arora, present and past members of the P.U. Syndicate and Senate, Emeritus and Honorary Professors of P.U., Senior and distinguished former faculty members of P.U., senior scientists and faculty members from institutions comprising the Chandigarh Region Innovation and Knowledge Cluster, my teaching colleagues from campus and affiliated colleges of the University, invited alumni of P.U., senior officers of the U.T. administration, eminent citizens, new students who have chosen to enroll at the Institute of Social Science Education and Research (ISSER), their parents, students and scholars from numerous departments of the University, media persons, the administrative and supporting staff members of the University, ladies and gentlemen, I consider today’s proceedings as a rare opportunity that the destiny has bestowed upon me to welcome all of you on the occasion of the inauguration of ISSER, a new initiative planned by my colleagues from several Departments comprising the Faculty of Arts of Panjab University. This thought had been in embryo for far too long.  The exercise of review of PU by NAAC peer team in March 2015 made the colleagues from different departments work for a common cause and it hastened the nucleation of a new initiative on behalf of Social Science Departments in the form an integrated five years Honours School Programme to be commenced from the current academic year. The concept received support from all quarters instantly, the Dean University Instruction (DUI) Prof. A.K. Bhandari assumed responsibility to get it endorsed from Chairpersons’ forum first and, thereafter, got it approved from the Academic Council as a Table agenda item. The PU Syndicate accepted it whole heartedly as well. My only significant contribution has been to assign it the acronym, ISSER, to emphasize its closeness in content and concept to IISER. I learn from Prof. R.P. Bambah that idea of broad based curriculum in basic sciences, encompassing and synthesizing together different Honours Schools in Science Subjects at P.U. was first articulated during his term as Vice Chancellor, PU and Prof. Yash Pal’s tenure as Chairman, UGC. However, it did not make sufficient headway and the nation took another fifteen years before five IISERs could be commenced at Kolkata, Pune, Mohali, Bhopal and Tiruventhapuram in 2007 and 2008. In eight years time, IISERs, have made a name for themselves and their postgraduates are being sought by best of the national and international Centres of Excellence in Sciences. The Honours Schools in Natural Sciences at PU have to upgrade themselves to match upto the new competition. However, when it comes to Social Sciences, we can take a lead and create a framework for others to follow. I learn from the book titled ‘A History of University of Panjab’, authored by Prof. J.F. Bruce and published in 1933 at the conclusion of the Golden Jubilee of the University at Lahore, that a serious attempt was made to commence broad based integrated Bachelor and Master programme on behalf of Faculty of Arts in 1925 at Lahore, on the lines of what IISERs, practice in Natural Sciences today. However, it did not last long as the basic ingredients had not taken deeper roots in the core subjects at the PU Campus at Lahore. In fact the PU Campus had a very nascent existence at Lahore and it could not sustain the Honours School on behalf of Social Sciences. To drive home the point, let me read a paragraph from the J.F. Bruce’s book. I quote:

“In 1925, an important experiment was initiated in the Faculty of Arts, when a combined Honours School, embracing English, History, Philosophy and Economics was instituted. Its advantages, if successfully maintained, were and are obvious, for it would foster an education which should at once be broad and advanced, would incidentally assist the abler students in preparation for public competitive examinations more adequately than the ordinary combination of studies for a pass course. Unfortunately, it was found impossible to maintain the combined Honours School, chiefly on account of the obstacles to effective intercollegiate co-operation in teaching. The lesson of its failure has been clearly revealed: that such a scheme will only be practicable when a centralized University Department in each of the subjects has been properly organized and a harmonious modus operandi has been established between the University teachers and the most highly qualified teachers in the affiliated Colleges at Lahore. An Honours School in History was inaugurated in the Jubilee Year, 1932, and the writer can already testify to its educational value. By a different approach, that is, by separate establishment of an Honours School in Economics and in English, Philosophy and Political Science, an elastic combination of higher studies in English and any two of the other four subjects could constitute a more practicable Honours School of the broad type originally attempted and still desired” – I unquote.

            I arrived to assume charge at my present position on a three year term 80 years after the Golden Jubilee year of Panjab University in July 2012. The second three year term as VC has afforded me a chance to be part of a historic new beginning of Combined Honours School in Social Sciences today. By destiny, all essential ingredients are in place now, we have established departments on PU Campus in all the subjects, and with very experienced faculty. My immediate predecessor, Prof. R.C. Sobti, got new infrastructure created for several new research centres, which form parts of ‘The Emerging Areas in Social Sciences and Technology’. He had also commenced construction of Guru Tegh Bahadur Bhawan to house offices of all the Chaired Professors in Social Sciences and Humanities, these eminent Professors would now nurture and mentor the young students enrolling at ISSER, which would function from the premises of Guru Tegh Bahadur Bhawan.

            Fortuitously for us, the UT Administration recently constituted the State Higher Education Council (SHEC), with VC, PU as the ex-officio Chairperson of SHEC. The Advisor to the UT Administration, Mr. Vijay Dev, has very thoughtfully selected members of SHEC from amongst all the stakeholders in Chandigarh region. During the first interaction with the members of SHEC, Mr. Dev clearly enunciated the role of SHEC to attend to the requirements of PU Campus and the affiliated Colleges in UT Chandigarh via the channel of RUSA. UT Administration desires that Chandigarh city ought to be looked upon as a role model for Higher Education and Skill Development Initiatives to enable the young people to have competitive skills at the highest level. I am happy to note that Finance Secretary, UT has also accepted to be present amongst us on today’s historic occasion. This could provide him first hand assessment of efficacy, potential and requirements of the new initiative being launched. Some of these requirements could get attended to through the RUSA framework. Synergy between PU and UT administration augurs well for the new beginning of ISSER, I welcome once again the presence of Mr. Vijay Dev, IAS and Mr. Sarvjit Singh, IAS on behalf of the UT Administration at PU Campus.