Notification issued, Khalsa University gets going
GS Paul
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, August 19
Khalsa University has started its operations from the campus of the century-old Khalsa College in Amritsar. After receiving the formal notification by the Punjab Governor in that regard today, the Khalsa College Governing Council (KCGC) opened admissions to selected research-oriented courses.
Amritsar MP Capt Amarinder Singh is not happy with the move. He said it was illogical to set up a university in the neighbourhood of Guru Nanak Dev University and tinker with the heritage of Khalsa College, established by leaders of the Singh Sabha Movement in 1892.
He said the Congress would reverse the decision, if it was voted to power in 2017.
Christened as Khalsa University, Amritsar (KUA), it will run under the aegis of the Khalsa College Charitable Society (KCCS), at present headed by Satyajit Singh Majithia, a close relative of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.
Majithia, however, clarified that the iconic Khalsa College, which was granted heritage status by the UGC, would be preserved and it would continue to function as a UGC autonomous college under GND University and its structure would be preserved “as it is”. The university would undoubtedly emerge as a competitor to GND University that came into existence in 1969 on a portion of land that originally belonged to Khalsa College.
KCGC honorary secretary Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina said the KUA would emerge as a world-class university with focus on research and job-oriented programmes.
He said they would not prefer traditional courses already offered by GND University and Khalsa College itself. “We will tie-up with global universities for international educational cooperation and research. We intend to introduce Sikh history and research centre, apart from the centre for competitive examinations and faculty education programmes ahead,” he said.
The Akal Takht, the SGPC, Chief Khalsa Diwan, the DSGMC, the Sikh diaspora, including the American Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, the Punjab Naatshala and the Art Gallery have welcomed the move.
