PU VC proposes overhaul of state higher education at national workshop in Delhi

Time of India

01-05-2025

Chandigarh: A two-day national workshop on
multi-disciplinary education
and research universities (MERU) concluded in New Delhi on Thursday with a strong call for reforms in state higher education, led by
Panjab University
vice-chancellor Prof Renu Vig, who unveiled a 10-point roadmap to transform state public universities (SPUs).
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The workshop was inaugurated by Union minister of state for education Dr Sukanta Majumdar at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi.
Addressing the concluding session on 'Providing Quality Education: Accreditation and Ranking', Prof Vig unveiled a 10-point roadmap to enhance the academic and research standards of SPUs. She emphasised the need for mandatory accreditation by 2030 and advocated a shift from compliance-based evaluation to outcome-driven assessment models aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and global standards.
The workshop, held under the Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA), was attended by VCs of 64 state universities and state project directors of RUSA 2.0. Panjab University coordinated a consortium including Himachal Pradesh University, GJU, Hisar, Gondwana University, Gadchiroli, and Kannur University, under the guidance of Chandigarh's director of higher education Rubinderjit Singh Brar.
Prof Vig's plan called for academic flexibility, research infrastructure, digital libraries, innovation hubs, and stronger governance frameworks. She urged institutions to pursue international partnerships and adopt performance monitoring systems.
The session was chaired by NBA member secretary Prof Anil Kumar Nassa and NAAC director Prof Ganesan Kannabiran. Prof Nassa discussed the expansion of NBA accreditation to tier 2 institutions, while Prof Kannabiran spoke of NAAC's push for a 'Light but Tight' accreditation model and the upcoming maturity-based graded levels system.
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Senior education officials including Dr Vineet Joshi, Sunil Kumar Barnwal, Prof T G Sitharam, and Prof M Jagadesh Kumar also participated. The workshop addressed themes such as digital governance, university clustering, faculty development, and access to higher education.
Concern raised over alleged irregularities in PU law entrance exam
Chandigarh: Allegations of irregularities have surfaced in the entrance exam for Panjab University's five-year BA LLB programme, with student representatives calling for an investigation.
According to a letter submitted to the university registrar, candidates reported that the legal aptitude section contained 50 questions — more than double the 20 stated in the official prospectus. Some of these were allegedly of postgraduate-level difficulty, raising concerns about fairness.
Archit Garg, vice-president of the Panjab University Campus Students' Council (PUCSC), submitted the complaint after receiving grievances from students.
He also alleged that some coaching institutes may have had prior information about the exam pattern, potentially giving their students an undue advantage.
Garg has urged university authorities to look into the matter and ensure transparency in the examination process. He said restoring students' trust is essential for the credibility of admissions in the future.