Latest news with #GuruNanakDevUniversity
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Supreme Court quashes over 1000 assistant professor appointments in 2 Punjab universities
Representative image NEW DELHI: In a major setback to over 1,000 assistant professors appointed in 2021 in Panjab University and Guru Nanak Dev University, the Supreme Court on Monday quashed their recruitment, observing that it was done in violation of UGC regulations. Recruitment was done for 1,091 posts of assistant professor and 67 posts of librarian. The court said it is a settled principle that when the law prescribes a thing to be done in a particular manner, then it should be done in that manner alone. "In the present case, there are multiple deficiencies. Giving away of a rigorous criteria laid down in UGC regulations with a single, multiple-choice question based written test, and the complete elimination of the viva-voce, all establish the arbitrary nature of the exercise which cannot pass the test of reasonableness laid down under Article 14 of the Constitution," a bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and K Vinod Chandran said. "Hence, the single judge (of Punjab and Haryana HC) had rightly struck down the entire selection process, and the division bench of HC erred in interfering with that conclusion," it said. SC accepted the plea of senior advocates Raju Ramchandran and Nidhesh Gupta who alleged that the recruitment process was illegal and needed to be set aside. The court noted that the recruitment process was changed without any reason and it was decided by govt that selection would be done only on the basis of a written exam. "State is entitled to change its policy, yet a sudden change without valid reasons will always be seen with suspicion. Even in cases where there is no statutory prescription of any particular way of doing a thing, the executive must observe the long-standing practice," it said.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Chandigarh: Mandatory entrepreneurship course under PU board review
Even as the Punjab government has written to all vice-chancellors of universities in the state to start a mandatory course on entrepreneurship mindset from the 2025-26 session, Panjab University (PU) will take this up with their board of studies to see how this can be implemented. Punjab government will create a multilingual digital platform for real time monitoring and execution of the course load. (HT photo for representation) An advisory has been sent out by Punjab secretary department of higher education and languages, Anindita Mitra regarding this. A working group on higher education reforms constituted by Punjab has recommended the need for this course. The group was chaired by Karamjit Singh, V-C of Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar and the government of Punjab has accepted this recommendation. As per the committee, the universities are advised to roll out the Entrepreneurship Mindset Curriculum as a mandatory course for every undergraduate student in every semester of their degree programme. Each student must work on a business or service idea in every semester, refine and execute it, and demonstrate progress against defined semester-wise benchmarks. These benchmarks include parameters like viability, innovation and revenue generation. The universities will evaluate the students based on real-world performance. As a phased rollout strategy, it has been recommended that this be implemented for BTech, BCom, BBA and BVoc degrees for 2025-26 and for other UG courses in the next academic session. Punjab government will create a multilingual digital platform for real time monitoring and execution of the course load. As per the working group report, a semester wise breakdown on the course includes defining your niche and understanding marketing through content creation for the first semester. Other semesters will include earning from content, ads and collaboration, expanding clientele and using AI for content ideas, writing and posting. The group noted that to understand business, the students will have to actually do the business. In the first semester, they will be expected to generate a revenue of ₹10,000 which will rise upto ₹8 lakh by semester six. PU officials however noted that they will ask for clarity regarding where this money will come from and what the students will do about this. An official present for the Punjab government meeting said that former Delhi minister Manish Sisodia was also present here and had given examples of how Delhi government had tried to start this in schools, encouraging school children to start their own businesses and the innovations that the children came up with. They said that this Delhi model will now be tried on a university level in Punjab. However more clarity is needed regarding the financial aspect of this course. V-C Renu Vig said that they have received the mail and will go through it. 'It might be difficult to implement it now as it is already too late and the new session is about to start. I have asked the board of studies to see what can be done,' she added. Meanwhile, she said that PU already offers courses on entrepreneurship as electives and skill enhancement courses.
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
From food bowl to debt trap: Study flags Punjab's alarming economic decline
Chandigarh: Flagging the steady decline of Punjab's financial health over three decades —slipping from its Green Revolution-era status as India's top-performing state to a debt-ridden state-- a study has underlined that unless Punjab adopts a comprehensive, development-focused roadmap and overcomes political populism, it risks further economic marginalization. This is the key finding of a comprehensive analysis by economist Professor Ranjit Singh Ghuman of Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. The study, "Walking with the Ups and Downs of Punjab Economy", provides an extensive overview of the state's economic trajectory since its reorganisation in 1966. It revealed that despite early agricultural success, Punjab's failure to diversify its economy—combined with low investment, industrial stagnation, and fiscal mismanagement—pushed the state into a "development ICU." Punjab's economic growth remained above the national average until the mid-1990s. However, it has consistently lagged since 1992. Between 2014–15 and 2022–23, Punjab registered an average annual growth rate of just 4.62% per annum, compared to the national average of 5.67% per annum. Its ranking among major Indian states fell to 19th in agriculture and 14th in non-agriculture growth. Once the top-ranking state in per capita income, Punjab dropped to the 10th position by 2022–23 among 18 major states in the country, overtaken by Gujarat, Karnataka, Telangana, and others. Agriculture, which contributed 57.3% of Punjab's GSDP in 1970–71, now accounts for only 23.22% as of 2022–23. Employment in the sector dropped to 24.6%, and yet Punjab still lacks a formal agricultural policy. The industrial sector showed a similar decline. Between 2007 and 2014, over 18,700 industrial units shut down, with Amritsar alone accounting for 43% of the closures. The study attributes this to outdated technology, lack of financial support, and a policy bias in favour of neighbouring hill states like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, which received central incentives. Punjab's Gross Domestic Capital Formation (GDCF) as a share of GSDP consistently remained below the national average since 1994–95. In 2022–23 alone, the state recorded an investment deficiency of Rs 84,923 crore. According to the NITI Aayog's 2025 assessment, Punjab ranks last among 18 major states on the Fiscal Health Index. Its outstanding debt surged to Rs 4.17 lakh crore, amounting to 46.8% of the projected GSDP for 2025–26. Alarmingly, over 41% of the state's revenue is spent on debt servicing, and 57.5% is consumed by salaries, pensions, and subsidies, leaving negligible room for developmental spending. Unemployment — especially among youth — is rising at a worrying pace. Over 75% of Punjabi farmers do not want their children to remain in agriculture, but there are no alternative job avenues. The industrial and services sectors have not been able to match the aspirations of the state's educated youth, pushing many towards migration abroad — often through illegal means. The study found that Punjab's employment index ranking fell from 13th in 2005 to 16th in 2022 among 21 states, while youth unemployment rose to 26.33%. Prof Ghuman recommended an urgent, multi-pronged strategy for Punjab's economic revival. This includes rationalising subsidies and freebies, enhancing tax compliance and revenue mobilisation, reviving industrial and agro-processing sectors, investing in human capital through education, health, and skill-building, leveraging trade opportunities through the Wagah-Attari border, formulating a state-level agricultural policy, and promoting crop diversification. BOX Growth Rate Period | GSDP | Investment Deficiency 1994-95 to 1998-99 | 2.14 | 1.91 1999-00 to 2003-04 | 1.46 | 3.50 2004-05 to 2010-11 | 3.12 | 6.89 2011-12 to 2022-23 | 2.14 | 0.76 1994-95 to 2022-23 | 4.57 | 7.94 (In %) MSID:: 122341125 413 |
Hindustan Times
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Big fish in drug trade jailed, will pay for their sins: Punjab CM Mann
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday said exemplary punishment will be ensured for those who had ruined the lives of youth by selling drugs. Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann being welcomed by Guru Nanak Dev University vice-chancellor Dr Karamjeet Singh in Amritsar on Saturday. (HT) Addressing a gathering at Guru Nanak Dev University after dedicating roads and libraries worth around ₹350 crore to residents of the holy city, the chief minister remarked the 'jarnails' who had patronised drug trade had been put behind the bars and will pay the price for their sins. He said no one had previously dared to arrest these affluent leaders, but now his government had done so, adding that exemplary punishment will be ensured so that 'no one ever dared to commit this sin again'. The chief minister reiterated that the state government will not remain a silent spectator while smugglers flourished at the cost of victims. On the occasion, he also announced the launch of a massive road network project, covering 19,000 km of link roads, with a total cost of ₹3,500 crore. He criticised the Union government for withholding ₹6,000 crore of the state's share in the Rural Development Fund (RDF), asserting that if released, every road in the state could be built. Despite this, he said the state was optimally utilising available funds to improve infrastructure. Speaking on irrigation, the chief minister said when he assumed office, only 21% of canal water was used for agriculture, whereas today it had increased to 75%, ensuring water supply even to tail-end farmers and conserving groundwater. Bowing his head at the sacred land, Mann said projects worth ₹346.57 crore were being dedicated to the residents of Amritsar. He said ₹56.36 crore had been spent on construction of new roads, ₹287.01 crore on upgrading road infrastructure and ₹3.20 crore on construction of six new libraries. He said in Amritsar district, the Punjab Mandi Board and public works department had inaugurated new surfaced roads at a cost of ₹56.36 crore, and upgraded roads at ₹287.01 crore. Likewise, six libraries were being inaugurated across various assembly constituencies of Amritsar. Mann said in the Amritsar West assembly constituency, two existing libraries, Chehrata library and Old DC office library, had been renovated at a cost of ₹32.58 lakh and ₹31.41 lakh, respectively.
Hindustan Times
27-06-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Guru Nanak Dev University signs MoU with Uzbekistan varsity
Jun 27, 2025 08:44 AM IST Guru Nanak Dev University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Samarkand State University named after Sharof Rashidov, Uzbekistan, marking a significant step toward strengthening international academic and research collaboration, Vice-Chancellor Prof Karamjeet Singh said on Thursday. The MoU outlines a multi-faceted framework for cooperation in the fields of education, research, training, and student exchange. The partnership aims to foster global learning experiences and cross-cultural understanding through joint initiatives and mobility programs, he added. Guru Nanak Dev University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Samarkand State University named after Sharof Rashidov, Uzbekistan, marking a significant step toward strengthening international academic and research collaboration, Vice-Chancellor Prof Karamjeet Singh said on Thursday. (Getty Images/iStockphoto/ Representational image) Other short story Cochlear implant symposium held at SGRD varsity AMRITSAR Over 300 expert medical professionals from across India and abroad convened at the Cochlear Implant Symposium which was concluded on Thursday at SGPC-managed Sri Guru Ram Das University of Health Sciences, specifically to share their invaluable experiences with this cutting-edge technology. Prof Khassan Diab, deputy director for international affairs, curator of the scientific & clinical department of ear and skull base pathologies of NMRC of Otorhinolaryngology of FMBA (Russia), made a notable appearance at the conference.
