Face2News/Chandigarh
A One-Day Conference of all Vice-Chancellors of Universities in Punjab and Principals of colleges situated in the border areas of the State was organised today at Lok Bhavan, Punjab, Chandigarh. The Conference was presided over by the Governor of Punjab and Administrator, Chandigarh, Shri Gulab Chand Kataria.
Addressing the Conference, the Governor of Punjab emphasized the critical role of higher education institutions in border areas in nation-building and social development. He laid special emphasis on promoting girls’ education in border areas, stating that empowering girls through quality education is essential for social progress and long-term regional stability. The Governor underlined the need for focused policy interventions, enhanced academic support, improved infrastructure and stronger collaboration among universities, colleges and regulatory bodies to ensure equitable access to quality education in these strategically important regions.
The Governor further urged universities to adopt colleges located in border areas and mentor them, with a focus on academic upgradation, faculty development, digital learning and exposure to contemporary courses. He also encouraged universities to explore opening their campuses or extension centres in border districts to bring updated and quality higher education closer to students in these areas.
The Conference witnessed in-depth deliberations on the key issues and challenges faced by higher educational institutions located in the border districts of Punjab. Discussions focused on evolving effective strategies to strengthen academic infrastructure, enhance faculty capacity, promote research and innovation, and improve student support mechanisms in these sensitive regions.
The programme commenced with an Introduction and Context Setting by Professor Jaspal Sandhu, Vice-Chancellor, Lovely Professional University (LPU), Jalandhar.
An address on the problems and possible solutions for colleges in the border districts of Punjab was delivered by Professor Ashwani Bhalla, Former Deputy Director, Higher Education, Punjab. He highlighted academic, infrastructural and accreditation-related challenges, along with practical and actionable remedial measures.
Dr. Sunita Siwach, Joint Secretary, University Grants Commission (UGC), addressed the gathering on various UGC scholarship schemes, highlighting financial assistance and opportunities available for students and institutions in the border areas.
Presentations on the New Education Policy (NEP) and academic outreach initiatives, including visits of Vice-Chancellors, were made by the following institutions: IIT Ropar, PEC University of Technology, Chandigarh, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), Faridkot, Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology, Patiala, Rayat Bahara University, Mohali.
Dr. Akhilesh Gupta, Adviser and Distinguished Visiting Professor, IIT Roorkee, delivered a special address on “From Basic Research to Market Deployment: The Changing Priorities of India’s STI Ecosystem” and “The Art of Writing and Winning Research Proposals”, emphasizing the need to strengthen research culture and innovation-driven growth in higher education institutions.
A dedicated session on NAAC-related issues was also addressed by Professor Ashwani Bhalla, focusing on accreditation challenges and quality enhancement measures for institutions in the border districts.
The Conference served as a significant platform for policy dialogue, inter-institutional collaboration and formulation of actionable strategies aimed at improving access to inclusive, equitable and quality higher education in Punjab’s border regions.