Punjab Post Daily Online Newspaper & Print Media
Today is the Foundation Day of Guru Nanak Dev University, a day etched with tradition and history. “It is very important to know where we have come from. On this day we are reminded of how the University was formed 47 years ago and how far we have come as a Higher Education community. The University was established at Amritsar on November 24, 1969 to mark the birth quincentenary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the apostle of universal brotherhood, truthfulness, non-violence, compassion, tolerance, harmony, humanity, strict observance of moral & ethical values in daily life, who is also revered as the founder of Sikhism. It won’t be an exaggeration to state that His teachings and preachings & His own personal life are a perfect example to be emulated by the entire mankind even after about four and half a centuries. And will remain so eternally. To mark this day, every year on November 24th, scholars from different backgrounds give academic lectures on the philosophy of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji and celebrate with great dedication.
Ever since its foundation the endeavour of the university has always been to meet the objectives enshrined in the Guru Nanak Dev University Act 1969, which emphasized that the new University would make provision for imparting education and promoting research in the humanities, learned professions, sciences, especially of applied nature and technology. Studies and research on the life and teachings of Guru Nanak, in addition to working towards the promotion of Punjabi language and spreading education among educationally backward classes and communities are the other commitments. In consonance with these expectations, the university in its eventful history of 47 years has taken long strides in spreading the message of Guru Nanak Dev ji and promoting education in such fields as Science, Arts, Management, Information Technology, Industrial Technology, Environment, Planning and Architecture. To fulfill its commitment, the tuition fee charged from the students of the departments of Guru Nanak Studies and the School of Punjabi Studies has been waived.
The UGC conferred this University with status of “University with Potential for Excellence”. The National Assessment and Accreditation Counil (NAAC), Bangalore reaccredited the university 3rd cycle with CGPA of 3.51 out of 4 point scale at “A” grade, the highest in the region. Earlier, it had been accredited at A grade level and then reaccredited with CGPA of 3.50/4.00. It has emerged amongst the top ranking institutions of the country, as per the National Institutional Ranking Framework of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India (GOI). GOI in its first such ranking gave 25th rank to Guru Nanak Dev University in the country amongst all Universities & Institutes (both Govt & private). In consonance with the motto of the university as engraved on its emblem Guru’s wisdom illumines all, the university has been leaving no stone unturned to meet the aspirations and expectations of the society.
Spread over area of 583 acres towards the west of the city, Guru Nanak Dev University presents a picture of modern architecture. Traditional red brick geometrical blocks represent its regard for time-honoured values and commitment to scientific advancement. The University today boasts of 37 teaching departments at the Campus and 145 affiliated colleges and 68 Associate Institutes, many of which are located in the rural areas.
The university has always strived hard to make the benefits of Higher Education accessible to the rural masses. In consonance with this policy, a few colleges were set up in rural areas like Chungh, Mithra, Verka, Narot Jaimal Singh and Patti under the Punjab Govt./UGC scheme with the total 14 University and Constituent Colleges and four regional campuses located at Sathiala, Fattu Dhinga (Sultanpur Lodhi), Distt. Kapurthal, Jalandhar and Gurdaspur. The newly constructed Sri Guru Granth Sahib Bhawan reflects the Sikh architecture. In this Centre, research work related to the studies of Sri Guru Granth Sahib is systematically undertaken.
More than twenty thousand students, an overwhelming majority of them being women, are enrolled in various Departments at University Campuses and Constituent Colleges. On-line admission, On-line counselling, introduction of Credit Based Continuous Grading Evaluation System etc are a few hallmarks of the university. Recently, newly amended website of the University has been launched which is more Dynamic and Matches with IT Industry Standards for the convenience of the students.
All the results have been computerized and OMR (Optical Magnetic Recognition) system is being used to bring in more efficiency and transparency. It is the first University in the region to have computerized its examination and registration system. The students now have an all time access to their results through SMS service. Academically also, the university has carved a niche for itself in the field of Higher Education in the country. Our University is recognized as one of the leading institutions in North India in the domain of Science and Technology. Many coveted projects from the apex bodies like the DST, CSIR, BARC and other organizations worth crores of rupees have been awarded to our faculty members. One of the four Nodal Calibration Centres established by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre is set up at our campus. The Centre of Emerging Life Sciences equipped with the state-of-the-art scientific instruments worth crores of rupees, well-maintained Botanical Garden, Deptt of Sports Medicine & Physiotherapy are a few of the jewels in the crown of the university. Further, the UGC has granted the University the Centre with Potential for Excellence in Life Sciences and Centre for Advanced Study in Chemistry. A number of teachers from different departments have bagged prestigious projects from the apex bodies like UGC, DST, ICMR, CSIR, DBT etc. worth crores of rupees. A cashless group medical health insurance policy has been started for the employees of the University to give them facility in the medical treatment.
In the field of culture and sports also, the achievements of the university are noteworthy. The university has been national Champion for 9 times & the winner of the North-Zone-Inter-Varsity Cultural Championship for 13 times. The winning of the coveted Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy, the highest sports award for a university in the country, for a record number of 22 times, speaks volumes about its supremacy in the field of sports. An Astro Turf for hockey, a swimming pool of international standards, a velodrome, a Gymnasium hall, shooting range & many other state-of-the art sports facilities are the prized possessions of the university. The Lifelong Learning Department of the university is successfully catering to the female folk of the region to make them self-dependent by offering various skill development programmes.
The Track record of employment of our students by big business Houses and Multi-National Companies has been very satisfactory. Our students of engineering, management and commerce field are employed by companies in India and abroad. They are all contributing to the creditworthiness of the University by their hard work and diligence. In the last year alone, almost all our Engineering and Management students were recruited by various companies through campus placements. It goes without saying that all these achievements would not have been achieved, but for the heart and soul put in by the students, faculty members, and administration of the university. Undoubtedly, the university remains committed to achieve the lofty goals, for which it was founded after the name of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
