Punjab government derailed establishment of Khalsa University – Satyajit Majithia

Amritsar, April 21 (Punjab Post Bureau)- I am anguished that the aim of establishing Khalsa University, which was realized after decades following a persistent demand from society as well as alumni of Khalsa College, has been derailed by the Punjab government through an ordinance repealing the Khalsa University Act. Khalsa University, which was envisaged on the Oxford pattern with focus on different professional colleges, has fallen victim to a misconception that it had become a private University. This is a nomenclature used by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for all non-governmental institutions. The fact of the matter is that the same Society which owns the Khalsa College owned the University. The reasons for establishing the University have been misinterpreted for vested interests time and again. Even this time I feel interested parties got scared by the establishment of this institution and worked in league with elements in the Congress to spread a canard that the respected Sikh institution had become a private institution. The Khalsa College Society is not anyone’s private property. It is run as per a constitution which was framed in 1892 when the College came into being. Elections to the society are held every five years. It has a 101 member council out of which 28 member management committee. Its members elect who will lead them. There is no way in which a few members of any family can corner the Society or usurp even one inch of its land.  As far as need for expanding to a full-fledged University is concerned, the Society felt that youth were not getting jobs by studying traditional courses. The society realized the need to start job oriented professional courses and it was decided to open colleges of Law, Pharmacy, Nursing, Veterinary Science and a hospital. All these Colleges were established on the Oxford pattern of having strong independent colleges with a University monitoring them. The intention was to initiate international tie ups and also add syllabi as per advice of international experts and industry. The heritage Khalsa College building as well as 35 acres of land surrounding it were left untouched and these new institutions started coming up on other land owned by the Society. As far as the achievements of the Society are concerned, when I took over as President in 2004 the Society had seven institutions under it – three colleges and four schools. Today it owns 19 institutions. We have gone from having 9,000 students on our rolls to 30,000 students presently. All these institutions are in the name of the same Society which owns Khalsa College. The Khalsa College has also been taken to great heights. It has currently achieved A plus ranking from NAAC. It has contributed to girl education in a big way with 70 per cent of its students being girls. My family has been associated with Khalsa College since its inception. Prominent Sikh families of the time have also been associated with the institution. My grandfather Sunder Singh Majithia proposed the name of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh and Maharaja Yadvindra Singh as Chancellors of the College. My father Surjit Singh Majithia proposed the name of Capt Amarinder Singh as Chancellor. Education has always been a passion for my family. Besides founding two other Khalsa Colleges in Patiala which were handed over to the SGPC, the family has established three Colleges in Gorakhpur. Even an engineering college has been set up on our land in Gorakhpur. My family members are also committed to serving society in the field of education and are taking the family tradition forward. India is in dire need of educational institutions. The UGC says India needs 1200 more University by 2024. Jalandhar has four Universities presently. Amritsar and the Majiha region will also benefit immensely with the establishment of the Khalsa University. The best universities worldwide are not government owned. Our aim is also to provide the best professional courses to our students so that they get the best employment possible. This dream will live on.