Chandigarh: Haryana and Punjab, which are already caught in a tussle over the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal and sharing of Ravi-Beas waters, are now locking horns over another issue the states have failed to resolve for years: Panjab University.
Haryana, which was carved out of Punjab in 1966, had a share in the iconic Chandigarh-based university until 1976, when the then chief minister of Haryana, Bansi Lal, pulled out.
Since 2018, the state has been trying to reclaim its stake in the institution — seeking affiliation for Haryana colleges — but Punjab has dug its heels in.
In the current iteration of the row, Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit Thursday chaired a meeting between Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar of the BJP and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann of the AAP over the former’s demand.
In a press note, Haryana claimed after the meeting that positive steps had been taken towards restoration of the state’s rights over Panjab University.
However, Punjab dismissed Haryana’s claim over the university through a press note of its own, and said Panjab University is the heritage of the state and any sort of change in it will not be tolerated.
With both states toughening their stance, the governor has fixed another meeting on 5 June to take a final decision.
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An iconic institution
Panjab University is a state university funded by both the Punjab government as well as the Centre. It counts among its alumni several prominent personalities, including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the late former Union foreign minister Sushma Swaraj.
Others in the list include former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, actor and MP Kirron Kher, Haryana minister Anil Vij, industrialist Sunil Mittal, former IPS officer Kiran Bedi, and the late humourist Jaspal Bhatti.
According to the university website, the university has been accredited with 3.35 CGPA on a four-point scale, with Grade ‘A’, by the Union government’s National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) for higher education institutions.
It consists of 188 affiliated colleges, and the university is ranked 25 and 41 under the ‘university’ and ‘overall’ categories, respectively, of the National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2022.
Known as the University of Punjab earlier, Panjab University was established in 1882 in Lahore, now in Pakistan.
After the Partition, the university was first set up with an administrative office at Solan, and teaching departments at Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Amritsar and Delhi.
It was relocated to Chandigarh in 1956. The current campus is spread over an area of 550 acres in Sector 14 and 25 of the city, which serves as the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana.
The university initially had regional centres at Rohtak, Jalandhar and Shimla. After the reorganisation in 1966, when Punjab was trifurcated into Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, the former two were also given rights over the university.
However, Haryana unilaterally removed its colleges from the ambit of Panjab University in 1975-76, and stopped aiding it. Currently, only colleges in Punjab and Chandigarh fall under the ambit of the university.
In 2018, seeking to restore Haryana’s claim, Manohar Lal Khattar wrote to the Union home minister.
Through the letter, Haryana offered a grant to the university, and in return sought affiliation of colleges in some districts.
The move was, however, opposed by the then Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh, who said Haryana won’t be allowed to “meddle with Panjab University.
On 10 August 2022, the Haryana assembly passed a unanimous resolution recommending that the government seek a share in the Panjab University.
Haryana’s demand is based on an initiative taken by Panchkula MLA (now assembly speaker) Gian Chand Gupta, an alum of the institution.
Contacted by ThePrint Thursday, Gupta said his “years-long efforts seem to have fructified now”.
The Punjab governor’s opinion in this matter is very clear, that there was nothing wrong in Haryana’s claim to affiliate its colleges with Panjab University, he added.
“I met CM Manohar Lal Khattar after the meeting Thursday, and he said he had even offered Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann to affiliate colleges from his state with any of the state universities of Haryana, if he so wishes,” Gupta said, adding that Haryana seeks to affiliate colleges located in Panchkula, Ambala and Yamunanagar districts with Panjab University.
According to Gupta, Haryana’s claim over Panjab University is as valid as its claim over Chandigarh.
“At the time of reorganisation of Punjab… the way Haryana got a share in the high court, the assembly, the secretariat and Chandigarh, it also got a share in Panjab University,” he said.
“In 1976, the then CM Bansi Lal withdrew Haryana colleges from this university for some personal reasons. Now, we want Haryana to get its legitimate share,” he added.
Asked why exactly did Haryana withdraw, Gupta said, “I was told that during an event organised by Panjab University, CMs of Punjab as well as Haryana were invited. While the Punjab CM was given a seat on the dais, Bansi Lal was offered a seat in the front row among the audience. This annoyed the Haryana leader, leading to the withdrawal.”
What happened at the meeting
According to the press note, Khattar noted at the meeting that “in today’s era, the colleges of the states are also being affiliated with international universities”.
“The aim of the National Education Policy is that all educational institutions should cooperate in the progress of the country and the mutual relations of all the states should be further strengthened,” he added. “Therefore, affiliation of colleges of Haryana should be done with Panjab University, Chandigarh.”
The Haryana CM said Panjab University is a state- and central-government-funded university where Haryana’s colleges should also have affiliation.
“The Haryana government, along with the Centre, will take Panjab University forward, so that the university becomes prosperous and its needs are fulfilled.”
According to the press note, Punjab CM Mann sought some time to finalise these subjects, while Purohit favoured the affiliation of Haryana’s colleges with Panjab University.
“The Punjab governor exhorted both the chief ministers that the matters related to Panjab University should be taken forward with mutual consent,” said the Haryana government press note. “The issue of affiliation of Haryana colleges to Panjab University is not a big issue; it is possible to do so. This collaboration of Haryana and Punjab will certainly be a good start.”
Meanwhile, the Punjab government stated that “Chief Minister (Bhagwant Singh Mann)… said [during the meeting] that the Punjab government is committed to safeguarding the rights of the state and its people”.
“Bhagwant Mann, who firmly placed on record the facts pertaining to the university, said that this premier educational institute has an emotional place in the hearts of the people of Punjab on account of historical, cultural and provincial reasons,” it added. “He said that Panjab University is a symbol of Punjab’s legacy and is synonymous with the name of the state.”
The note said Mann categorically made it clear that the university caters only to the state of Punjab and its capital Chandigarh. Citing the history of the university, “its constitution, its ethnic, socio-cultural and historical roots as well as its faculty and students, who hail primarily from the state”, Mann said it was important “that the present legal and administrative status of the Panjab University should be preserved”.
This is an updated version of the report
(Edited by Sunanda Ranjan)
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