Panjab University is one of the oldest universities in India. The university campus is a residential campus, located in the city of Chandigarh and is spread over an area of 550 acres (2.2 km²) in sectors 14 and 25 of the city of Chandigarh. The main administrative and academic buildings are located in sector 14, besides a health centre, a sports complex, hostels and residential area. The University has 58 teaching and research departments and 10 Centers/Chairs for teaching and research at the main campus located at Chandigarh. It has 172 affiliated colleges spread over Punjab, Haryana,Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh, Regional Centers at Muktsar, Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur, and Swami Sarvanand Giri Panjab University Regional Centre, Hoshiarpur.
HistoryPanjab University has a long tradition of pursuing excellence in teaching and research in science and technology, humanities, social sciences, performing arts and sports. The University support excellence and innovation in academic programmes. Promotes excellence in research, scholarship and teaching and is committed to attracting and supporting the best students and recruiting faculty who excel at teaching and research. For more than a century, it has served various societal needs with distinction. The glorious traditions of the University, established during the period of more than 125 years of its long service to the nation and since its inception in 1882 at Lahore (now in Pakistan), are a source of inspiration for the present generation of faculty members and students. By virtue of its age, experience, achievements and philosophy, the Panjab University is a University of national character and stature, in so far as it has drawn both its faculty and students from all over the country and abroad. Its faculty includes some of the most distinguished scientists and academicians in arts and humanities. The University continues to attract celebrated scholars from abroad to visit and interact with the faculty and students. Over the years the reputation of Panjab University has grown into one of innovative teaching research and community outreach. Prominent LandmarksLibraryThe Central A.C. Joshi Library of Panjab University has a holding of over 650,000 books and 150,000 periodicals some of which are rare collections from the 19th century. The University Library has been recognised as one of the six national centres for data-information-distribution in the UGC's INFLIBNET program. The library works provide services which most effectively meet the needs of faculty, students and staff of the University community.It has a reading hall which is open 24 hours and attracts major portion of students. Books and journal collection is augmented by a variety of online sources. ICSSRThe Indian Council of Social Science Research has set-up its North-Western Regional Center on the Panjab University Campus. The center runs a library, a seminar complex and a guest house for visiting scholars under its study-grants programme. Faculty of LawThe university has two different departments, for teaching law. Both the departments have separate academic blocks for their functioning.
The department conducts a separate admission test, for both the courses, on the pattern of Union Public Service Commission.
Gandhi BhawanThe Department of Gandhian Studies came into existence in 1965. Initially a one year certificate course in Gandhian Philosophy was started. In 1972, the certificate course was converted into a post-graduate diploma course in Gandhian Philosophy. After getting special assistance from the U.G.C., the department started a post-graduate diploma programme in Gandhian Studies through correspondence. In 1977-78, the department also started offering a M.Phil. degree in Gandhian Studies. The department has primarily concentrated on research in different aspects of Gandhi's life, work and thought. This is reflected in a number of PhDs and the publications produced by the department. At the same time the department organises Seminars and Lectures by persons of eminence and Gandhian scholars, which are open to the public and have attracted a good deal of attention and appreciation. The university grants commission has selected the Department for Special Assistance for teaching and research in Gandhian Studies. As from the academic session 1984-85, the department has started a regular 2 years post-graduate course for a M.A. in Gandhian and Peace Studies. The department has a specialised library on Gandhian Studies and National Freedom Movement. MuseumsThe Panjab University has four museums and the department of Indian theatre has its own theatre lab, which is unique in the country. The university has a botanical garden and a garden of medicinal plants on the campus. Student CentreThe office of the Panjab University students' council is located in the student centre. The student centre is the hub of students' activities - academic, cultural, social and political; besides being a favorite eating and hanging out zone for students. Students' councilThe students' council consists of the departmental representatives and other office bearers, i.e., President, Vice-President, Secretary and Joint-Secretary directly elected by the students from the various teaching departments on the campus every year. The Dean Student Welfare is ex-officio Chairman of the Council. The Students' Council organises youth festivals, both national and international, academic debates, literary and cultural events and educational tours, besides looking after the interests of the students in general. DepartmentsPanjab University has several departments, grouped as under:
Research FacilitiesEnergy Research Centre was established in 1983 at Panjab University to promote R&D and Extension activities in the emerging field of Renewable Energy. It has emerged as a major focal point of R&D and extension on energy and environment at national and international level.. Energy research centre was the only R&D centre in the country which was designated as Nodal Agency for the implementation of different programmes of MNES. As a result of extension activities undertaken by the Centre in UT of Chandigarh , Chandigarh has emerged as a city with highest per capita alternate energy consumption on Asia and Pacific. As per survey conducted by NCAER, 5 million cookstoves designed by the centre are in operation in the country. Under these programmes, large number of self employed workers and potters have been trained thus creating job avenues in rural area apart from saving huge quantity of wood. Laboratories of the Centre are equipped with the state- of -the- art equipment. Centre has been designated as a regional test centre for testing solar thermal equipment by MNES. Bureau of Indian Standard has approved the centre for testing wood burning stoves. Centre has provided consultancy to a large number of countries in Asia- Pacific region such as Maldives, Bangla Desh, Srilanka, Myanmar, Kiribati and Tuvalu, in the area of renewable energy sources, energy management and environmental protection. . Centre has also helped the states of Haryana, Panjab and Himachal Pradesh in solving problems associated with energy planning & management and Environmental protection. AlumniNotable alumni include the current Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh, who graduated with the Class of 1954. It is not to be confused with the Pakistani twin University of the Punjab in Lahore, Pakistan and the Punjabi University, Patiala, India. The following is a list of well known alumni of Panjab University:
Affiliated InstitutesReferencesExternal links
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