At the oath-taking ceremony of Chetan Chaudhary of Students’ Organisation of India (SOI), the student wing of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), on Monday, as the president of Panjab University Campus Students’ Council (PUCSC), SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal announced ₹25 lakh for equipment in gym for girl hostellers of PU.
Dean students’ welfare (DSW) Emanual Nahar administered the oath and congratulated SOI members for working hard over the years and for helping in the conduct of peaceful elections.
The last time SOI had won elections in 2015, SAD was in power in Punjab and had given ₹10 crore to the university to spend on facilities including solar panels, washing machines, and a gym for girls. Badal junior said if his party returns to power in Punjab after two years, they will grant ₹5 crore more for student welfare in the first year of their tenure.
Recalling his days as a student at PU, Badal said he was a student of the department of economics from 1980 to 1984. “I was looking at the routes I used to take on my motorcycle and car. This is an amazing university. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also studied here. If God gives me an opportunity, I will lief sacrifice 30 years for those five years.”
Urging the students to understand the importance of education, he said: “My father once told me that money can vanish in a day but if one has an education, one can earn it again.”
{{/usCountry}}Urging the students to understand the importance of education, he said: “My father once told me that money can vanish in a day but if one has an education, one can earn it again.”
{{/usCountry}}Chaudhary had not taken oath on Friday with the other office bearers as he was sitting on a protest with the science students outside the vice-chancellor Raj Kumar's office. All the office bearers assumed office on Monday.
Senator Navdeep Goyal, controller of examinations (CoE) Parvinder Singh, SOI national president Parminder Singh Brar, senior SOI leaders Bhim Waraich, Vicky Middukhera, Simranjit Dhillon, Meet Jatana and Rashpal Hakuwala, were present at the oath-taking ceremony.