In a blow to the newly set up Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University (MRSPTU), Bathinda, most of technical education colleges under its territorial ambit are set to go back to Inder Kumar Gujral Punjab Technical University (IKGPTU), Kapurthala.
The previous Akali-BJP government had transferred 165 of the 430 technical colleges in Punjab to the Bathinda university in 2015 after defining its territorial jurisdiction in 10 districts of Bathinda, Barnala, Faridkot, Fatehgarh Sahib, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Mansa, Muktsar, Patiala and Sangrur. The college managements had expressed resentment over this bifurcation and demanded that they should be given a chance to opt for their choice.
At its meeting on October 16, the Punjab cabinet decided to give a chance to colleges and also to the students to opt for either of the two universities. And now, most of the colleges say they were going back to the Kapurthala university citing it as a “well-established brand”.
“The Kapurthala university already has a well-established examination and placement system. Why would we ruin the future of students studying in our colleges? We will opt for PTU, Kapurthala,” said president of the Punjab Unaided Technical Institutions Association (PUTIA) JS Dhaliwal, who runs colleges in Moga district.
The college managements also say the Bathinda university is facing fund crunch. “The Kapurthala university has a corpus of around Rs 1,200 crore. Initially, the government tried to divert funds from here to set up infrastructure in the Bathinda university. But this was stayed by the high court. And the government is not in a position to pump in funds to the Bathinda university. So why to stick with a sick unit?” said a Fatehgarh Sahib-based college management chief.
President of Punjab Unaided Colleges Association (PUCA) Anshu Kataria said the Kapurthala university is the best option as it has well-established system for admissions, eligibility check, examination, placement and entrepreneurship activities.
{{/usCountry}}President of Punjab Unaided Colleges Association (PUCA) Anshu Kataria said the Kapurthala university is the best option as it has well-established system for admissions, eligibility check, examination, placement and entrepreneurship activities.
{{/usCountry}}“Kapurthala university has earned this system by developing itself ever since it was established in 1998. Many among us who are running colleges in territorial area of the Bathinda university are shifting to Kapurthala,” said Kataria, who is chairman of Aryans Group of Colleges in Patiala district.
Sources said even some colleges in Bathinda and Mansa districts are also opting for the Kapurthala university.