Demokretic Front, Chandigarh :

1.   I take this opportunity of welcoming all the Members of this august House which has been constituted by the Hon’ble Vice President of India and Chancellor of Panjab University, Chandigarh.  I look forward to your valuable guidance for the growth of this historic University.

2.   My sincere greetings for the Happy New Year – 2022. We have been able to face the pandemic and I pray to almighty to help the entire humanity in remaining safe in the coming years in the wake of other variants e.g. Omicron etc.

3.   With a deep sense of sorrow, I may inform the honourable Members of the Senate about the sad demise of many distinguished personalities during the last two years after meeting of this august House on 13.12.2019:-

i)       Prof. B.L. Abbi, father of Prof. Kumool Abbi, former
Chairperson, Department of Sociology, on 18.12.2019;

ii)     Prof. (Miss) Jatinder Bhullar, Former Prof. & Chairperson,
Department of Physical Education, on 18.12.2019;

iii)   Shri S.S. Sethi, father of Prof. Rajesh Gill, Fellow, on 21.12.2019;

iv)   Prof. Sanjay Wadwalkar, former Chairperson, School of Communication Studies, on 25.12.2019;

v)     Prof. Shashi K. Sharma, former Chairperson, Department ofLaws, on 31.12.2019;

vi)   Prof. Darshan Singh, former Fellow & Professor Emeritus, on04.01.2020;

vii)  Smt. Naseeb Kaur, mother of Prof. Paramjit Kaur, UBS on 12.01.2020;

viii)            Shri K.K. Bandlish father of Shri Sanjeev Kumar Bandlish, Fellow, on 5th February 2020;

ix)   Dr. Ramdhari Singal, former Chairperson, Department of Hindi, on 25.02.2020;

x)     Padma Shri Harkishan Singh, Professor Emeritus, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, on 20.3.2020;

xi)   Mrs. Kuldeep Kaur wife of Dr. Anmol Rattan Sidhu, former Fellow & Legal Retainer of Panjab University, on 21.4.2020;

xii)  Prof. Rekha Jhanji, Department of Philosophy and wife of Prof. B.S. Brar, Department of Political Science and former Dean of University Instruction, on 8.5.2020;

xiii)            Prof. Shankarji Jha, former Dean of University Instruction, on 10.5.2020;

xiv)            Padma Shri Balbir Singh Senior, on 25.5.2020, hockey legend, who had won 3 Olympic gold medals and upon whom the University had conferred Khel Ratna Award in the year 2016;

xv)  Shri A.N. Grover father of Professor Arun Grover, former Vice-Chancellor of our University, on 26.5.2020;

xvi)            Shri Kehar Singh, Ex-Fellow on 23.06.2020;

xvii)          Sh. Suraj Sandhu f/o Dr. Iqbal Singh Sandhu, former Senator on 22.10.2020;

xviii)         Sh. B.L.Gupta, former Registrar of the university on 13.11.2021;

xix)            Sh. Laxman Dass Singla f/o Prof. Savita Gupta, Fellow on 22.11.2020;

xx)  Smt. Omvati Gupta mother-in-law of Dr. Namita Gupta, UIEASS on 6.12.2021;

xxi)            Dr. Anil Kumar Thakur, Department of Laws on 19.12.2021.

        Some names might not have been included because of lack of knowledge.  Our sincere apologies for that.  These will be added upon getting any such information through our Hon’ble Members/other quarters.

        (To pay homage to the departed souls, two minutes silence, all standing, may be observed).

4.   I am happy to inform that our University has attained top ranking in the Innovation, Start-up and entrepreneurship development among Govt. and aided Universities of India as per Atal Ranking of Institutions of Innovation Achievements (ARIIA).  There have been various other distinguished accomplishments by our University fraternity during all these 2 years.  Our heartiest felicitation to all of them.  27 of our faculty members have been included in the list of 2% Scientists of the world.

5.   The Department of Youth Welfare has conducted 12 Zonal Youth and Heritage Festivals followed by 62^nd PU Inter Zonal Youth & Heritage Festival successfully during the month of Nov/Dec, 2021 in which about twenty thousand students/teachers/accompanists participated. Student’s artists showed their talent in 65 events of Music, Dance, Theatre, Fine Arts, Literary and Folk Arts.

6.   It is a matter of great proud that the University has won the prestigious MAKA (Maulana Abul Kalam Azad) trophy for the 3^rd consecutive year.  PU also won overall championship in the first Khelo India University Games-2020.  I congratulate the Director (Sports), coaches, all the players and entire PU fraternity who put in their best efforts to win the same. 

7.   UIPS has received a grant of Rs.1 crore under Corporate and Social Responsibility (CSR) from a multinational pharmaceutical company, M/s Mylan Laboratories Limited, facilitated by its alumni. This is the highest grant received under CSR by Panjab University.

8.   Dr Gurmeet Singh, Fellow and Associate Professor Department of Hindi was invited as visiting Professor by the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies, Tashkent, Uzbekistan. He taught at the department of translation studies and international journalism in the months of Oct-Nov 2021.